ZONING MODIFICATION APPLICATION
NARRATIVE AND STATEMENT OF JUSTIFICATION
STONEBRIDGE DATA CENTER CAMPUS
ZMOD Application Docket No.: ZMOD-2025-0038
Applicant: Ironhaven Data Centers LLC a Delaware limited liability company 44680 Prentice Drive, Suite 200 Ashburn, Virginia 20147
Property:
Total Campus Acreage: 81.4 acres
Current Zoning: PD-IP (Planned Development — Industrial Park)
Requested Modification: Zoning modification to permit data center use within the PD-IP district
Date of Filing: May 30, 2025
Prepared by:
Ashcroft & Wynn, P.C. Thomas Ashcroft, Lead Partner 25 West Market Street Leesburg, Virginia 20176
in coordination with
Cornerstone Land Use Consulting, LLC Alan Mercer, Principal Consultant 19 Cornwall Street NW, Suite 210 Leesburg, Virginia 20176
and
Calderwood & Harkness LLP Douglas Fairchild, Responsible Partner 1900 K Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006
Legal Counsel for Applicant: Calderwood & Harkness LLP — Matter No. 1043-00002
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I. INTRODUCTION AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Ironhaven Data Centers LLC ("IHDC" or the "Applicant") respectfully submits this Zoning Modification Application Narrative and Statement of Justification (this "Narrative") to the Loudoun County Department of Planning and Zoning (the "Department"), requesting approval of a zoning modification ("ZMOD") under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance (the "Zoning Ordinance") to permit data center use on an 81.4-acre campus within the PD-IP (Planned Development — Industrial Park) zoning district. This application is submitted with the assigned docket number ZMOD-2025-0038 and is filed concurrently with the required application form, concept development plan, draft proffer statement, and supporting technical studies and analyses identified herein and listed in Section XV.
The proposed project, known as the Stonebridge Data Center Campus (the "Campus" or the "Project"), involves the ground-up development of a four-building data center campus totaling approximately 96 megawatts ("MW") of critical information technology ("IT") load capacity and approximately 480,000 square feet of gross floor area. The Campus will be constructed on two contiguous parcels situated at the intersection of Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Stonebridge Boulevard in unincorporated Loudoun County, Virginia 20148. The first parcel, known as the Stonebridge Parcel, comprises approximately 62.0 acres and is identified by Loudoun County Tax Map Reference /95-4A-1///. The second parcel, known as the Meridian Parcel, comprises approximately 19.4 acres and is identified by Loudoun County Tax Map Reference /95-4A-2///. Together, these two contiguous parcels total approximately 81.4 acres and will be operated as a unified data center campus.
The total project investment is approximately $600,000,000, representing one of the most significant capital commitments to the Loudoun County economy in recent years. This investment encompasses land acquisition, entitlement and soft costs, engineering-procurement-construction ("EPC") hard costs under a guaranteed maximum price contract, dedicated power infrastructure including a 230kV/34.5kV electrical substation, and appropriate contingency reserves. The Project is expected to generate substantial fiscal benefits for Loudoun County through increased real property tax revenues, data center equipment tax revenues, business personal property tax revenues, construction-period sales tax revenues, and proffer contributions estimated at approximately $2,400,000.
The Applicant requests that the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors (the "Board of Supervisors") consider this application at its October 2025 hearing session, following referral to and recommendation from the Loudoun County Planning Commission (the "Planning Commission"). To that end, the Applicant has targeted a filing date of May 30, 2025, to allow adequate time for staff review, referral, public hearing, and Board action within the anticipated timeline.
As set forth in detail in this Narrative, the proposed ZMOD is consistent with the Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan, including its economic development policies supporting data center investment within the Loudoun County technology corridor. The Project is compatible with the character and intent of the surrounding industrial-park development area, which already includes multiple data center and technology-oriented uses along the Belmont Ridge Road corridor. The data center use proposed herein is entirely consistent with the purpose and intent of the PD-IP zoning district, which is designed to accommodate high-value technology, industrial, and employment-generating uses. Furthermore, the Project will reinforce Loudoun County's globally recognized position as the largest concentration of data center infrastructure in the world, a distinction that has been a cornerstone of the County's economic development strategy for more than two decades.
This Narrative is organized into the following principal sections: a description of the Applicant and related parties (Section II); a detailed description of the subject properties (Section III); an analysis of existing zoning and the requested modification (Section IV); a comprehensive project description (Section V); an analysis of consistency with the Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan (Section VI); a fiscal and economic impact analysis (Section VII); a transportation impact analysis (Section VIII); a summary of the draft proffer statement (Section IX); an environmental analysis (Section X); an assessment of utility and infrastructure adequacy (Section XI); a description of design and architectural standards (Section XII); a summary of community engagement efforts (Section XIII); a concluding statement and request for approval (Section XIV); and a list of supporting exhibits (Section XV).
II. APPLICANT INFORMATION
A. Applicant / Developer
The Applicant is Ironhaven Data Centers LLC, a Delaware limited liability company registered to transact business in the Commonwealth of Virginia. IHDC's Virginia State Corporation Commission Entity ID is S7491283, and its federal employer identification number is 84-3291057. IHDC maintains its headquarters at 44680 Prentice Drive, Suite 200, Ashburn, Virginia 20147, situated within the heart of the Loudoun County data center corridor.
The principal officers of IHDC are as follows:
• Marcus Thorne, Chief Executive Officer
• Priya Dasgupta, Chief Financial Officer
• Leonard Castellano, Executive Vice President, Development
IHDC is a digital infrastructure platform company focused on the development, construction, and operation of data center facilities in major North American markets. IHDC currently operates three existing data center facilities in Northern Virginia, totaling approximately 42 MW of critical IT load capacity. These existing facilities are located in the Ashburn and Sterling submarkets of Loudoun County and have established IHDC as a credible and experienced operator within the Northern Virginia data center ecosystem. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus represents a significant expansion of IHDC's portfolio, adding approximately 96 MW of additional critical IT load capacity across four purpose-built data center buildings and supporting infrastructure.
