Chantilly, Virginia, October 10, 2025
News Summary
Construction has begun on Chantilly Premier, a fully leased powered shell tied to regional fiber and power, while county planners approved two 300 MW electrical substations to support growing data center demand. One substation, Towerview, will sit on a 3.8-acre parcel near a major road and a data‑center campus; the other, Takeoff, will occupy about 10.2 acres with landscaping and a pond retention plan. A local Chantilly engineering and construction firm also launched a full lifecycle AI and HPC infrastructure suite. The moves underscore infrastructure growth, community concerns, and pending construction timelines.
Chantilly powered shell breaks ground as Northern Virginia data‑center buildout advances
Updated: October 10, 2025 @ 7:11 am — Weather: Partly cloudy. High 82°F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Penzance has begun construction on a new facility in Chantilly after securing construction financing, advancing a wave of data‑center activity in Northern Virginia. The project, described as a 100% leased powered shell, was announced with a dateline in Chantilly on October 10, 2025 and benefits from direct connections to both fiber and electrical infrastructure.
Why this matters now
The new build, combined with recent county approvals for major electrical work, underscores how the region is adding capacity to meet growing demand for digital services and artificial‑intelligence workloads. Local planners recently approved two new 300‑megawatt substations to feed data centers and other development in the Dulles area. The decisions reflect a rapid push to expand both power and cooling capacity as operators deploy larger, denser computing racks.
Substations to back up growth
County planning officials approved two distinct substation projects through the special 2232 review process that governs public utility compatibility with local land plans. Both stations are rated at 300 megawatts.
The first, known as Towerview, sits on a 3.8‑acre parcel wedged between Sully Road (Route 28) and Park Center Road in the Floris neighborhood, east of Dulles International Airport. The site will be leased from the owner of a nearby gateway data center and is intended to serve a new technology park to the east while also offering spare capacity for homes and businesses. Construction is slated to start next year and take about 18 months to complete. Nearby townhome residents raised concerns about safety, noise, pollution and water effects; planners required the utility to meet county noise rules and to work with the community during construction and operations.
The second site, called Takeoff, is a mostly undeveloped 10.2‑acre parcel at the northeast corner of Route 50 and Avion Parkway, just north of a shopping center and adjacent to Dulles Airport. That site received unanimous approval after questions focused on landscaping, noise and setbacks. The plan keeps facilities set back 100 feet from Route 50, retains an existing pond on part of the parcel, and proposes a treed buffer and a 12‑foot decorative wall around the site.
Local process and oversight
Both approvals passed with unanimous votes among participating commissioners. One at‑large commissioner recused himself because of prior employment in communications and media relations for the utility. The 2232 review required for these projects gives the planning commission final authority in these rare utility cases under state code, rather than acting only as an advisor to the board of supervisors.
Chantilly: what Penzance is building
The Penzance project in Chantilly follows an earlier county rezoning approval for a separate data center on a 12‑acre parcel at Lee Jackson Memorial Highway and Stonecroft Boulevard. That previously approved campus was planned as roughly 402,000 square feet, with an earlier proposal for taller structures later reduced in height. Local residents had strongly opposed that rezoning, citing location of backup generators and service yards close to neighborhoods. Penzance’s newest powered shell is being developed amid those tensions and is located in a corridor where other facilities already sit near homes, parks and schools.
Industry response and service providers
Local firms that design and build data‑center infrastructure are moving to meet new needs for high‑density cooling and greater electrical capacity. A regional contractor based in Chantilly introduced an end‑to‑end suite of services earlier this year that focuses on advanced liquid cooling for AI and high‑performance computing. The firm says its offering is meant to simplify complex builds and maintenance for dense computing environments and noted plans to expand its geographic footprint.
Regional context and community impacts
The broader Northern Virginia market houses roughly 600 data centers, with a high concentration in Ashburn and Sterling that together account for about 260 facilities. Data centers have been a major local economic force, contributing several billion dollars to the state economy, while also drawing heavily on electricity and water. The architecture of these sites tends to be blocky and gray, with some campuses stretching to hundreds of thousands of square feet and, in rare cases, approaches to one million square feet.
As facilities scale up, they bring louder rooftop fans, bright exterior lighting and frequent heavy equipment during construction. Reports from residents near active sites describe audible hum, construction clanging and fiber infrastructure work near homes and cemeteries. Communities and local governments are debating how the costs of new electrical substations, transmission upgrades and other infrastructure should be borne, with some arguing those costs contribute to higher local energy bills.
