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Advisory group flags data-center land-use and workforce trade-offs at Quantum campus
Summary
Advisory members raised concerns that large-scale data-center development on the Quantum campus could consume significant land while producing limited employment, citing a SAGE report estimate of 16 million square feet and staff discussion about energy and water impacts.
The Investing in Workers & Workplaces advisory group spent part of its July 23 meeting discussing the potential role of the Quantum campus in Frederick County's economic future and whether large-scale data-center development should be an explicit target.
Advisory Group member Tony Checchia described the Quantum/New Design/Ballenger Creek area as roughly 4,000 acres with about 1,800 acres currently slated for development, and said Quantum buildout could generate about $1.9 billion in assessable value. Lara Fritts of the Department of Economic Opportunity told the group the SAGE report identifies about 16 million square feet of potential data-center development on the Quantum campus at an estimated $125 per square foot.
Several advisory members cautioned that while large data centers can add assessable value, they have in other jurisdictions consumed large amounts of land and delivered relatively few local jobs. The group flagged the energy and water implications of such uses and recommended the plan analyze environmental impacts, community benefits and employment outcomes before endorsing data-center–heavy scenarios.
The meeting minutes record no formal decision on the Quantum campus; staff said the plan will identify short-, mid- and long-term priorities and that land-use designations can be used to time development. Public outreach on the draft will begin in September and staff plans additional consultations with County Utilities and Public Works.