IHDC's management team brings decades of collective experience in data center development, construction, and operations. Mr. Thorne has led IHDC since its formation in 2019 and previously served as a senior executive at a publicly traded data center real estate investment trust. Ms. Dasgupta oversees all financial operations, capital markets activities, and investor relations. Mr. Castellano directs all development and construction activities and serves as the Applicant's primary representative for land use and entitlement matters, including this ZMOD application.
Ownership Structure. IHDC is a portfolio company of Ridgeline Capital Partners Fund IV, LP ("Ridgeline Fund IV" or the "Fund"), a Delaware limited partnership with approximately $3.8 billion in committed capital dedicated to digital infrastructure investments across North America. Ridgeline Fund IV is managed by its general partner, Ridgeline Capital Management LLC, a Delaware limited liability company. The managing partner of Ridgeline Capital Management LLC with primary responsibility for the IHDC investment is Julian Hargrove. Ridgeline Fund IV holds a 92% equity interest in IHDC through an intermediate holding entity, RCP Digital Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formed for the purpose of holding the Fund's investment in IHDC. The remaining 8% equity interest in IHDC is held by members of IHDC's management team through Ironhaven Management Incentive Pool LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that serves as a management co-investment and incentive equity vehicle. This ownership structure is typical for institutional data center platform investments and reflects Ridgeline Fund IV's substantial commitment to the long-term success of the IHDC platform, including the Stonebridge Data Center Campus.
B. Property Owners of Record
Stonebridge Parcel. The current owner of record of the Stonebridge Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-1///) is Blackthorn Realty Group, Inc., a Virginia corporation. Blackthorn's Virginia State Corporation Commission Entity ID is 0412876-3, and its federal employer identification number is 54-1987234. Blackthorn maintains its principal office at 112 East Market Street, Suite 400, Leesburg, Virginia 20176. The President of Blackthorn is Donald R. Whitaker, and its General Counsel is Patricia Whitaker-Connolly. Blackthorn is a regional land development company controlled by the Whitaker family, which has been active in Loudoun County land development and real estate for over three decades. Blackthorn acquired the Stonebridge Parcel as part of a larger land assemblage and has held the property in its current undeveloped state pending disposition to an end-user or developer.
Meridian Parcel. The current owner of record of the Meridian Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-2///) is Meridian Acres LLC, a Virginia limited liability company. Meridian Acres' federal employer identification number is 84-6120983. Meridian Acres maintains its principal office at 3401 Old Ox Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166. The Managing Member of Meridian Acres is Theodore Ashford. Meridian Acres acquired the Meridian Parcel as an investment hold and has maintained the property in its current undeveloped state.
Purchase and Sale Agreements and Owner Authorization
The Applicant has entered into binding Purchase and Sale Agreements with both property owners for the acquisition of the Stonebridge Parcel and the Meridian Parcel, as follows:
(a) Stonebridge PSA. Purchase and Sale Agreement between Blackthorn Realty Group, Inc., as Seller, and Ironhaven Data Centers LLC, as Buyer, dated as of April 15, 2025, for the acquisition of the Stonebridge Parcel at an agreed purchase price of $58,500,000 (representing approximately $943,548 per acre).
(b) Meridian PSA. Purchase and Sale Agreement between Meridian Acres LLC, as Seller, and Ironhaven Data Centers LLC, as Buyer, dated as of April 22, 2025, for the acquisition of the Meridian Parcel at an agreed purchase price of $19,400,000 (representing approximately $1,000,000 per acre).
The Applicant anticipates closing on both parcels on or about September 15, 2025, and will acquire fee simple title to both parcels prior to or concurrently with the commencement of development activities. Both Purchase and Sale Agreements contain customary due diligence, entitlement, and closing conditions.
Letters of authorization from each property owner consenting to the filing of this ZMOD application by the Applicant have been executed and are attached hereto as Exhibit C. Each letter confirms that the respective property owner authorizes IHDC and its agents to file and prosecute this ZMOD application on behalf of the property and the property owner, and to represent the property owner's interests before the Department, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors in connection with this application.
C. Authorized Agents and Consultants
The following firms and individuals are authorized to act on behalf of the Applicant in connection with this ZMOD application and are identified as the Applicant's professional team for the Stonebridge Data Center Campus:
Land Use Counsel:
Ashcroft & Wynn, P.C. Thomas Ashcroft, Lead Partner 25 West Market Street Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Ashcroft & Wynn has been retained as local zoning counsel for the ZMOD application and proffer negotiations. Mr. Ashcroft is designated as the primary point of contact for all communications with the Department, the Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors regarding this application.
Land Use / Entitlements Consultant:
Cornerstone Land Use Consulting, LLC Alan Mercer, Principal Consultant 19 Cornwall Street NW, Suite 210 Leesburg, Virginia 20176
Cornerstone Land Use Consulting has been retained to provide comprehensive land use planning, entitlement strategy, and application preparation services for the ZMOD application. Mr. Mercer has extensive experience with data center entitlements in Loudoun County and has assisted in the preparation of this Narrative and the accompanying application materials.
Lead Outside Counsel:
Calderwood & Harkness LLP Douglas Fairchild, Responsible Partner Cynthia Ho, Lead Associate 1900 K Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20006
Calderwood & Harkness serves as lead outside counsel to the Applicant for transactional, corporate, and regulatory matters related to the Stonebridge Data Center Campus, including review of the ZMOD application, proffer statement, power supply agreements, and EPC contract.
