Dear Coalition Friends and Supporters,
PRESS CONFERENCE
Tuesday, April 7
1:30 PM
McCoart Building
1 County Complex Ct., Woodbridge
Residents are welcome to join us at 1:30 pm TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 7th, to ensure YOUR voices are heard to withdraw this failed Digital Gateway application. STOP wasting our precious tax dollars! See press release below.
You can speak at the afternoon citizens time and directly ask the Board as well.
The sentiment is simple: Not one more dime should be wasted on defending the indefensible Digital Gateway.
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For Immediate Release: Contact: Evelyn Parks
Date: April 6, 2026 (703) 490-5200; alliance@pwconserve.org
Environmental and Civic Groups Call for Prince William County to Withdraw from Digital Gateway Lawsuit
Date and Time:
April 7, 2026, at 1:30 PM
Location:
McCoart Building
Prince William County, VA — April 7, 2026: Environmental and civic organizations are calling on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to immediately withdraw from ongoing litigation defending the Digital Gateway data center project following a decisive ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals.
On Tuesday, March 31st, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals of Virginia ruled in favor of the Oak Valley Homeowners Association and the American Battlefield Trust, affirming a lower court decision that invalidated the Digital Gateway rezoning. The ruling found that the County’s approval process was legally deficient, including failures related to proper public notice.
As a result, the rezoning has been declared void, and the land has reverted to its previous A-1 designation.
The Digital Gateway proposal would bring more than 22 million square feet of data centers across over 2,100 acres in western Prince William County, adjacent to Manassas National Battlefield Park. At full buildout, the project would include 37 data centers, which would have been equivalent to 144 super Walmarts.
“It is time for PWC elected leaders to turn a page on the folly of the Digital Gateway and withdraw from the taxpayer boondoggle lawsuit,” said Elena Schlossberg, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William. “There is an opportunity to chart a new path, one that moves away from the industrialization, and instead focus on a future that prioritizes our natural and cultural resources like the Manassas National Battlefield.”
Prince William County has already approved more than $1.6 million in legal fees to defend the rezoning decision, with costs expected to rise if litigation continues.
“Prince William County residents deserve better than to have their own tax dollars used against them in legal fees, and the Board should immediately stop any further spending on this lawsuit,” said Vida Carroll, representing the Civic Association of Brentsville and Surrounding Areas.
Advocates emphasize that the Digital Gateway would significantly increase impervious surface in a sensitive watershed, raising concerns about water quality and environmental degradation. The project also borders Manassas National Battlefield, a national park, which the county has entrusted us to protect.
Community leaders also highlighted the broader significance of the land itself.
From the legacy of Jennie Dean to the lives lost in Battle to the many stories likely yet untold, we have an opportunity to work toward a future that respects that history, not one that erases it.
The coalition is urging the Board of County Supervisors to take immediate action:
- Withdraw from the Digital Gateway lawsuit.
- Stop expending taxpayer funds defending a legally invalid rezoning.
- Begin a transparent, community-driven process to plan appropriate land use for this area.
“We are no longer in 2022,” said Ashley Studholme, Executive Director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance, “the cumulative impacts to our environment and communities that we’ve been warning against are here and only projected to get worse. Pleading ignorance is no longer an option. By withdrawing from this lawsuit, the Board can pivot toward a bold reimagining of this land. Let’s ask ourselves what it would look like here if we honored the land’s history, enhanced the visitor experience of Manassas Battlefield, and protected our critical drinking water resources.”
A press conference will be held on April 7 at 1:30 pm in front of the McCoart Building, where community leaders and advocates will speak and call on elected officials to act.
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