Another data center dispute between residents and developers is brewing in Alexandria, Virginia.

Plaza 500, at 6295 Edsall Road, is currently home to an industrial/office building dating back to the 1970s.

Annandale Today (AT) reports Starwood has submitted a new site plan for a by-right data center on the property.

The proposed two-story facility would span 466,000 square feet (43,290 sqm) and feature an on-site substation.

Starwood acquired and previously proposed a data center development on the back in 2022, but opposition from residents led to the project being “deferred indefinitely.”

Bren Pointe residents are likely to oppose the newly submitted proposals, with Tyler Ray, president of the Bren Pointe Homeowners Association, telling AT the data center would be just 260 ft from some of the homes in the community, while the electrical substation would be less than 100 ft from some homes.

A grassroots group called “Save Bren Mar from a Data Center” is urging the board of supervisors to change the data center development from a by-right project to one needing a zoning special exception.

However, council officials said the site plans were likely to be approved before any moves to amend the current zoning ordinance could be completed – a process that often takes months.

Starwood Capital Group is a private investment firm founded in 1991 with a focus on global real estate. The company has around $115 billion in assets under management.

This year it launched a dedicated data center unit, and significant portions of its newest fund will reportedly go to data centers.

The company is planning a large data center campus in Herndon, Virginia, on the site of the former Commanders NFL team (formerly the Washington Redskins). Last year, Starwood sold a Digital Realty-leased data center to GI Partners.

The company also owns a significant stake in European developer Echelon.