Chantilly, Virginia, October 10, 2025
News Summary
Construction has begun on Chantilly Premier, a fully leased powered shell tied to regional fiber and power, while county planners approved two 300 MW electrical substations to support growing data center demand. One substation, Towerview, will sit on a 3.8-acre parcel near a major road and a data‑center campus; the other, Takeoff, will occupy about 10.2 acres with landscaping and a pond retention plan. A local Chantilly engineering and construction firm also launched a full lifecycle AI and HPC infrastructure suite. The moves underscore infrastructure growth, community concerns, and pending construction timelines.
Chantilly Premier project breaks ground as Northern Virginia moves ahead on power and services for data‑center growth
Updated: October 10, 2025 @ 7:11 am | Weather: Partly cloudy. High 82°F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Lead
Construction has started on a new powered shell in Chantilly after the developer secured financing, and county planners approved two large electrical substations to support more data centers across the Dulles area. At the same time, a local engineering and construction firm has rolled out an expanded service offering aimed at high‑density artificial intelligence and high‑performance computing needs. Together, these moves mark a fresh phase in a regional build‑out that continues to draw firms for cheap energy, fiber access and skilled labor while raising questions about local impacts.
What just happened
A developer has broken ground on a powered shell in Chantilly that is fully leased and tied into regional fiber and power lines. The start of construction was announced with a dateline on October 10, 2025. The facility is being built as a 100% leased powered shell, designed to give tenants ready access to connectivity and electricity without the developer fitting out tenant equipment rooms.
In parallel, the county planning body approved two 300‑megawatt electrical substations intended to supply data centers and surrounding development. Both projects were reviewed under the state code process that checks utility and government projects for compatibility with local plans, and both earned unanimous approval from participating commissioners. One commissioner recused due to past work with the electric utility.
Substation details and local concerns
The first approved station, called Towerview, will have 300 megawatts of capacity and sit on a 3.8‑acre parcel near a major north‑south road and close to Dulles Airport. The site is adjacent to a large data‑center campus under construction and is meant to serve nearby technology parks while also carrying excess capacity for homes and other businesses. Some nearby townhome residents raised safety, noise, pollution and water concerns during public review. The utility committed to meeting county noise rules, and planners asked the utility to work closely with neighbors.
The second station, Takeoff, also rated at 300 megawatts, will be placed on a 10.2‑acre mostly undeveloped site near a major east‑west thoroughfare and the airport boundary. The plan includes landscaping, a treescape buffer, a decorative wall and retention of an existing pond. County planners said there was no recorded opposition to that location, and the project won approval with an emphatic vote.
Both substations are scheduled to move into construction as part of a broader effort to add electrical capacity where data centers are clustering. One of the stations is expected to begin construction next year and take roughly 18 months to complete.
Why this matters
The region just outside the capital remains a leading hub for data centers, hosting hundreds of facilities and handling a large share of global digital traffic. The industry contributes billions to the state economy, but it also consumes large amounts of electricity and water and often sits near homes, parks, schools and historic sites. That mix has led to debates about how to balance economic benefits with neighborhood impacts and infrastructure costs.
Local cases cited during recent coverage included data‑center construction next to a youth baseball field, fiber cables appearing in residential areas, bright site lighting near rowhouses, and noise from rooftop exhaust systems audible in nearby neighborhoods. Historic cemeteries and battlefield areas have also found themselves surrounded by these blocky buildings.
Developer approvals and site plans
The Chantilly parcel where the powered shell is rising was rezoned earlier and had cleared a prior board approval for a multi‑building project on roughly 12 acres. That earlier approval envisioned up to about 402,000 square feet and originally included taller heights than the structure now being built. The rezoning and subsequent permit work drew opposition from neighboring residents concerned about generators, loading areas and visual impacts; some residents pursued legal options and community fundraising earlier in the process.
Industry services expand
A local construction and engineering firm headquartered in Chantilly has launched a new Full Lifecycle AI and High‑Performance Computing infrastructure suite that covers planning, mechanical and electrical work, networking, advanced liquid cooling and ongoing maintenance. The firm began as a general contractor in 2002, expanded by buying electrical contractors, and has grown alongside the rise of colocation campuses in the region. The new offering aims to help operators deploy ultra‑dense racks and liquid‑cooled systems while reducing project complexity with a single point of accountability.
Regulatory and planning notes
Both substation applications were reviewed under the state’s section that requires local planning review for public utility projects. That review can result in a final planning commission decision rather than a recommendation to the county board. In recent weeks planners also approved new local siting rules that would set minimum distances between future data centers and residential properties; projects already approved would not be affected.
What to watch next
Expect to see construction activity accelerate where power and fiber converge. Watch for permit filings, substation build schedules and local outreach plans that the utility and developers publish. Community discussions over noise, lighting, traffic and long‑term utility costs are likely to continue as new facilities come online.
FAQ
What is Chantilly Premier?
Chantilly Premier is a new powered shell data‑center building that has secured construction financing and is reported as fully leased. It is sited in the Chantilly area and connected to regional fiber and power networks.
How much power will the new substations provide?
Each approved substation is planned for 300 megawatts of capacity. One will sit on about 3.8 acres near a major road and a data‑center campus; the other occupies roughly 10.2 acres near a main east‑west corridor and the airport boundary.
When will the Towerview substation be built?
Construction on the Towerview project is planned to start next year and is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
What services did the local contractor add for AI and HPC?
The firm introduced an end‑to‑end suite for AI and high‑performance computing infrastructure covering planning, mechanical and electrical work, networking, liquid cooling and full lifecycle maintenance for high‑density deployments.
How are residents involved in the review process?
Residents can participate in public hearings and file comments during review. Concerns commonly raised include noise, safety, traffic, visual impacts and effects on local water and power resources. Utilities and developers are often asked to work with communities during construction and once facilities operate.
Key features at a glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Chantilly Premier | 100% leased powered shell; connected to fiber and power; construction started Oct 2025 |
| Rezoned parcel | About 12 acres; previously approved up to ~402,000 sq ft |
| Towerview substation | 300 MW capacity; 3.8 acres; near Dulles; serves nearby tech parks and homes |
| Takeoff substation | 300 MW capacity; 10.2 acres; landscaped buffer, pond retained, near airport |
| Local contractor services | Full lifecycle AI & HPC infrastructure; liquid cooling focus; vendor‑neutral; maintenance options |
| Regional context | Approximately 600 data centers regionwide; key clusters house ~260 facilities; sector contributes ~ $9.1 billion to state economy |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- The Washington Post: Data centers & artificial intelligence (Virginia) — interactive
- Wikipedia: Data center
- FFXnow: Dominion substations approved to support Dulles-area data centers
- Google Search: Dulles data center substations
- Data Center Frontier: Compu-Dynamics expands infrastructure expertise for the AI era
- Google Scholar: Compu-Dynamics data center AI
- Data Center Dynamics: Fairfax County approves data center in Chantilly, Virginia
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Data center
- NBC Washington: Fairfax County approves plans for data center near mobile-home community
- Google News: Chantilly data center
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