Civil / Site Engineer:
Lumen Ridge Engineering, PLLC Carlos Esteban, PE, Project Principal
Lumen Ridge Engineering has been retained to perform civil and site engineering services for the Campus, including preparation of the concept development plan, ALTA/NSPS surveys, stormwater management design, grading and utility design, and site plan preparation.
Environmental Consultant:
Pendleton Environmental Associates, Inc. Dr. Renata Volkov, Lead Environmental Scientist
Pendleton Environmental Associates has been retained to perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for both parcels and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment activities for the northwest quadrant of the Stonebridge Parcel, as well as to provide environmental regulatory compliance support throughout the entitlement and development process.
Geotechnical Consultant:
Brannigan Geotechnical Engineering, LLC Neil Brannigan, PE, Project Engineer
Brannigan Geotechnical Engineering has been retained to perform geotechnical investigations for both parcels and to provide foundation design recommendations and geotechnical engineering support for the Campus development.
Owner's Representative:
Kestrel Infrastructure Advisors, LLC Diane Prescott, Engagement Lead 1750 Tysons Boulevard, Suite 600 Tysons, Virginia 22102
Kestrel Infrastructure Advisors serves as the Applicant's owner's representative and project management advisor for the Stonebridge Data Center Campus, providing oversight of design, engineering, construction, and project delivery activities.
III. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION
A. Stonebridge Parcel
The Stonebridge Parcel is the larger of the two parcels comprising the Campus and is described as follows:
Existing Conditions. The Stonebridge Parcel is largely undeveloped and was historically used for agricultural purposes. The terrain is gently rolling, with modest topographic variation across the site. There are no existing structures of significance on the property. The parcel enjoys approximately 2,100 linear feet of frontage along Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659), a major north-south arterial roadway serving western Loudoun County, and approximately 1,400 linear feet of frontage along Stonebridge Boulevard, which provides east-west connectivity to the broader industrial park area. The intersection of Belmont Ridge Road and Stonebridge Boulevard at the southwest corner of the parcel is signalized. Existing vegetation on the parcel consists primarily of maintained grass and scattered mature deciduous trees along the perimeter, with a small wooded area of approximately 3.5 acres along the northeast boundary.
Access. The Stonebridge Parcel has direct frontage on and access to both Belmont Ridge Road (Route 659) and Stonebridge Boulevard. The primary campus entrance is anticipated to be located on Stonebridge Boulevard, with a secondary access point on Belmont Ridge Road. Both access points will be designed in coordination with the Virginia Department of Transportation ("VDOT") and Loudoun County to ensure compliance with applicable access management and design standards.
Known Environmental Considerations. Due to the parcel's former agricultural use, there is potential for residual pesticide contamination in the northwest quadrant of the parcel, an area encompassing approximately 4.2 acres. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment ("Phase I ESA") is currently being conducted by Pendleton Environmental Associates, Inc., under the direction of Dr. Renata Volkov, Lead Environmental Scientist, with a target completion date of June 1, 2025. Based on preliminary findings and the known agricultural history of the northwest quadrant, the Applicant has authorized Pendleton Environmental Associates to proceed with a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment ("Phase II ESA") for the northwest quadrant, including soil and groundwater sampling, with a target completion date of July 1, 2025. Any remediation or mitigation measures required based on the results of the Phase II ESA will be completed in accordance with applicable Virginia Department of Environmental Quality ("VDEQ") regulations and guidance prior to construction activities in the affected area. A summary of the environmental assessment status is included as Exhibit H.
B. Meridian Parcel
The Meridian Parcel is the smaller of the two parcels and will serve essential utility and infrastructure functions within the Campus, as well as providing additional development pad area. The Meridian Parcel is described as follows:
Existing Conditions. The Meridian Parcel is undeveloped land with no existing structures, improvements, or active uses. The terrain is generally flat to gently sloping, consistent with the topography of the adjoining Stonebridge Parcel. Vegetation consists primarily of maintained grass and scrub growth.
Planned Use Within the Campus. The Meridian Parcel will serve several critical functions within the unified Campus, including: (i) the siting of a dedicated 230kV/34.5kV electrical substation to be constructed for Vantage Power Cooperative ("VPC"), which will own and operate the substation following construction and energization; (ii) utility routing corridors connecting the substation to the data center buildings on the Stonebridge Parcel; (iii) additional building pad area for one or more of the four planned data center buildings (anticipated to include Building D and potentially a portion of Building C); and (iv) stormwater management facilities and landscape buffer areas. A permanent easement for the substation will be dedicated to VPC and recorded against the Meridian Parcel.
Environmental Considerations. No known significant environmental concerns have been identified for the Meridian Parcel to date. A Phase I ESA is currently underway by Pendleton Environmental Associates, Inc., with a target completion date consistent with the Stonebridge Parcel Phase I ESA (June 1, 2025).
C. Combined Campus
The Stonebridge Parcel and the Meridian Parcel are contiguous and share a common boundary along the eastern edge of the Stonebridge Parcel and the western edge of the Meridian Parcel. Together, the two parcels comprise a total of approximately 81.4 acres (62.0 acres + 19.4 acres) and will be developed, operated, and managed as a single, unified campus under the name Stonebridge Data Center Campus.
To ensure the seamless operation of the Campus across both parcels, the Applicant will record cross-access easements and cross-utility easements prior to or concurrently with the closing of both land acquisitions. These easements will grant reciprocal rights of vehicular and pedestrian access, utility routing and maintenance, stormwater conveyance, and emergency access across the shared parcel boundary, ensuring that the Campus functions as a fully integrated facility regardless of the underlying lot line separating the two parcels. The Applicant may also seek to consolidate the two parcels into a single lot through a boundary line adjustment or subdivision plat, subject to Loudoun County subdivision regulations and the requirements of the approved development plan.