What’s next
Construction on the newly approved substations is expected to begin on a defined timeline, with Towerview slated to start next year. The powered shell in Chantilly has started ground work following financing. At the same time, local planning bodies continue to update rules for future data‑center siting, including new minimum distances from residential properties for future proposals, while previously approved projects remain subject to earlier rules.
Key timeline items
- October 10, 2025 — Penzance announced start of construction for the Chantilly powered shell.
- July 9 — Planning commission approved two new 300‑MW substations through the 2232 process.
- Construction start for Towerview expected next year with a roughly 18‑month build timeline.
- April 2025 — Local contractor launched full lifecycle AI/HPC infrastructure services.
FAQ
What is being built in Chantilly?
A 100% leased powered shell data‑center facility has broken ground in Chantilly after construction financing was secured. The site connects to nearby fiber and power networks.
How will the region get more power for data centers?
Two new 300‑megawatt substations were approved to support current and planned data centers. One is on a 3.8‑acre parcel near Park Center Road; the other is on a 10.2‑acre site near Route 50 and Avion Parkway.
Were there community concerns?
Yes. Residents near one substation site raised concerns about noise, safety and water effects. Planners required mitigation measures and asked the utility to engage with neighbors during construction and operation.
What does this mean for local infrastructure and bills?
New data centers require more electrical and transmission infrastructure. Upgrading that infrastructure can result in costs that are debated as potentially affecting local energy rates.
Are companies offering new services for AI data centers?
Yes. Regional contractors have introduced full lifecycle services focused on AI and high‑performance computing, with particular emphasis on liquid cooling and turnkey delivery models.
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is being built in Chantilly?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “A 100% leased powered shell data‑center facility has broken ground in Chantilly after construction financing was secured. The site connects to nearby fiber and power networks.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “How will the region get more power for data centers?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Two new 300‑megawatt substations were approved to support current and planned data centers. One is on a 3.8‑acre parcel near Park Center Road; the other is on a 10.2‑acre site near Route 50 and Avion Parkway.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Were there community concerns?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Yes. Residents near one substation site raised concerns about noise, safety and water effects. Planners required mitigation measures and asked the utility to engage with neighbors during construction and operation.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What does this mean for local infrastructure and bills?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “New data centers require more electrical and transmission infrastructure. Upgrading that infrastructure can result in costs that are debated as potentially affecting local energy rates.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “Are companies offering new services for AI data centers?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Yes. Regional contractors have introduced full lifecycle services focused on AI and high‑performance computing, with particular emphasis on liquid cooling and turnkey delivery models.”
}
}
]
}
Key features at a glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Chantilly powered shell | 100% leased, ground broken after construction financing; fiber and power connected; announced Oct 10, 2025. |
| Towerview substation | 300 MW capacity; 3.8 acres between Sully Road and Park Center Road; serves local tech park and homes; construction next year, ~18 months build. |
| Takeoff substation | 300 MW capacity; 10.2 acres at Route 50 and Avion Parkway; set backs, pond retention, 12‑ft wall and treescape buffer; adjacent to airport. |
| Regional data‑center context | About 600 data centers regionwide; Ashburn and Sterling house roughly 260. Industry draws on large power and water supplies and supports high‑density AI deployments. |
| Contractor services | New full lifecycle AI/HPC infrastructure services launched April 2025, with focus on liquid cooling, turnkey delivery and nationwide expansion plans. |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- The Washington Post: Data centers & artificial intelligence (Virginia) — interactive
- Wikipedia: Data center
- FFXnow: Dominion substations approved to support Dulles-area data centers
- Google Search: Dulles data center substations
- Data Center Frontier: Compu-Dynamics expands infrastructure expertise for the AI era
- Google Scholar: Compu-Dynamics data center AI
- Data Center Dynamics: Fairfax County approves data center in Chantilly, Virginia
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Data center
- NBC Washington: Fairfax County approves plans for data center near mobile-home community
- Google News: Chantilly data center
Author: Construction TX News
TEXAS STAFF WRITER The TEXAS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at constructiontxnews.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Texas and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Texas Construction Expo, major infrastructure unveilings, and advancements in construction technology showcases. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Associated General Contractors of Texas and the Texas Building Branch, plus leading businesses in construction and real estate that power the local economy such as Austin Commercial and CMiC Global. As part of the broader network, including constructioncanews.com, constructionnynews.com, and constructionflnews.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into the dynamic construction landscape across multiple states.
