Data Center Developer Proposes Vienna Cloud Campus To Replace Tysons Office Complex

VIENNA, VA — A data center developer has filed a series of applications with Fairfax County seeking to transform a 14.4-acre office site near Tysons into a modernized "fiber carrier-interconnect campus".

The applicant, SF DC1 LLC (operating as Serverfarm), submitted a Proffered Condition Amendment and Special Exception to replace two 1970s-era buildings at 7980 and 7990 Quantum Drive with a state-of-the-art facility dubbed "Vienna Cloud."

The project would involve demolishing a six-story parking structure and the existing office space to make room for two new data center buildings totaling approximately 316,228 square feet.

Because Fairfax County recently adopted stricter standards for data centers, the developer is requesting several specific modifications to county ordinances. A key request is a "modest reduction" in the required 1-mile buffer from Metrorail stations, as the property sits roughly 0.9 miles from the Tysons Corner station entrance.

Jill Parks, an attorney for the applicant, stated in the filing that the project "will in no way prevent the employment centers in the transit station areas from developing as such".

The developer is also seeking:

• An increase in the allowable Floor Area Ratio from 0.40 to 0.50.
• Permission to maintain existing building setbacks that are less than the current 200-foot requirement for properties near residential districts.
• Waivers for transitional screening along Kidwell Drive, proposing a hedgerow instead of a wall to preserve existing thick vegetation.
• A reduction in required tree canopy, providing approximately 30 fewer trees than typically mandated due to underground utility and security constraints.

Serverfarm claims the project will lead to a "significant reduction in vehicle trips". The application estimates the site will generate only 29 weekday AM peak hour trips, down from the 157 trips currently approved for the office use.

To integrate the facility with the surrounding neighborhood, the proposal includes the following public-facing amenities:

• Pedestrian Facilities: A new 5-foot off-site sidewalk along Kidwell Drive and a variable-width asphalt trail providing connectivity around the entire property.
• Playground: A thoughtfully-located area designed to serve the siblings of children participating in activities at the adjacent athletic field.
• Art Wall: Graphic art treatments applied to the screening wall west of the athletic field.

The application was formally accepted by the county on May 4. While the developer has accelerated noise studies to ensure sound levels remain below regulatory limits at nearby homes, a public hearing before the Fairfax County Planning Commission has been scheduled for Nov. 18.

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