ALTA/NSPS land title surveys for both parcels are being completed by Lumen Ridge Engineering, PLLC, with a target completion date of June 15, 2025. These surveys will provide the definitive boundary, topographic, and easement information necessary for final site plan preparation and will be submitted to the Department as supplemental application materials upon completion.
IV. EXISTING ZONING AND REQUESTED MODIFICATION
A. Current Zoning Classification
Both the Stonebridge Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-1///) and the Meridian Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-2///) are currently zoned PD-IP (Planned Development — Industrial Park) under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance. The PD-IP zoning district is a planned development district that permits a range of industrial, office, flex-space, research and development, and related employment-generating uses within an integrated, master-planned development framework. The PD-IP district is designed to accommodate high-quality commercial and industrial development that benefits from coordinated site planning, shared infrastructure, and unified design standards.
The Zoning Ordinance establishes the PD-IP district as appropriate for areas designated in the Comprehensive Plan for suburban industrial and technology-oriented employment uses. Permitted uses within the PD-IP district typically include manufacturing, assembly, warehousing and distribution, office, research and development, telecommunications facilities, and related accessory uses, subject to the conditions and development standards established in the approved development plan and any associated proffers.
However, under the current approved development plan conditions applicable to these parcels, data center use is not expressly enumerated as a by-right permitted use. Data center facilities, while sharing many characteristics with the industrial and technology uses contemplated by the PD-IP district, involve unique operational attributes—including high electrical demand, backup power generation, mechanical cooling systems, and 24/7 operations—that were not specifically addressed in the original development plan approvals for these parcels. Accordingly, a ZMOD is required to amend the approved development plan conditions to expressly authorize data center facilities and associated accessory uses on both parcels.
The existing PD-IP zoning for these parcels was established through prior legislative approvals, including rezoning and development plan approvals associated with the broader Stonebridge Industrial Park development. The Applicant has reviewed the history of these prior approvals, including any conditions, proffers, or development plan limitations that may be applicable. To the extent that prior proffers or conditions addressed permitted uses, building design, or operational standards, this ZMOD application seeks to modify those conditions to accommodate data center use while maintaining consistency with the overall intent of the PD-IP district and any applicable proffers that are to remain in effect.
B. Requested Zoning Modification
The Applicant respectfully requests that the Board of Supervisors approve a ZMOD under the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance to modify the approved PD-IP development plan applicable to both the Stonebridge Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-1///) and the Meridian Parcel (Tax Map Ref. /95-4A-2///) to add "data center" as a permitted use on both parcels.
It is important to emphasize that this ZMOD application does not seek to change the base zoning district designation from PD-IP. The Applicant is not requesting a rezoning to a different zoning district. Rather, the Applicant is requesting a modification to the conditions and permitted uses within the existing PD-IP framework to expressly authorize data center facilities and their associated accessory uses on the subject parcels. This approach is consistent with the Zoning Ordinance's provisions allowing modification of approved planned development conditions through the ZMOD process and is the appropriate procedural mechanism for accommodating data center use within the PD-IP district.
The specific uses to be authorized under this ZMOD include data center facilities (defined as buildings or structures housing computer systems, servers, data storage equipment, and related telecommunications infrastructure for the purpose of processing, storing, and distributing data) and the following associated accessory uses:
(a) Backup power generation facilities, including diesel-fueled emergency generators in a 2N (fully redundant) configuration for each data center building, together with associated fuel storage, emissions controls, and sound attenuation equipment;
(b) A dedicated electrical substation, specifically a 230kV/34.5kV substation to be located on the Meridian Parcel and to be owned and operated by Vantage Power Cooperative following construction and energization;
(c) Utility routing infrastructure, including high-voltage and medium-voltage electrical distribution, fiber optic telecommunications conduits, water and sewer connections, and campus-wide utility distribution systems;
(d) A central utility plant providing mechanical cooling (chilled water), water treatment, and related campus-wide utility distribution services;
(e) Structured parking facilities for employees, visitors, and service vehicles;
(f) Stormwater management facilities, including detention and retention basins designed in accordance with Loudoun County and Virginia stormwater management regulations;
(g) Landscape screening, buffer areas, and perimeter fencing; and
(h) Security facilities, including controlled access points, guardhouses, and surveillance systems.
No change to the PD-IP maximum density or floor area ratio ("FAR") regulations is requested as part of this ZMOD. The proposed development program of approximately 480,000 square feet of gross floor area on 81.4 acres is well within the density and FAR limitations applicable to the PD-IP district. Building setbacks, heights, and lot coverage will comply with the PD-IP development standards as established in the Zoning Ordinance and the approved development plan, as modified by this ZMOD.
C. Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance Provisions
This ZMOD application is filed pursuant to the provisions of the Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance governing applications for modification of approved planned development conditions. The relevant sections of the Zoning Ordinance establish the procedural and substantive requirements for ZMOD applications, including the following:
(a) Application Requirements. A complete ZMOD application must include the application form prescribed by the Department, a narrative statement of justification, a concept development plan or site plan depicting the proposed development, a draft proffer statement, a fiscal impact analysis, a transportation impact analysis, and an environmental analysis addressing relevant environmental conditions on the subject property.
(b) Review Process. Upon acceptance of a complete application, the Department refers the ZMOD application to relevant county agencies and departments for review and comment, including the Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure, the Department of Building and Development, the Health Department, fire and rescue services, and other agencies as applicable. The application is also referred to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation.
