Microsoft files application to build Wellington Data Center campus in Prince William County, Virginia

Type: Development · Technology: Data Center · Country: United States · Announced: 2026-09-16

Microsoft has filed an application with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, to develop the MNZ07 Wellington Data Center on 123 acres outside Gainesville in Prince William County, Virginia. The project involves constructing two one-story data center buildings and an on-site substation on land Microsoft acquired in 2024 from local landowner Chuck Kuhn for $465.5 million. The development will impact 955 linear feet of stream channels and 1.95 acres of wetlands, and is intended to address expanding customer demand for cloud platform services in the region. The land borders a 117-acre site owned by Amazon, where the company is planning a separate 2.3 million sq ft campus dubbed Gainesville West and Gainesville East. Google-linked Sharpless Enterprises is also planning a large data center campus nearby, with the area having previously been operated as a military facility by Atlantic Research Corporation.

Analysis

Microsoft filed an application with the US Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District on September 16 2026 to develop the MNZ07 Wellington Data Center on 123 acres outside Gainesville in Prince William County, Virginia, after acquiring the land from Chuck Kuhn for $465.5 million. Microsoft is a Redmond‑based technology giant with a global presence investing heavily in data center infrastructure and cloud computing. Chuck Kuhn is the local landowner who sold the 123‑acre parcel to Microsoft. The project will include two one‑story data center buildings, an on‑site substation, will affect 955 linear feet of stream channels and 1.95 acres of wetlands, and is pending regulatory approval.

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