Amazon Data Center Coming to Franconia District

Residents of Loisdale Estates and Newington are about to have Amazon as neighbors with an Amazon Data Center currently under development on Loisdale Road, just south of two car dealerships in southern Springfield.

The site was previously occupied by two office buildings that went up about 10 years ago but were never fully occupied. The buildings at 7951 and 7961 Loisdale Road were demolished in early June, and currently the 17.5-acre site is being cleared. They were not able to save any of the buildings for future use.

Once the clearing is complete, Amazon will build a 120,000 sq ft, two-story data center, but the timeframe is unclear. 

According to Amazon Web Services spokesperson Duncan Neasham, the "AWS data centers bring job creation, investment, and educational programs that are benefiting communities across the United States. AWS has helped grow Virginia's economy and supported thousands of highly skilled jobs by investing over $51.9 billion in the Commonwealth, including our data center infrastructure in Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties. We are proud of the ways we benefit our communities and look forward to helping the continued growth of Fairfax County."

Neasham noted that Amazon paid $334 million in personal property taxes in 2022. Academically, the Amazon Web Services Academy is offered in 123 colleges and universities in Virginia and over 9,000 Virginia students have access to Amazon Web Services “Think Big Spaces” each academic year.

According to the document generated by a Planning Commission Meeting on Jan. 26, 2022, the site will be outfitted with frontage improvements, trail out front outfitted with ADA ramps, applicant will install an ADA compliant bus shelter within VDOT right-of-way, it will be outfitted with Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations, bicycle parking and a landscape plan.

The site is in the Franconia District.