By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
As demand for artificial intelligence (AI) grows, the development of hyperscale data centers has surged across the nation—including in Maryland, where a project in Prince George’s County has sparked concerns about environmental, health and infrastructure impacts among residents and community leaders.
Last June, community advocate Taylor Frazier McCollum started a petition against a data center project slated for the old Landover Mall, warning that it could generate light, thermal and air pollution while driving down property values in surrounding neighborhoods. The petition has drawn more than 22,500 signatures so far.
For McCollum and other community leaders, the debate is about who gets to define the future of their community.
“We can’t have this in our community. My grandfather’s house is less than a mile from that site, my mother’s house as well,” said McCollum. “It’s going to directly impact my family. I just feel like it isn’t something that needs to be close to residential areas and in our community without our say, period.”
The groundwork for the Prince George’s County data center project dates back to 2021 when legislation from the county council formally established data centers as a permitted land use in county zoning law. The bill followed state and county legislation that created tax incentives and streamlined the approval process for large-scale data center development.
In March 2024, the Prince George’s County planning board approved a project, proposed by local developer Lerner Enterprises, at the site of the old Landover Mall. Notably, it did not require approval by the county council.
As more residents learned about the project and opposition grew, County Executive Aisha Braveboy issued an executive order in September 2025, pausing the development and establishing a task force to study potential risks, benefits and revenue.
For McCollum, the six-month moratorium is the result of public pressure rather than a meaningful shift in the county’s development priorities.
“I don’t believe the pause is disingenuous, but I feel like it’s because they know we’re watching,” said McCollum. “If we weren’t watching, they wouldn’t have paused anything. They would just continue to proceed with business as usual.”
She believes the push for data centers in the county signals that economic priorities are more important than community interests and protection.
“I think it’s a big money grab for the county. They’re trying to decrease the deficit, and they’re trying to do it by any means necessary,” said McCollum. “I think that’s where we’re making a mistake.”
For Kamita Gray, president of the Brandywine TB Southern Region Neighborhood Coalition (BTB Coalition), the issue goes beyond county finances to questions of equity. Her coalition is an environmental justice and civil rights organization, primarily advocating for the protection of Black and low-income neighborhoods when it comes to local land-use projects.
“Data center development is not inherently negative, but the way it is planned and sited determines whether it becomes an economic opportunity or an environmental justice concern. These facilities bring significant power demand, water use, heat generation, land conversion and infrastructure stress,” said Gray. “When proposals target rural or historically underserved areas, the question is not simply whether they generate tax revenue—it is whether the host community bears disproportionate environmental and infrastructure burdens.”
In Landover, Md., where the data center is proposed, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly 63 percent of the population is African American. For Brandywine and other Prince George’s communities, Gray said the primary concerns revolve around sequencing and safeguards.
Gray emphasized that if the project moves forward, comprehensive assessments and enforceable guardrails are essential.
“Communities should not be asked to absorb industrial-scale infrastructure without guarantees on grid stability, water resources, noise mitigation, land preservation and long-term health monitoring,” said Gray. “Equity-centered development requires enforceable commitments—not aspirational language—ensuring that economic benefits are matched by protections, investment and community oversight.”
