A Maryland tenant facing housing instability emerged as an unexpected leader in a successful grassroots campaign to halt a massive $5 billion data center project. Taylor Frazier McCollum organized opposition to the development planned for an 80-acre vacant lot that formerly housed the Landover Mall in Prince George’s County.
A Grassroots Awakening Against Data Centers
The empty land in Landover, Maryland, has remained largely vacant since the local mall closed in 2002. In 2024, developers secured approval from county planners for a sprawling data center campus, which alarmed residents in the predominantly Black community nearby. Frazier McCollum, who lived less than a mile from the site, strongly opposed bringing water-polluting and diesel-generating facilities near residential neighborhoods.
At the time the project was proposed, Frazier McCollum and her young daughter were experiencing housing instability after being evicted from their apartment when her wages at a waxing center were cut. While living with her grandfather, she launched a petition that garnered over 25,000 signatures, sparking widespread protests and leading to multiple local moratoriums on data centers across the county. The push halted the $5 billion project, which had been scheduled to begin construction between 2026 and 2027.
The campaign propelled Frazier McCollum into local politics, where she testified before state legislators, endorsed political candidates, and joined a coalition of socialists, environmentalists, and frustrated residents. Her efforts earned her recognition among community members and local media, though the county’s economic situation remains complex.
Economic Pressures and Future Plans
While data center projects have been paused, some local officials have raised concerns about declining tax revenue in Prince George’s County. The area has recently faced the closure of a local Six Flags, the announcement that the NFL’s Washington Commanders will return to Washington, D.C., and federal job losses that contributed to a local budget deficit. During a September county council meeting, Council Member Wanika Fisher noted the county’s need for an economic future as officials addressed community requests for neighborhood funding.
Frazier McCollum has since expanded her activism beyond Maryland, traveling with the support of environmental grants to share her message with Black communities fighting data center developments in Atlanta, Memphis, and Zambia. Her father, Lacy McCollum Jr., views the movement as a civil rights struggle centered on access to clean air, water, and housing.
Although some supporters have encouraged her to run for public office, Frazier McCollum intends to focus first on resolving her financial debts and securing stable housing for her family, though she maintains future political aspirations. In the meantime, she has proposed alternative uses for the former mall site, including a sports complex, affordable housing, or heritage tourism initiatives, while acknowledging that none would generate as much revenue as a data center campus.