(c) Public Hearing. The Planning Commission conducts a public hearing on the ZMOD application and makes a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors then conducts its own public hearing and takes action on the application, which may include approval, approval with modifications, or denial.
(d) Approval Authority. The Board of Supervisors is the approval authority for ZMOD applications affecting planned development districts, including the PD-IP district.
The Applicant's anticipated timeline for this ZMOD application is as follows:
The Applicant respectfully requests that the Department expedite its completeness review and agency referral process to the extent practicable, in order to accommodate the anticipated October 2025 Board of Supervisors hearing date. The Applicant and its professional team are prepared to respond promptly to any staff comments, requests for additional information, or agency referral comments.
V. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
A. Development Overview
The Stonebridge Data Center Campus is a purpose-built, ground-up data center development designed to provide hyperscale and enterprise customers with high-quality, highly reliable data center capacity in the premier data center market in the world. The key parameters of the development program are as follows:
In addition to the four data center buildings, the Campus will include the following supporting infrastructure and improvements:
• A central utility plant providing chilled water for mechanical cooling, water treatment, and campus-wide utility distribution services to all four data center buildings;
• A structured parking facility for employees, visitors, contractors, and service vehicles, designed to accommodate the parking requirements of the PD-IP district and the operational needs of the Campus;
• Comprehensive site civil infrastructure, including internal access roads, fire lanes, utility corridors, grading, and paving;
• A dedicated 230kV/34.5kV electrical substation to be constructed on the Meridian Parcel and owned and operated by Vantage Power Cooperative following construction and energization, providing the primary electrical service for the Campus;
• 2N backup diesel generator configuration for each of the four data center buildings, providing fully redundant emergency power capacity in the event of a utility outage;
• Stormwater management facilities, including detention and retention basins designed in accordance with Loudoun County stormwater regulations and the Virginia Stormwater Management Program ("VSMP");
• Landscape screening and buffer areas along all perimeter frontages, with enhanced screening along public roadway frontages and any boundaries adjacent to residential or noise-sensitive uses;
• Internal roadway and access infrastructure, including controlled-access security entry points, service and delivery vehicle routes, and emergency vehicle access lanes; and
• Security infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, video surveillance systems, access control systems, and guard facilities.
B. Building Program
The Campus building program consists of four data center buildings and a central utility plant, as described below:
Building A. Building A will be the first building constructed and will comprise approximately 120,000 square feet of gross floor area providing 24 MW of critical IT load capacity. Building A is anticipated to be located on the Stonebridge Parcel, with primary access from the internal campus roadway network. Building A will be the first building to achieve substantial completion and will serve as the initial revenue-generating facility on the Campus.
Building B. Building B will comprise approximately 120,000 square feet of gross floor area providing 24 MW of critical IT load capacity. Building B is anticipated to be located on the Stonebridge Parcel adjacent to Building A, sharing common utility infrastructure and access facilities.
Building C. Building C will comprise approximately 120,000 square feet of gross floor area providing 24 MW of critical IT load capacity. Building C is anticipated to be located on the Stonebridge Parcel or partially on the Meridian Parcel, depending on final site plan optimization.
Building D. Building D will comprise approximately 120,000 square feet of gross floor area providing 24 MW of critical IT load capacity. Building D is anticipated to be located on the Meridian Parcel or the eastern portion of the Stonebridge Parcel.
Central Utility Plant. The central utility plant will provide mechanical cooling (chilled water production and distribution), water treatment, and campus-wide utility distribution services to all four data center buildings. The central utility plant is anticipated to be located in a central position within the Campus to optimize distribution efficiency and minimize piping distances.
All four data center buildings will be designed and constructed to Tier III+ reliability standards (as defined by the Harborview Corporation or equivalent industry standards), providing concurrent maintainability of all critical power and cooling infrastructure. This reliability tier ensures that routine maintenance activities can be performed without interrupting IT operations, providing the high availability demanded by enterprise and hyperscale data center customers.
Cost Metrics. Based on the EPC guaranteed maximum price of $412,000,000 and the total critical IT load capacity of 96 MW, the cost per MW on an EPC basis is approximately $4,291,667 per MW. Based on the EPC guaranteed maximum price and the total gross floor area of 480,000 square feet, the cost per square foot on an EPC basis is approximately $858.33 per square foot. These cost metrics are within the range typical for institutional-quality data center construction in the Northern Virginia market.
C. Construction and Timeline
EPC Contractor. The Applicant has selected Titan-McAllister Construction Group, LLC ("Titan-McAllister") as the engineering-procurement-construction ("EPC") contractor for the Stonebridge Data Center Campus. Titan-McAllister is a national data center construction firm with extensive experience in the design and construction of mission-critical facilities. Titan-McAllister's principal office is located at 7900 Harkins Road, Suite 100, Lanham, Maryland 20706. The key personnel for this engagement are:
• Raymond Okafor, President
• Michelle Tran, Senior Vice President, Data Center Programs
Contract Type and Price. The EPC contract is structured as a Guaranteed Maximum Price ("GMP") contract with a total GMP of $412,000,000. The GMP encompasses all design, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and testing services required to deliver the four data center buildings, central utility plant, backup generator systems, and associated site improvements to shell and core condition, ready for tenant fit-out and IT equipment installation. The GMP includes all labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor costs, contractor overhead and profit, and a mutually agreed-upon owner's contingency.
Construction Duration and Phasing. The total construction duration from Notice to Proceed ("NTP") to final substantial completion of all four buildings is anticipated to be approximately 24 months. The target NTP date is November 1, 2025, contingent upon receipt of ZMOD approval, completion of land closings, and issuance of applicable building permits. Construction will be phased as follows:
Building A will be prioritized for early completion to enable the Applicant to commence tenant lease-up and revenue generation approximately three months ahead of the remaining three buildings. Buildings B, C, and D will be constructed concurrently with Building A but on a slightly trailing schedule, with substantial completion targeted for November 1, 2027.
