The 123-acre parcel sits near the Wellington Road/Balls Ford Road interchange in Gainesville. (Map: Google Maps)
A public notice from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has opened a window for community members to weigh in on the watershed and wetlands impacts of a planned Microsoft data center near Gainesville.
The notice, published Monday, outlines Microsoft's request for an “individual permit” on the 123-acre property from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the federal Clean Water Act. The public comment period on the related environmental concerns is open now through Aug. 7.
The site sits south of Interstate 66, east of University Boulevard and north of Wellington Road, with access from University Boulevard. Microsoft spent over $465 million for the land in 2024. The parcel is zoned by-right for data centers under Prince William County's Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District.
What's planned for the site
The project calls for two one-story facilities, each designed to house several data servers. According to the DEQ notice, other key components include:
● An on-site electrical substation
● A water storage facility
● Detention ponds
● Installation of domestic and fire hydrant water service
● Sanitary sewer
● Industrial wastewater infrastructure
● Fiber and electrical conduit
● Stormwater conveyance systems
Wetlands and stream impacts
The scale of the environmental footprint is spelled out in the Joint Permit Application. Per the notice, the application “seeks authorization to permanently impact 955 linear feet (LF) (0.14 ac) of intermittent stream channel (R4), 79,400 square feet (SF) (1.82 ac) of palustrine emergent wetlands (PEM), and 5,781 (0.13 ac) SF of palustrine forested wetlands (PFO).”
DEQ noted that Microsoft has said the project will adhere to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and remains subject to review.
How to submit a comment
Community members can submit feedback on the project's environmental concerns through Aug. 7 either by email to [email protected], or by postal mail to DEQ's central office and office of environmental impact review at 1111 E. Main St., Suite 1400, Richmond, VA 23219.
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