Amazon HQ2, Metropolitan Park
Amazon committed to 25,000 jobs and $2.5 billion. Virginia Business reported in May 2026 that the company had 7,232 qualifying hires, and none added in 2025.1
What's being built
The big projects reshaping Northern VirginiaHQ2, data centers, hospitals and more in 2026
What is open, what is rising, what stalled or was cancelled, and what each one means if you buy or sell nearby.
Updated October 7, 2026Loudoun and Prince William budgets, Inova, Virginia Tech, WMATA, VEDP, court rulings and local reportingAbout a 12-minute read
Written byAhmed MakkiyahREALTOR®, Douglas Realty of Virginia · English and ArabicMobile 734.383.6945 · Direct 703.957.0060
Quick answer
Northern Virginia is still building, just not everything that was announced. Amazon's first HQ2 phase opened in Arlington in 2023, while the second is paused. Virginia Tech opened its Alexandria campus in 2025, and Inova is building two hospitals, in Alexandria and Springfield, both due in 2028. Data centers now carry a big share of local budgets: 38% of Loudoun's general fund revenue, which helped cut its tax rate to $0.805. Prince William's Digital Gateway is cancelled, the Potomac Yard arena is dead, and the Commanders' new stadium is going to D.C.
The numbers behind the cranes
Latest figures from each source
7,232HQ2 qualifying hires reported in May 2026, against a 25,000-job commitment1
56.5MSquare feet of data centers built or under construction in Loudoun2
38%Of Loudoun's general fund revenue comes from data centers3
$549.7MData center tax revenue in Prince William's proposed FY2027 budget4
2028Inova's new Alexandria and Franconia-Springfield hospitals open5
4Big plans cancelled, paused or lost to D.C., listed below
Each figure is dated to its source in the notes at the bottom of the page. Budget figures are what the counties themselves published; project figures come from the developer, the owner or local reporting, as marked.
At a glance
Every project on this page, and where it stands.
I have been a licensed REALTOR in Northern Virginia since 2019, and these projects shape commutes, construction and tax bills across the region. Here is where each one stands as of October 2026.
| Project | Place | Status | Opening | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon HQ2, Metropolitan Park | National Landing, Arlington | Open | June 2023 | 1 |
| PenPlace, HQ2 phase two | Pentagon City, Arlington | PausedDeadline extended to June 30, 2028 | Not set | 6 |
| Boeing global headquarters | Crystal City, Arlington | Moved in | 2022 | 7 |
| RTX (Raytheon) global headquarters | Rosslyn, Arlington | Moved in | 2022 | 8 |
| Fuse at Mason Square | Mason Square, Arlington | Open | Fall 2025 | 9 |
| Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, Academic Building One | Potomac Yard, Alexandria | Open | January 2025 | 10 |
| Potomac Yard–VT Metro station | Potomac Yard, Alexandria | Open | May 19, 2023 | 11 |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital | WestEnd, Alexandria | BuildingTopped out April 2026 | 2028 | 5 |
| Aspect apartments, first homes at WestEnd | WestEnd, Alexandria | BuildingBroke ground June 8, 2026 | Not stated | 12 |
| Former Potomac River power plant site | Alexandria waterfront | Planning | Not set | 13 |
| Inova Franconia-Springfield | Springfield, Fairfax County | BuildingTopped out April 2026 | 2028 | 5 |
| I-495 NEXT express lanes | Capital Beltway, Fairfax County | Open | November 2025 | 14 |
| Transform 66 Outside the Beltway | I-66, Beltway to Gainesville | Open | November 2022 | 15 |
| Silver Line Phase 2 | Reston to Ashburn, via Dulles Airport | Open | November 15, 2022 | 16 |
| Capital One Hall | Tysons, Fairfax County | Open | October 2021 | 17 |
| Northern Virginia Science Center | Kincora, Loudoun | Building | 2027, expected | 18 |
| Devlin Technology Park | Bristow, Prince William | ApprovedRezoning upheld September 16, 2025 | Not stated | 19 |
| PW Digital Gateway | Prince William County | CancelledQTS withdrew July 2, 2026 | None | 20 |
| Capitals and Wizards arena | Potomac Yard, Alexandria | CancelledMarch 2024 | None | 21 |
| Commanders stadium | RFK site, Washington, D.C. | Went to D.C.Approved September 17, 2025 | 2030, target | 22 |
Arlington
HQ2 opened. Its second phase is waiting.
PenPlace, HQ2 phase two
About 3.3 million square feet on about 11 acres, including the planned Helix. The deadline has been extended to June 30, 2028.6
Two global headquarters
Boeing moved its corporate headquarters to Arlington, in Crystal City, in 2022,7 and RTX (Raytheon) moved its global headquarters to Rosslyn the same year.8
Fuse at Mason Square
George Mason University's 345,000-square-foot building on its Arlington campus.9
What it means near National Landing and Pentagon City
The jobs from phase one are here now; the second tower is not. When I price a condo or townhouse near Metropolitan Park, I work from closed sales, not from what PenPlace might one day bring. If phase two restarts before its 2028 deadline, that is new information, and I will say so.
