COTP launching two new data centres in North Virginia

Data centers are popping up left right and centre at the moment with new launches happening seemingly every week.

Now, a division of the Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) has announced it will be building two new data centers – with construction of the first facility already begun – in the Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District in Innovation Park, Prince William County, Virginia.

According to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, the location is amongst the densest concentration of fiber networks across the globe, the federal government, commercial enterprises, and consumers.

The aforementioned Data Center Opportunity Zone Overlay District is spread across more than 10,000 acres of land that is devoted to support data centers while sustaining the lowest computer tax rates in the region.

"Prince William County is a good choice for COPT to expand because of the abundant availability of land, power and low latency fiber connectivity found within Innovation Park," says COPT CEO Steve Budorick.

"The County is a good partner in supporting our service delivery to our customers.

Prince William Board of County Supervisors chairman Corey A. Stewart says Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in North America, and Prince William County maintains a significant piece of the pie. Stats from JLL back up his claims, as the analyst asserts Northern Virginia is the leader in data center demand, most notably in cloud activity.

"We are delighted to help facilitate COPT's expansion in Prince William County and one of the industry's top markets in North America," says Stewart.

Incredibly, to date Prince William County has brought in 34 data center projects with tremendous benefits to the local economy, including $6.9 billion of capital investment, 967 new jobs, in addition to hundreds of tech and construction jobs.

"We are pleased to support COPT's growth in the County and within Innovation Park," says Prince William Board of County Supervisors district supervisor Jeanine Lawson.

"By providing a designated Data Center Opportunity Zone and positive business climate for high-caliber enterprise, the County provides an ideal environment that stimulates commercial growth which benefits businesses and residents alike.

The expansive data center market within the County is also being backed up and fuelled by other technology orientated assets, like George Mason University which maintains a prominent science and technology campus in Innovation park. It is also home to the first and only globally affiliated Serious Game Institute.

Furthermore, the Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training is strategically located next to the Northern Virginia Community College and Marine Corps Base Quantico, offering a local solution for highly specialized further  professional education.