Prince George’s County is strengthening its oversight of data center development, adopting legislation Tuesday that establishes stricter review requirements and eliminates a zoning provision that previously allowed certain projects to move forward without detailed site plan review by the County Council.
The measure passed with overwhelming support as opposition to large-scale data center development continues to grow across the Washington region. County officials say the legislation addresses gaps in the zoning code that weakened public oversight and allowed qualifying projects to bypass a more comprehensive approval process.
Council Chair Krystal Oriadha, the bill’s lead sponsor, said the legislation closes a loophole introduced in 2021 that enabled some data center developers to proceed directly to permitting without Council review. The new requirements establish a consistent process for reviewing qualifying projects and expressly prohibit projects approved under the former zoning provisions from being processed.
Landover Mall proposal at the center of debate
The legislation has significant implications for the proposed redevelopment of the former Landover Mall property, where Brightseat Associates LLC, an affiliate of Lerner Enterprises and The Tower Cos., received final approvals in October 2024 for a large data center campus.
The proposal calls for five data centers totaling approximately 4.1 million square feet on roughly 87 acres at 2101 Brightseat Road. The estimated $5 billion development could require up to 820 megawatts of electricity at full buildout.
The project has drawn substantial community opposition, with more than 25,000 people signing a petition against the development. Residents have raised concerns about the scale of the proposal and its potential effects on the surrounding community.
County officials have taken several steps to halt data center development while establishing a more comprehensive regulatory framework. In 2025, the County Executive issued an executive order pausing data center development, followed by a two-year moratorium enacted by lawmakers. These actions have prevented the Landover project from advancing to groundbreaking.
Tuesday’s legislation further reinforces the County’s position. Councilmember Shayla Adams-Stafford, whose District 5 includes Landover, said the measure was specifically intended to prevent a data center from being built at the former mall site.
Written by: Three E Staff
