Project Washington - South Campus

The full picture AI research · Nov 1, 2026

Project Washington South Campus is the first phase of a larger data center proposal on about 582 acres of mostly vacant land at 825 Governor Lea Road, near Delaware City in unincorporated New Castle County. County records describe six data center buildings of 500,000 square feet each (about 3 million square feet in all). Each building is rated at 72 megawatts, and the plan includes electrical yards and other supporting site work.

Online coverage ties the project to Starwood Digital Ventures. The landowner is New Castle Campus Development LLC. A second, larger "North Campus" phase would need rezoning. A county councilman said the south campus is allowed "by right," meaning the county must approve it if it meets the rules. No tenant has been announced.

The main obstacle is at the state level. In early 2026 the state environmental agency ruled that the project is not allowed under the Coastal Zone Act, citing 516 planned backup diesel generators. In March 2026 a state board unanimously upheld that ruling. The developer then appealed to Delaware Superior Court.

What it could mean nearby

• Power: the campus would draw very large amounts of electricity from the local utility's nearby substation.
• Air and environment: the state objection centers on the diesel backup generators and the Coastal Zone Act's limits on heavy industry.
• Land: the site is currently vacant, so the project would turn open land into an industrial campus.
• Jobs and traffic: the sources found do not give figures for either.

Where it stands

The county filing is dated 2025-10-01, but the state's Coastal Zone Act ruling was upheld in March 2026 and is now on appeal in court. Until the appeal is resolved, the project is unlikely to move forward. The sources found do not confirm the appeal's current status.

• Mar 2026 State Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board unanimously upheld the rejection; the developer appealed to Superior Court
• Feb 2026 State environmental agency ruled the data center is prohibited under the Coastal Zone Act
• Jan 12, 2026 Deadline for public comments on the Coastal Zone Act status request
• Oct 1, 2025 Latest county filing for the South Campus
• Jul 2025 Developer reportedly filed two applications with New Castle County for the campus

Want to weigh in? The Delaware Superior Court now decides the state appeal, which has no public comment process. The county's review of the by-right South Campus plans proceeds through New Castle County Land Use staff, and residents can contact the County Council.

Who's behind it

Starwood Digital Ventures (with landowner New Castle Campus Development LLC) · Starwood Digital Ventures is the data center arm of Starwood Capital Group, a large real estate investment firm.

Around the web

• DNREC board affirms decision to prohibit Starwood Digital data center in coastal zoneDelaware Public Media · Mar 26, 2026The state board upheld the ruling that the data center violates the Coastal Zone Act.
• Starwood appeals denial of permit for data center in NCCDelaware Public Media · Feb 25, 2026The developer appealed the state's denial.
• DNREC says planned data center near Delaware City prohibited under Coastal Zone ActDelaware Public Media · Feb 4, 2026The state environmental agency ruled the project prohibited.
• Mega Del City data center awaits state-level approval, county officials still have concernsDelaware Public Media · Aug 19, 2025Explains that the south campus is a by-right first phase and the north campus needs rezoning.
• Starwood files to develop 1.2GW, 11-building data center campus in DelawareDatacenterDynamics · Jul 12, 2025Describes the two-phase, 11-building campus and the landowner's role.
• Coastal Zone Act status request public noticeDelaware DNRECState notice of the status request covering the site, with its generators and substations.

Researched by AI from public sources on Nov 1, 2026. It can make mistakes, so check the linked sources and the municipality before relying on it.