City of Alexandria
A university campus, a Metro station and a new hospital district.
Inova Alexandria Hospital at WestEnd
A 192-bed hospital on a campus of about 1.1 million square feet, scheduled to open in 2028.5
WestEnd Alexandria
The first homes, the Aspect building with 390 apartments and about 66,000 square feet of retail, broke ground on June 8, 2026. The developer plans more than 2,500 homes and about 300,000 square feet of retail at full build-out.12
The old Potomac River power plant
Still a plan. The city was briefed on a $135 million financing term sheet in June 2026, and the developer, HRP, puts its private investment at more than $2 billion.13
What it means near Potomac Yard and WestEnd
Potomac Yard now has a Metro station and a university building within the same few blocks. WestEnd will be a construction site until at least 2028, then a hospital campus with new apartments and shops on the old mall land. If you are buying nearby, ask how close the address is to the construction traffic, and when.
Fairfax County
Roads, rail and a new hospital in Springfield.
Fairfax's big changes are mostly about getting around: three highway and rail projects finished between 2022 and 2025, with a hospital to follow.
Inova Franconia-Springfield
A 110-bed hospital scheduled to open in 2028.5
I-495 NEXT express lanes
The Beltway express lanes extension, about a $660 million project.14
Transform 66 Outside the Beltway
22.5 miles of express lanes from the Beltway to Route 29 in Gainesville,15 a $3.7 billion investment.23
Silver Line Phase 2
Six new Metro stations, including one at Washington Dulles International Airport, running west into Loudoun.16
Capital One Hall
The performance hall at the center of Capital One Center in Tysons.17
What it means along the Silver Line, I-66 and the Beltway
In Reston, Herndon and out to Ashburn, a walk to a Metro station is now part of some addresses, and it is worth knowing exactly how far. Along I-66 and the Beltway, express lanes changed what a commute costs in time and tolls. Before you buy, drive the route at rush hour on a weekday.
Loudoun County
Data Center Alley keeps growing, and keeps paying.
Loudoun counts about 233 data center buildings with about 56.5 million square feet built or under construction as of March 1, 2026, and another 35.7 million approved but not yet built. The county permitted a record 10 million-plus square feet in 2025 alone.2
Loudoun data center floor area, square feet
As of March 1, 2026, per Loudoun County.2
Amazon Web Services' $35 billion plan
AWS plans to invest $35 billion by 2040 in data center campuses across Virginia, the state's economic development agency announced.24
Northern Virginia Science Center
A 70,000-square-foot science center, under construction since early 2025 and expected to open in 2027.18
What it means in Ashburn, Sterling and along Loudoun County Parkway
Check what is approved on the land around a house, not just what is built today; 35.7 million square feet of data centers is approved and not yet up. The county's land records and planning maps show it, and I pull them for any client buying near the corridor.
Prince William County
One data center park cleared court; the giant one is gone.
Devlin Technology Park
A 4.2-million-square-foot data center project on 269 acres. The Court of Appeals upheld its rezoning on September 16, 2025, ending the residents' challenge. Construction status has not been reported in the sources used here.19
PW Digital Gateway
Planned at about 23 million square feet on about 2,100 acres, it ended in 2026 after losing in court. The full story is in the box below.25,20
What it means near Bristow
Devlin is approved, not built. If you are buying close to it, ask what the approved plan allows next to the lot, and expect a buyer to ask you the same thing when you sell.
Data center taxes
The data center tax story, in two counties.
Data centers are taxed on their buildings and on the computer equipment inside them, and in Loudoun and Prince William that money now carries a large share of the budget.
Loudoun: a rate cut, then held
In February 2025, Loudoun's county administrator said data centers generate 38% of all general fund revenues. Their added value, $16 billion in a single year for a total of $41 billion, let the county propose a real property tax rate of $0.805 per $100, six cents lower than before.3 The board kept $0.805 in the fiscal 2027 budget it adopted on April 7, 2026.26
Prince William: the rate stays, the bill rises
Prince William's proposed fiscal 2027 budget projects $549.7 million from data centers and their equipment, about 28% of general fund tax revenue, up from about $52 million in fiscal 2020. It keeps the real estate tax rate flat at $0.906 per $100, yet the average homeowner's bill would still rise about $181.4
Prince William data center tax revenue
Fiscal 2027 is the projection in the proposed budget.4 Bars drawn to scale.
Data centers' share of the general fund
Loudoun's figure is the share of all general fund revenue in its FY2026 budget;3 Prince William's is the share of general fund tax revenue in its proposed FY2027 budget,4 so the two are close but not identical measures.
| County | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun | $0.865 | $0.805 | $0.805 |
| Prince William | · | $0.906 | $0.906 |
Loudoun's FY2025 rate is the FY2026 rate plus the six-cent cut the county described.3 Prince William's FY2027 rate is the proposed rate, described as unchanged from the current one.4 A dot means the figure is not in the sources used here.
Data centers now carry a big share of the county budget behind every Loudoun and Prince William tax bill, whether or not you can see one from the kitchen window.
Ahmed Makkiyah
Cancelled, paused or lost
Four big plans that will not change the map, at least not yet.
