Prince George’s County, Maryland, is navigating a significant projected budget shortfall as community opposition has stalled a major proposed development that backers viewed as a key revenue source. A $5 billion data center campus planned for the long-vacant former Landover Mall site (closed in 2002) has been effectively blocked by local moratoriums, even as the county faces the closure of Six Flags America in Bowie and the pending relocation of the Washington Commanders stadium from Landover.
County planners approved the Brightseat Tech Park project—roughly 87 acres with five buildings totaling about 4.1 million square feet and capacity up to 820 megawatts—in 2024. It advanced under a 2021 zoning framework that limited detailed site-plan review and public input. Developer projections indicated the campus could generate approximately $53.5 million in annual local tax revenue once fully operational. Groundbreaking was targeted for 2026–2027.
Residents, led in part by local activist Taylor Frazier McCollum, organized a petition that gathered tens of thousands of signatures (reports cite figures around 25,000) along with protests. Concerns centered on environmental impacts, energy and water use, noise, and proximity to residential areas. This pressure contributed to a permitting pause by County Executive Aisha Braveboy and a two-year County Council moratorium on data-center development adopted in July 2026, plus legislation closing the earlier review loophole. The project remains stalled pending potential new rules.
These developments occur against a backdrop of fiscal pressure. The county’s Spending Affordability Committee has projected a roughly $151 million deficit for the FY 2028 budget year (following earlier gaps that officials worked to close), with structural shortfalls estimated in the $150 million range and risks of growth in coming years. Factors include federal job reductions affecting income-tax revenue, rising costs (including education mandates), and slower growth relative to spending.
Compounding the outlook are the loss of existing attractions. Six Flags America (and adjacent Hurricane Harbor) in Bowie closed permanently after the 2025 season, with its final operating day on November 2, 2025. The roughly 500-acre site is being marketed for redevelopment; the park had generated relatively modest annual tax revenue for the county. Separately, the Washington Commanders are relocating from Northwest Stadium in Landover to a new stadium at the RFK site in Washington, D.C., under a multi-billion-dollar deal approved by the D.C. Council in 2025 and targeted to open in 2030. The team has commitments related to redeveloping the Maryland site into mixed-use development with substantial economic impact.
County officials have discussed alternatives for the Landover Mall site and other underused properties while evaluating whether and under what conditions data-center development might resume after the moratorium. The episode reflects broader national tensions over data-center siting, balancing projected tax benefits against local concerns about infrastructure, environment, and community character.
SOURCES:
How one Black woman stopped a $5B Maryland data center.
An unexpected activist helped block a $5 billion data center : NPR
Six Flags America Officially Closes After 50 Years
Washington Commanders and Elevate Enter into Multi-Year Agreement Ahead of New Stadium Development
Chair Krystal Oriadha and County Executive Aisha Braveboy Deliver ‘Quality of Life Budget’ • Prince George’s County Legislative Branch, MD
Expert explains CCP’s strategy following DOJ inquiry of billionaire Neville Roy Singham
Maryland-native Kevin Durant’s investment group buys former Six Flags property – CBS Baltimore