The Applicant targets achieving stabilization (defined as 85% of total critical IT load capacity leased to tenants under executed leases) by the second quarter of 2028, approximately six to nine months following substantial completion of the final building. Pre-leasing efforts are currently underway, and the Applicant anticipates executing one or more anchor tenant leases prior to or shortly following NTP.
D. Power and Utility Infrastructure
Reliable, high-capacity electrical power is the single most critical infrastructure requirement for data center operations. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will be served by a dedicated, purpose-built electrical infrastructure designed to provide 120 MVA of utility power capacity with fully redundant backup power generation.
Primary Utility Power Provider. The primary utility power provider for the Campus is Vantage Power Cooperative ("VPC"), an electric distribution cooperative serving western Loudoun County and portions of surrounding jurisdictions. VPC maintains its principal office at 601 Sycolin Road SE, Leesburg, Virginia 20175. VPC is the incumbent electric utility for the Stonebridge and Meridian Parcels and has confirmed its ability to serve the Campus's requested electrical load.
Large Load Service Agreement. The Applicant has filed a service application with VPC and is negotiating a Large Load Service Agreement ("LLSA") under VPC Service Application No. LSA-2025-0091. The key terms of the LLSA, as currently under negotiation, include:
• Contracted Demand: 120 MVA, comprising 96 MW of critical IT load capacity plus approximately 24 MW of mechanical cooling, site lighting, and other non-IT electrical loads.
• Term: 10 years from the date of energization of the primary substation, with renewal options.
• Demand Charge: $8.42 per kW per month for years one through five, escalating at 2.5% per annum commencing in year six and each year thereafter for the remainder of the initial term.
• Energy Charge: At-cost pass-through based on PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. ("PJM") day-ahead locational marginal pricing for the applicable pricing node, plus applicable transmission charges, ancillary services charges, and VPC distribution charges.
Dedicated Electrical Substation. A new, dedicated 230kV/34.5kV electrical substation will be constructed on the Meridian Parcel to provide the primary electrical service for the Campus. The substation will step down high-voltage transmission power from VPC's 230kV transmission system to 34.5kV distribution voltage for distribution to the individual data center buildings. Following construction and commissioning, the substation will be owned and operated by VPC as part of VPC's regulated distribution infrastructure. The Applicant is contributing $18,500,000 toward line extension costs under a Line Extension Funding Agreement with VPC, which covers the cost of extending VPC's 230kV transmission line to the Meridian Parcel substation site and the construction of the substation itself. The target date for substation energization is June 1, 2027.
Total Power Infrastructure Budget. The total power infrastructure budget for the Campus is $61,000,000, which includes the $18,500,000 line extension contribution to VPC, the cost of on-site medium-voltage electrical distribution infrastructure, switchgear, transformers, and related equipment connecting the substation to the individual data center buildings.
Backup Power. Each of the four data center buildings will be equipped with a 2N diesel generator configuration, providing fully redundant emergency backup power capacity. In a 2N configuration, two complete and independent sets of generator systems are installed, each capable of independently supporting the full critical IT load of the building. This level of redundancy ensures continuous power availability even in the event of a simultaneous utility outage and a generator system failure, providing the highest level of power reliability for data center operations. All backup generators are included within the EPC GMP scope and budget.
Estimated Annual Utility Demand Charges. At full load, the estimated annual utility demand charges under the LLSA are approximately $12,124,800 per year, calculated as follows: 120,000 kW contracted demand × $8.42 per kW per month × 12 months = $12,124,800. This figure represents the demand charge component only and does not include the at-cost energy charge pass-through, which will vary based on actual energy consumption and PJM market pricing.
VPC has confirmed its ability to serve the requested 120 MVA load through the issuance of VPC Service Application No. LSA-2025-0091, and a utility availability letter from VPC is included as Exhibit J.
E. Site Design and Engineering
The Campus site design and engineering are being performed by Lumen Ridge Engineering, PLLC, under the direction of Carlos Esteban, PE, Project Principal, with project management oversight provided by Kestrel Infrastructure Advisors, LLC (Diane Prescott, Engagement Lead). Geotechnical investigations are being performed by Brannigan Geotechnical Engineering, LLC (Neil Brannigan, PE, Project Engineer).
The site design for the Stonebridge Data Center Campus incorporates the following principal elements:
Internal Access Roads and Fire Lanes. The Campus will be served by a system of internal access roads providing vehicular circulation to all four data center buildings, the central utility plant, structured parking, and the electrical substation. Fire lanes will be provided around all buildings in accordance with Loudoun County fire code requirements and the requirements of the local fire marshal. The internal roadway system will be designed to accommodate the turning radii and weight limitations of fire apparatus, emergency vehicles, and heavy commercial vehicles (including fuel delivery trucks and construction equipment).
Stormwater Management Facilities. The Campus stormwater management system will be designed in accordance with Loudoun County stormwater management regulations and the Virginia Stormwater Management Program ("VSMP") requirements. The system will include detention and/or retention basins, water quality treatment facilities, and conveyance infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces associated with buildings, parking areas, and roadways. The stormwater management system will be designed to control post-development peak runoff rates to pre-development levels for the applicable design storms and to provide water quality treatment in accordance with applicable regulations. A Stormwater Management Facility Easement and Maintenance Agreement will be recorded to ensure ongoing maintenance obligations are binding on the property.
