A woman in Maryland, United States, has emerged as a leading voice against the development of a $5bn data centre campus, arguing that the project could expose residents of a largely Black community to pollution and other environmental risks.
Taylor Frazier McCollum began campaigning against the proposed development after learning that the former Landover Mall site, a nearly 90-acre property in Landover, was earmarked for the project.
The shopping mall closed in 2002 and has remained largely unused. However, in 2024, the developer behind the former mall secured approval from county planners to build a data centre campus on the property.
Frazier McCollum, who lived less than a mile from the proposed site, said she was immediately opposed to the plan when she heard about it.
“I was like, ‘Oh, hell no,’” she recalled. “Why would you want to bring water-polluting, diesel-generating data centers right down the street from where people live, work, play? It just didn’t make sense to me.”
Her opposition became part of a growing movement across the United States, where residents have challenged data centre developments at local government meetings. The protests have contributed to an estimated 500 moratoriums on such projects nationwide, although figures vary.
From housing struggles to community activism
Unlike many campaigners concerned about developments near their homes, Frazier McCollum does not own a house.
In 2024, she and her young daughter were evicted from their apartment after she could no longer afford the rent. She had been working at a waxing centre where her wages were reduced.
Recalling the experience, she said losing their home was particularly painful because she had worked hard to create a stable living environment for herself and her daughter.
“It was difficult,” Frazier McCollum recalled. “Because I created the ideal life paying for us to live in this apartment and have our own space … and then to have it taken away … It felt like something that wasn’t ever going to end.”
After moving between different places, she and her daughter eventually stayed at her grandfather’s house. It was while living there that she learnt about the proposed data centre development less than a mile away.
She subsequently launched an online petition against the project, which attracted more than 25,000 signatures.
The campaign generated significant public protests and contributed to the introduction of multiple moratoriums on data centre developments across the county. The restrictions stalled the proposed $5bn campus, which was expected to begin construction between 2026 and 2027.
Her involvement also brought her into local politics. She attended county council meetings, addressed Maryland lawmakers and supported political candidates who shared her concerns.
The campaign brought together environmentalists, socialists, residents worried about rising electricity bills and people who had recently become involved in community organising.
Frazier McCollum also attracted media attention and became known among people in the data centre industry as “the Landover girl”.
Staci Hartwell, a longtime environmental campaigner in the area, said she had spent years trying to draw attention to the issue before Frazier McCollum’s involvement.
“This is something that was happening in her neighborhood, and it was really like her awakening,” Hartwell said.
County faces pressure over lost revenue
Although the suspension of data centre projects has been welcomed by opponents, some residents and officials are concerned about the economic implications for Prince George’s County.
The county has suffered several setbacks, including the closure of a local Six Flags amusement park last year and the Washington Commanders’ announcement that they planned to return to neighbouring Washington, D.C.
Thousands of federal workers have also lost their jobs, while the local government is dealing with a budget shortfall.
These developments have increased concerns about the need to attract investments and generate additional revenue.
At a county council meeting in September, Frazier McCollum advocated for the creation of a fund to support roof repairs, including work needed at her grandfather’s house.
Council member Wanika Fisher, who supports allowing some data centre projects to proceed, used the discussion to highlight the county’s financial challenges.
“Our county has an economic future that we have to grapple with,” Fisher said. “I don’t see where the money is coming from. I think we have to have a real conversation. And I’m not saying that a data center is the answer, but I’m saying it’s worth the hard discussion.”
Campaign spreads beyond Maryland
With the Landover development currently on hold, Frazier McCollum is pushing for a complete ban on the proposed project and other data centre developments.
Supported by grants secured by Hartwell and other campaigners, she has also taken her advocacy to Black communities confronting similar developments in Atlanta, Memphis and Zambia.
She said the movement had grown beyond her immediate neighbourhood, with residents in different locations looking to the campaign for encouragement.
“I feel like so many people are depending on this fight to be successful,” Frazier McCollum explained. “Not just for myself, but even across the country, to set precedent for other people that are fighting against hyperscale data centers.”
Her activism, however, has come with personal sacrifices. She has missed work opportunities to attend public meetings and visit residents, while depending on relatives for transportation and childcare.
Her father, Lacy McCollum Jr., believes the campaign is connected to broader civil rights issues, particularly access to clean air, safe water, and housing.
“We’re talking about the right to water, the right to clean air, the right to a place to live. That’s everybody’s fight, right?” he said.
Although he admitted being worried about his daughter’s involvement, he compared her determination to that of prominent civil rights figures.
“While I’m afraid for her, we need those people. We needed the Medgar Everses. We needed the Martin Luther Kings. We needed the Malcolm X’s. People like Taylor, they jump out here so the people behind them get to make progress,” he added.
Some supporters have encouraged Frazier McCollum to consider running for political office. However, she said her immediate priorities were paying off her debts and traffic fines and securing a permanent home.
“I didn’t want to have to focus on housing and the campaign and doing everything else,” she explained. “Now is not maybe the moment for it, but I do have aspirations to run for something.”
While continuing her campaign, she has proposed alternative uses for the former Landover Mall property, including a sports complex, affordable housing development or a heritage tourism project.
However, she acknowledged that none of the proposed alternatives would generate as much money as the planned data centre campus.
