The Prince George's County Council in Maryland has abruptly passed legislation that effectively derails a massive data center project planned for the former Landover Mall site. This sudden move comes just three months after the council extended a moratorium on new data center developments.
During a session on the 27th, the county council approved an ordinance that tightens permitting procedures for data center developments near residential areas and requires the re-evaluation of previously approved projects.
The legislation directly targets the "Brightseat Park" data center development project underway at the Landover Mall site. In 2021, the county council created a loophole that bypassed the council's approval authority under the pretext of fast-tracking data center investments. However, this has faced criticism for inadvertently allowing data centers to be built in densely populated residential areas.
Following the vote, County Councilmember Shayla Adams-Stafford, who represents the district, emphasized, "The loophole created in 2021 put the Landover community at risk of having a data center built right next to residential neighborhoods. Under the new bill, the Brightseat Park application must undergo reconsideration by the council, and given the fierce public opposition, this effectively marks the end of the project."
Under the newly passed ordinance, all future data center development applications will be required to submit a detailed site plan that comprehensively considers surrounding land use. In addition, the procedures have been strengthened to mandate a more rigorous public review process, including public hearings, with final approval required from the county council.
The legislation comes in response to fierce pushback from nearby residents. As community opposition intensified, the county council previously declared its first moratorium on data center development in 2025. At the time, it was revealed that councilmembers were not even aware of the specific details of the development plan until the situation had escalated.
Meanwhile, the Brightseat Park project had already suffered setbacks due to various administrative frictions leading up to ground-breaking, even after its initial approval in 2021. With the passage of this ordinance sending the project back to square one, the regulatory stance against reckless data center development in Maryland is expected to tighten further.