Landscape Buffering and Screening. The Campus will include comprehensive landscape buffering and screening along all perimeter frontages, with enhanced planting and screening along public roadway frontages (Belmont Ridge Road and Stonebridge Boulevard) and any boundaries adjacent to residential or noise-sensitive properties. Landscape buffers will exceed the minimum requirements of the PD-IP district and will include a combination of canopy trees, understory trees, evergreen plantings, and ornamental shrubs to create effective visual screening of the data center buildings, generator yards, utility infrastructure, and service areas. Specific landscape buffer widths and planting requirements are detailed in the concept development plan (Exhibit D) and the draft proffer statement (Exhibit E).
Lighting Plan. The Campus lighting plan will be designed to comply with dark-sky principles, minimizing off-site light spillage, glare, and light trespass onto adjacent properties and public roadways. All exterior lighting fixtures will be full cutoff or shielded fixtures, directing light downward and preventing upward light pollution. Security lighting at controlled access points, parking areas, and building perimeters will be designed to provide adequate illumination for safety and security purposes while minimizing the visual impact on surrounding properties.
Setbacks and Building Placement. Building setbacks and placement have been designed to comply with the PD-IP district requirements as established in the Zoning Ordinance and the approved development plan. Buildings are sited to maximize operational efficiency while respecting perimeter setback requirements and maintaining adequate separation from property boundaries, public roadways, and adjacent uses.
Structured Parking. The Campus will include structured or surface parking sufficient to accommodate data center operations staff, facilities management personnel, security staff, visitors, and contractor vehicles. Parking calculations are based on the PD-IP district parking requirements as applied to data center use and are reflected in the concept development plan.
Security Fencing and Controlled Access Points. The Campus perimeter will be secured with security fencing appropriate for a mission-critical data center facility. Controlled access points will be provided at all campus entrances, with security guard facilities, vehicle barriers, and electronic access control systems. The security fencing and access control design will be consistent with industry standards for data center facilities and will comply with applicable Loudoun County regulations regarding fencing height, materials, and placement.
Utility Corridors and Underground Infrastructure Routing. Utility corridors will be established within the Campus to route electrical power distribution, telecommunications (fiber optic), water, sewer, natural gas (if applicable), and stormwater conveyance infrastructure. To the extent practicable, utility routing will be underground to minimize visual impact and protect critical infrastructure from weather events and physical damage.
VI. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSISTENCY
A. Loudoun County Comprehensive Plan Policies
The Stonebridge Data Center Campus is consistent with the policies and objectives of the Loudoun County 2019 Comprehensive Plan (the "Comprehensive Plan"), including its land use, economic development, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship policies. The Applicant has conducted a thorough analysis of the Comprehensive Plan's relevant policy areas and submits the following assessment of consistency.
Land Use Designations. The subject parcels are located within the Comprehensive Plan's land use designations applicable to the suburban and transition policy areas in western Loudoun County, which support a range of commercial, industrial, and technology-oriented employment uses. The PD-IP zoning district is specifically identified in the Comprehensive Plan as an appropriate zoning tool for accommodating industrial park and technology campus development in these policy areas. The proposed data center use is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan's vision for this area as a center of technology and industrial employment.
Economic Development Policies. The Comprehensive Plan contains strong policy direction supporting data center investment in the Loudoun County technology corridor. Loudoun County has long recognized that data center development is a cornerstone of its economic development strategy, generating substantial tax revenue, capital investment, and high-quality employment. The Comprehensive Plan identifies the data center industry as a key sector for continued growth and investment and encourages the County to maintain a regulatory and policy environment that supports the responsible development of data center facilities. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus, with its total capital investment of approximately $600,000,000, is directly responsive to these policies and will contribute meaningfully to the County's economic vitality.
Tax Base Diversification. The Comprehensive Plan emphasizes the importance of diversifying the commercial and industrial tax base to reduce reliance on residential property tax revenues for the funding of county services. Data center development is one of the most effective means of achieving this diversification, as data center facilities generate extraordinary levels of real property tax revenue, data center equipment tax revenue, and business personal property tax revenue relative to the demands they place on county services. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will transform 81.4 acres of undeveloped land—currently generating minimal tax revenue—into a $600,000,000 data center campus that will generate millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for Loudoun County.
Infrastructure Policies. The Comprehensive Plan addresses the availability and adequacy of utility infrastructure, including electrical power, water, sewer, and transportation, as key considerations in land use decisions. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus is located within an area that is well served by existing and planned utility infrastructure. VPC has confirmed its ability to serve the Campus's 120 MVA electrical demand through a dedicated substation and large load service agreement. Public water and sewer service are available in the vicinity of the Campus. Transportation infrastructure, including Belmont Ridge Road and Stonebridge Boulevard, provides adequate access to the Campus, and the characteristically low trip-generation profile of data center use minimizes the transportation impact relative to other permitted PD-IP uses.
Environmental Stewardship. The Comprehensive Plan includes policies supporting environmental stewardship, including stormwater management, water quality protection, tree preservation, and responsible management of environmental conditions. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will comply with all applicable environmental regulations, including stormwater management requirements, air quality regulations for backup generators, and environmental site assessment and remediation requirements. The Applicant has committed to enhanced landscape buffering, dark-sky compliant lighting, and noise attenuation measures that go beyond the minimum requirements of the Zoning Ordinance.
Loudoun County's Global Data Center Leadership. Loudoun County is globally recognized as the largest concentration of data center infrastructure in the world, hosting more than 100 data centers with a combined capacity exceeding 3,000 MW. This extraordinary concentration of digital infrastructure has been developed over more than two decades and has established Loudoun County—and Ashburn in particular—as the indispensable hub of the global internet. The Comprehensive Plan recognizes the importance of this competitive advantage and supports continued responsible growth of the data center industry within the County. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will reinforce and extend this competitive advantage, adding 96 MW of new capacity and attracting additional investment, employment, and tax revenue to the County.
