Giant Data Center Project in Virginia Upended by Clerical Error

Developers bankrolled by two of the world’s biggest asset managers set their sights on building a massive data-center hub in Northern Virginia. A fight over newspaper advertising threw their plans into disarray.

Compass Datacenters, backed by investment giant Brookfield Asset Management, has abandoned plans for an 800-plus acre campus in Virginia’s Prince William County. The pivot followed strident opposition from local groups, culminating in recent court rulings voiding zoning approvals granted in 2023.