Amazon Data Services acquires 122 acres in Loudoun County
George Washington University has sold its Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Loudoun County to Amazon Data Services, a move that turns a university-owned site into the latest target for Northern Virginia’s data center buildout. Real estate records show the transaction price at $427,299,350, covering roughly 122 acres and implying about $3.5 million per acre.
University officials announced the sale on Friday without naming the buyer or disclosing the price. A university spokesperson, Julia Garbitt, confirmed on Monday night that Amazon Data Services is the purchaser. She said the university is not paying Amazon to keep the campus operating during a transition period.
The agreement allows GW to remain on the property for up to five years while relocating programs, including the School of Nursing. The deed was not publicly available in Loudoun County land records as of Monday night, according to the account.
Financial rationale centers on quasi-endowment and stability
GW plans to place the proceeds into a new quasi-endowment and to pool the funds within the university’s endowment portfolio. Garbitt declined to explain why the campus was sold to Amazon or to identify other prospective buyers, but reiterated that the proceeds will be used to support long-term financial planning rather than as immediate operating cash.
Chief Financial Officer Bruno Fernandes said several interested buyers approached the university about 18 months ago, prompting leaders to act while commercial land prices were rising. Fernandes said the sale will help address financial instability and support University President Ellen Granberg and her strategic framework, which includes investments in research, teaching, and student financial aid.
Garbitt said the proceeds will not be used to pay down debt tied to the Medical Faculty Associates, the university’s medical enterprise, which has accumulated at least $444 million in debt to GW and other lenders over the last six fiscal years.
Valuation gap highlights the premium for data center land
The records described the property’s assessed value at $107.3 million before the sale. They also cited that Loudoun County’s Commissioner of Revenue appraised GW’s county holdings at about $207 million this year at fair market value, an increase of more than $18 million from 2025. The final sale price far exceeded both figures, underscoring the premium buyers may pay for land suitable for large-scale data center development.
Commercial land values in the county rose 55% over the last year, with the average price per acre reaching $3.76 million in 2026, an increase of $1.4 million from 2025. GW’s per-acre figure, roughly $3.5 million, places the sale close to that reported countywide average, suggesting pricing aligned with the latest market conditions for scarce, infrastructure-ready sites.
Much of GW’s Loudoun land had been exempt from taxes because it was used for educational purposes. The shift in ownership could change the tax profile over time, though the article did not provide details on future tax treatment.
Northern Virginia data center boom drives opportunity and backlash
Amazon’s purchase adds to its massive presence in Virginia. The account said Amazon has invested more than $52 billion in three Virginia counties, including Loudoun, over the last decade and a half, and in 2023 pledged another $35 billion in the Commonwealth by 2040. Interest in Northern Virginia land has grown not only from Amazon but also from Meta, Google, and Microsoft, with demand rising after 2022 as generative AI expanded computing needs.
Loudoun County’s appeal has been linked to abundant and reliable power and a statewide policy that allows data center operators to purchase computer equipment without paying sales tax. Those conditions have helped earn the region its reputation as the data center capital of the world, attracting rapid development and continuous land acquisition.
The AWS footprint in Loudoun has grown for years. The account said AWS established its first Loudoun County data centers in 2006 and now owns well over 500 acres in the county, with additional purchases in every year since 2019, though exact totals are difficult to track due to affiliate structures.
The expansion has also provoked local resistance. Some residents and legislators argue the pace of development is too fast and raises risks for neighborhoods and the environment. Complaints often focus on noise from large cooling exhaust fans and heavy water use. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute was cited as estimating that large data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day.
The proximity of the sold campus to homes could intensify that debate. The VSTC site sits next to residential neighborhoods, and the nursing school is located across the street from townhomes and condominiums, placing any future data center activity near existing housing.