- PW Digital GatewayCancelled
About 23 million square feet of data centers on about 2,100 acres. A court voided the rezoning in August 2025, the Court of Appeals upheld that on March 31, 2026,25 and QTS withdrew its petition to the Virginia Supreme Court on July 2, 2026.20
- Potomac Yard arenaCancelled, March 2024
The Capitals and Wizards will stay at Capital One Arena in Washington through 2050.21
- Commanders stadiumWent to D.C.
The D.C. Council approved a $3.8 billion deal on September 17, 2025, for a stadium at the RFK site, with a 2030 target opening.22
- PenPlace, HQ2 phase twoPaused
About 3.3 million square feet in Pentagon City, with the deadline extended to June 30, 2028.6
What it means for you
How I use this when you buy or sell.
Price on what is built
A project that is open is in the closed sales already. A paused or proposed one is not, and I do not price a home as if it were.
Check what is approved next door
Near Loudoun's data center corridor and Bristow, the approved plan matters as much as today's view. I pull it before you write an offer.
Map the construction
Around WestEnd and Springfield, the hospitals are due in 2028. Know which streets carry the trucks until then.
Measure the walk to Metro
Near the new stations at Potomac Yard and along the Silver Line, the actual walking distance is a selling point. Measure it; do not estimate it.
Read the tax bill, not just the rate
A flat rate can still mean a bigger bill when assessments rise, as Prince William's proposed budget shows.
Selling? Answer the question first
Buyers will ask what is being built nearby. A one-page summary with dates and sources, in your listing packet, answers it before it becomes a worry.
From Ahmed
Announcements are cheap. Closed sales are not.
Every year brings a new list of projects that will supposedly change Northern Virginia. Some open on time, some stall, and some go elsewhere. I track what is actually built, what is approved and what was cancelled, and I price homes on closed sales.
If you are buying or selling near any of these projects, in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun or Prince William, send me the address and I will tell you what is around it, in English or Arabic.
Questions
What people ask about the big projects.
What is happening with Amazon HQ2 in Arlington?
The first phase, Metropolitan Park in National Landing, has been open since June 2023. Amazon committed to 25,000 jobs and $2.5 billion; Virginia Business reported in May 2026 that it had 7,232 qualifying hires, with no new ones in 2025. The second phase, PenPlace, is paused, and its deadline has been extended to June 30, 2028.
How do data centers affect property taxes in Loudoun and Prince William?
They pay a large share of the bills. Loudoun said in 2025 that data centers generate 38% of its general fund revenue, which let it cut the real property tax rate six cents to $0.805 per $100; it kept that rate for fiscal 2027. Prince William's proposed fiscal 2027 budget projects $549.7 million from data centers, about 28% of general fund tax revenue, with the rate held at $0.906.
What happened to the Prince William Digital Gateway?
It is cancelled. The plan called for about 23 million square feet of data centers on about 2,100 acres. A court voided the rezoning in August 2025, the Court of Appeals upheld that ruling on March 31, 2026, and the developer, QTS, withdrew its petition to the Virginia Supreme Court on July 2, 2026.
When do the new Inova hospitals open?
Both are scheduled for 2028. Inova Alexandria Hospital at WestEnd, on the former Landmark Mall site, will have 192 beds, and Inova Franconia-Springfield will have 110. Both buildings topped out in April 2026.
Is the Capitals and Wizards arena still coming to Alexandria?
No. The Potomac Yard arena plan was cancelled in March 2024, and the teams are staying at Capital One Arena in Washington through 2050.
Are the Commanders building their new stadium in Northern Virginia?
No. The D.C. Council approved a $3.8 billion deal on September 17, 2025, to build the new stadium at the RFK site in Washington, with a target opening in 2030.
Your next step
Buying or selling near one of these? Start with the facts.
Send me the address or the area. I will tell you what is approved, built or planned nearby, and what homes there have actually sold for, in English or Arabic.
دليل شمال فرجينيا · المشاريع الكبرى
المشاريع الكبرى التي تغيّر شمال فرجينيا في 2026
افتُتحت المرحلة الأولى من مقر أمازون الثاني في أرلينغتون عام 2023، بينما توقفت المرحلة الثانية مؤقتاً. وافتتحت جامعة فرجينيا تك حرمها في الإسكندرية عام 2025، وتبني شركة إينوفا مستشفيين جديدين في الإسكندرية وسبرينغفيلد يُفتتحان عام 2028. وتموّل مراكز البيانات 38% من إيرادات الصندوق العام في مقاطعة لاودون، مما ساعد على خفض معدل الضريبة العقارية إلى 0.805 دولار لكل 100 دولار من القيمة.
وأُلغي مشروع البوابة الرقمية في مقاطعة برينس ويليام، كما أُلغي مشروع الساحة الرياضية في بوتوماك يارد. إذا كنت تشتري أو تبيع بالقرب من أحد هذه المشاريع، أرسل لي العنوان وسأخبرك بما بُني وما هو معتمد حوله، بالعربية أو بالإنجليزية.
وكيلك العقاري الموثوق في شمال فرجينيا.
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