B. Consistency with the PD-IP District Intent
The PD-IP zoning district is intended to accommodate a diverse mix of industrial, technology, office, research and development, and employment-generating uses within a planned, master-developed environment. The district is designed to attract high-value investment and to create employment centers that contribute to the County's economic base while maintaining compatibility with surrounding land uses.
Data center use is entirely consistent with the purpose and intent of the PD-IP district. Data center facilities are among the highest-value technology and infrastructure investments that can be sited within an industrial park district, and they represent the epitome of the "planned development" concept—large-scale, capital-intensive facilities developed under a coordinated master plan with unified design standards, shared infrastructure, and professional management. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will generate a total capital investment of approximately $600,000,000 on 81.4 acres, creating extraordinary value per acre and per square foot that far exceeds the investment intensity of most other permitted PD-IP uses.
The building massing, setbacks, and site design of the Campus are consistent with the design expectations of the PD-IP district. The four data center buildings, each approximately 120,000 square feet, are comparable in scale and massing to the industrial, warehouse, and flex-space buildings that are by-right uses within the PD-IP district. Building heights will comply with PD-IP height limitations. Setbacks will meet or exceed PD-IP requirements. The Campus's comprehensive landscape buffering, architectural treatment, and integrated site design will create an attractive, high-quality development that enhances the character of the surrounding industrial park area.
Furthermore, the Campus will generate significant employment opportunities consistent with the PD-IP district's objective of creating employment centers. Data center facilities require skilled operations, facilities management, engineering, security, and administrative staff. The Applicant has committed to creating a minimum of 50 new permanent jobs at the Campus, in addition to the substantial construction employment generated during the 24-month construction period.
C. Compatibility with Surrounding Uses
The Stonebridge Data Center Campus is located within an established industrial and technology corridor along Belmont Ridge Road in western Loudoun County. The surrounding land uses include:
• Existing data center facilities operated by national and international data center operators along the Belmont Ridge Road corridor;
• Industrial and flex-space buildings within the broader Stonebridge Industrial Park and adjacent planned development areas;
• Office and technology campuses;
• Utility corridors and infrastructure easements, including high-voltage transmission lines;
• Pockets of rural and transitional residential uses at greater distances from the immediate project area.
The proposed data center use is compatible with and complementary to the existing data center and technology uses that define the character of the Belmont Ridge Road / Loudoun County Technology Corridor. The addition of the Stonebridge Data Center Campus to this corridor will reinforce its identity as a premier destination for digital infrastructure investment and will benefit from the existing concentration of fiber optic connectivity, electrical infrastructure, and data center ecosystem services in the area.
With respect to any adjacent residential or noise-sensitive properties, the Applicant has incorporated the following mitigation measures into the Campus design:
• Setbacks. Buildings and generator facilities are sited to maximize the distance between noise-generating equipment and the nearest property boundaries, particularly those adjacent to residential or sensitive uses.
• Landscape Buffers. Enhanced landscape buffers, including dense evergreen plantings and berming, are provided along all perimeter frontages to provide visual screening and acoustical attenuation.
• Noise Attenuation. Backup generators and mechanical equipment are enclosed in sound-attenuating enclosures or housed behind acoustical barrier walls designed to reduce noise levels at property boundaries to levels consistent with applicable Loudoun County noise standards.
• Building Orientation. Generator yards and mechanical equipment areas are oriented away from residential or sensitive property boundaries to the extent practicable.
With respect to transportation impacts, data center facilities are characteristically among the lowest trip-generating land uses in the ITE Trip Generation Manual. A 480,000-square-foot data center campus will generate a fraction of the vehicle trips that would be generated by an equivalent-sized conventional office, retail, or industrial development. As discussed in greater detail in Section VIII, the transportation impact of the Stonebridge Data Center Campus is modest and is significantly lower than the traffic that would result from development of the parcels under the currently permitted PD-IP uses.
VII. FISCAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS
A. Capital Investment
The total project budget for the Stonebridge Data Center Campus is approximately $600,000,000, representing one of the largest single-project capital investments in recent Loudoun County history. The budget is allocated as follows:
The land acquisition component of $77,900,000 comprises the agreed purchase price of $58,500,000 for the Stonebridge Parcel and $19,400,000 for the Meridian Parcel. The entitlements, proffers, and soft costs component of $14,200,000 includes ZMOD application costs, proffer contributions, legal and consulting fees, design and engineering fees, permitting costs, financing costs, and other pre-development expenditures. The EPC hard costs of $412,000,000 represent the guaranteed maximum price under the EPC contract with Titan-McAllister Construction Group, LLC. The power infrastructure budget of $61,000,000 includes the $18,500,000 line extension contribution to VPC and the cost of on-site electrical distribution infrastructure. Contingency and reserves of $34,900,000 provide a prudent allowance for unforeseen costs and project contingencies.
Capital Structure. The Stonebridge Data Center Campus will be financed through a combination of equity and debt, as follows:
• Equity Contribution: $210,000,000, representing 35% of the total project budget, funded by Ridgeline Capital Partners Fund IV, LP, through its intermediate holding entity, RCP Digital Holdings LLC.
• Construction Loan: $390,000,000, representing 65% of the total project budget, provided under a construction loan facility led by Summit National Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, with syndicate members Cascade Commercial Lending Corp. and Harborview Trust Company. The construction loan will be structured as a senior secured credit facility with customary terms and conditions for data center construction financing.
The substantial equity commitment of $210,000,000 by Ridgeline Fund IV underscores the long-term commitment of the Applicant and its investors to the successful development and operation of the Stonebridge Data Center Campus.
B. Tax Revenue Generation