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3w ago

Prince George’s County Pauses Data Center Permits as Council Moves to Freeze New Approvals

The move follows resident protests over the proposed Brightseat Tech Park at the former Landover Mall.

The site of the old Landover Mall. (7News){p}{/p}
The site of the old Landover Mall. (7News){p}{/p}
The site of the old Landover Mall. (7News){p}{/p}
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Overview

  • County Executive Aisha Braveboy signed an executive order suspending issuance of data center construction permits pending a task force review.
  • Four council members introduced legislation to pause reviews and approvals for future data center projects, with some reports citing a November target for recommendations.
  • Other reporting says the task force may not deliver proposed standards until later next year, leaving the duration of the pause uncertain.
  • The Brightseat Tech Park proposal by Brightseat Associates, affiliated with Lerner Enterprises and the Tower Cos., holds entitlements for a roughly $5 billion, 4.1 million-square-foot campus projected to generate about $54 million in annual tax revenue.
  • Leaders are reassessing a 2021 approval change that enabled planning-board signoffs without council review, and council members acknowledge the pause could face legal challenges from developers.