Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy Orders Temporary Halt To Data Center Plans At Former Landover Mall In Maryland
Prince George’s County has paused plans for a data center at the former Landover Mall site in Landover, MD, following strong community opposition.
On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, County Executive Aisha Braveboy ordered a temporary halt to all data center permitting. The move came after a public meeting where hundreds protested the proposed development.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, the County Council issued a joint statement announcing a separate resolution to temporarily suspend the review of future data center proposals until the Qualified Data Center Task Force delivers its recommendations.
The Council noted that a 2021 law allowed the Landover project to move forward without Council review. However, they emphasized current leadership’s commitment to ensuring greater transparency in future decisions.
“The proposed resolution reflects a commitment to ensuring residents have confidence that their concerns are heard and considered, supports the task force in its mission to provide informed and thoughtful guidance, and promotes balanced and responsible economic development in Prince George’s County,” the council members said.
“By taking this step, these Council Members affirm their responsibility to protect public health, safety, and welfare while positioning the county for sustainable growth.”
According to The Business Journals, Brightseat Associates LLC — an affiliate of Lerner Enterprises and The Tower Cos. — secured final approvals in October 2024 to build 4.1 million square feet of data centers across 87 acres at the former Landover Mall site. The $5 billion project, called Brightseat Tech Park, would include five data centers and support up to 820 megawatts of power.
With groundbreaking in 2026 or 2027, Lerner projected the campus would generate $53.5 million in annual local tax revenue once fully built.
However, opponents have criticized the visual disruption and potential environmental and socioeconomic impacts, including increased noise pollution, infrastructure strain, and a decline in property values. They’ve outlined their concerns in a Change.org petition titled “Stop Data Center at Former Landover Mall Site.”
“Data centers, while necessary in a digital age, are industrial facilities that demand substantial electrical power and cooling resources,” the petition reads. “They can also lead to significant increases in light and heat pollution, adversely affecting the local environment and quality of life. Given these impacts, it’s imperative that the community has a voice in such significant changes to our neighborhood.”
At the time of writing, the petition had more than 20,500 signatures.
