Maryland Senator Charles Sydnor III and Delegates Sheila Ruth and Aletheia McCaskill will host an informational meeting on Dec. 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Woodlawn High School auditorium to give residents and stakeholders the opportunity to learn more, ask questions and share feedback on how data center development may affect the community’s economy, health, environment, infrastructure and quality of life, District 44B legislators’ announced in a news release.
The meeting will also include a panel of speakers from Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Nature Forward, the Office of the People’s Counsel, International Bureau of Electrical Workers Local 24, and the Climate Justice Wing of the Maryland Legislative Coalition.
Legislators say the project may include a data center complex with a 150-megawatt power capacity on a 42-acre site, a donation of five acres of land to BGE for the construction of a new electrical substation, and the purchase of a local Rodeway Inn. Construction and development of the site could begin as early as June 2026.
The data center project is being proposed by Security Land and Development LP, according to the news release. SLD is the real estate development company that owns the Security West complex at 1500 Woodlawn Drive and leased it to the Social Security Administration until the agency vacated it in 2023.
Senator Sydnor said in the statement, “We have worked hard to support funding to transform Security Square and to establish a Redevelopment Authority to bring the kinds of amenities this community deserves, so we organized this meeting so that the immediately affected communities are well-informed about data centers before anything moves forward.
“Critical decisions on a project that raises as many concerns as this one cannot be finalized without full transparency from the company and extensive community engagement and public input,” Delegate Ruth said.
Delegate McCaskill stated, “Economic development and job creation in the region are significant benefits, but all projects must be evaluated for potential risks to public health, the environment, local infrastructure, and residential quality of life.”