GW sells Ashburn campus to Amazon subsidiary for $427M

George Washington University has sold its 122-acre Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn to Amazon Data Services, university officials have confirmed.

GW President Ellen M. Granberg first announced the sale on Feb. 27. However, at that time, she did not disclose the buyer or purchase price due to confidentiality provisions in the sale agreement.

On Tuesday, GW spokesperson Julia Garbitt identified Amazon Data Services, an Amazon subsidiary focused on cloud computing platforms, as the buyer and confirmed the $427 million sale price, which The GW Hatchet first reported.

An Amazon spokesperson also confirmed the purchase but did not confirm any specific plans for the property. Instead, the spokesperson wrote that any future development considerations would involve community input, coordination with local leaders and “transparent public processes.”

Granberg said the Washington, D.C.-based university’s decision to sell involved “careful consideration” with the university’s board of trustees and leadership as part of a strategy to strengthen the university’s long-term financial health.

The agreement allows GW to keep programs at the site for up to five years, enabling the university to keep operating while planning for the future. The VSTC was founded in 1991 and today houses programs in engineering, physics, chemistry and nursing.

“There is no immediate impact on the School of Nursing, or any other programs at the campus,” Garbitt said in an email.

Granberg said the sale reflected the university’s assessment of the best use of its resources. Before the sale closed, the GW Board of Trustees passed a resolution directing that a significant portion of the proceeds be used to establish a new endowment to advance GW’s priorities — such as investments in research and teaching and increasing resources available for student financial aid. There was also a proposal to use some of the funds to provide a one-time bonus payment to some faculty and staff.

She wrote that more information on the specific uses of this endowment will follow as they are developed.

Since 2010, Amazon has invested over $161 billion in Virginia, creating over 43,000 full-time and part-time jobs, along with 117,500 indirect jobs.