One of the top data center construction firms in the nation recently opened a new office in Fairfax County.
Last week, Suffolk Construction announced the relocation of its data center construction management team, Mission Critical, to 2303 Dulles Station Blvd in Herndon, positioning them near the Innovation Center Metro station and the heart of the world’s largest data center market.
“Northern Virginia has increasingly become a hub for significant construction activity over the next decade. Our expert team is well-equipped to meet this growing demand,” Matthew Arsenault, a spokesperson for Suffolk, told FFXnow.
He noted that the company launched its new offices in March, and this is its first location in the D.C. area.
Suffolk, which is also involved in building hospitals, schools, residential buildings, and other facilities, now operates 12 offices in major cities across the country, including Los Angeles, New York City and Boston, Massachusetts, where it’s headquartered.
According to the release, Mission Critical Chief Operating Officer Charles McCarthy, who has more than 20 years of experience in data center construction, is leading the team.
“Suffolk is recognized for its wealth of experience managing complicated, sophisticated data center and government projects nationwide, and Virginia is an important hub for that development activity,” McCarthy said in the release.
Suffolk’s Mission Critical Center has delivered more than 50 data center campuses, totaling 30 gigawatts, across 30 states, per the release. The company generates approximately $5.5 billion in annual revenue and employs about 2,800 people across all 12 offices.
Suffolk’s announcement comes amid a surge in data center construction in Northern Virginia, sparking concerns among residents and environmental groups who are urging local leaders to enforce stricter regulations on their development.
On June 6, the Fairfax County Planning Commission recommended the county adopt stricter zoning rules that would set design standards, require equipment screening and restrict the size and location of most data centers.
While some expressed support at the public hearing, many residents and activists worry that the proposed amendments fail to adequately address the impact of large data centers planned close to residential areas. According to county records, Fairfax County has about four pending applications for such projects — mainly located near Herndon — in heavy industrial districts.
Although the new regulations would introduce size limits in areas zoned as medium industrial, they don’t impose size restrictions on data centers built in general and heavy industrial zones.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the amendments on July 16.
Screenshot via Google Maps
