Loudoun County is already known as "Data Center Alley" because it has the largest concentration of data centres on the planet, but residents have grown wary of the noise the facilities generate and the enormous amount of power they consume. Amazon submitted its proposal in July, and after a September meeting with Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall, the county suggested the company look for an alternative use for the land. Amazon's data centre development vice president Josh Weissman said the company saw the property's legal development potential differently but concluded that a shared vision was better than "costly litigation".

Randall said choosing dialogue over confrontation had created an opportunity for the county, adding that the agreement would provide places for residents to gather and, "most importantly", more attainable homes for working families.