Residents in Fredericksburg are spooked by a data center in Manassas — and the connection is closer than you think. On July 21, locals packed the Central Rappahannock Regional Library for a community forum titled “Are We the New Data Center Alley?” as massive server farms push south from Loudoun County through Prince William, Stafford, and beyond.

Virginia already hosts more than 600 data centers — more than any other place on Earth — and the industry keeps expanding. Officials love the promised millions in tax revenue for police, fire, and schools. But Manassas learned the hard way with the Brickyard project: when a bank leased space inside the facility, state law exempted those assets from BPOL taxes. The city lost out on several million dollars it thought was coming. Former Fredericksburg City Council member Matt Kelly warned the revenue ...