George Washington University has completed the sale of its 122-acre Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn to Amazon Data Services for approximately $427 million. The transaction transfers control of a large, established academic campus to a major data center operator at a time when technology infrastructure investment in the region is accelerating.
The agreement permits Amazon Data Services to develop a new data or information technology center on the site. The property forms part of Amazon’s broader pledge to invest $35 billion in data centers across Virginia by 2040, underscoring the state’s role as a strategic hub for cloud and digital infrastructure. Amazon already maintains multiple data centers in Northern Virginia, including locations in Ashburn, Sterling, Manassas, Haymarket and Chantilly.
As part of the sale terms, George Washington University will be able to continue using the Ashburn campus for up to five years. During this transition period, the university will maintain academic operations and research activity on the site while Amazon prepares for its future data or information technology center development.
The campus currently houses programs in nursing, engineering, physics and chemistry, and also includes research laboratories and administrative buildings. Maintaining access to the campus for several years provides the university with time to manage program relocations and operational planning while still benefiting from the liquidity generated by the transaction.
George Washington University President Ellen M. Granberg stated that proceeds placed into the university’s endowment will support strategic investments in the school’s research and teaching missions and increase resources available for student financial aid. That reinvestment focus links the monetization of a major real estate asset directly to the institution’s long-term academic and financial objectives.
The sale highlights how demand for large-scale data center sites in Northern Virginia is intersecting with institutional real estate holdings, particularly properties with sufficient land area and infrastructure to accommodate future technology-focused development. For Amazon Data Services, the acquisition secures a sizable, contiguous site in a core data center corridor, while for George Washington University the disposition unlocks significant capital to support its mission and near-term campus transition.
