Quantum Frederick / Frederick Digital Campus (former Eastalco aluminum plant)
Also called: Quantum Loophole campus, Quantum Frederick park, Frederick Digital Campus, Quantum Maryland, LLC
A huge data center campus is being built on an old aluminum plant near Adamstown. Several companies are building there, and the whole campus could use about 2,400 MW of power. A new deal would give the county $110 million but lock in the rules for years.
Where things stand: Several data centers are being built on the campus; none run yet (June 2026). A new long-term deal with the county was announced Sept. 2026 and needs County Council approval.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 1, 2026): County Executive announced a proposed agreement: the developer would give $110 million in public benefits; the county would lock in the rules for at least 8 years. Public comment open to Sept. 10.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFormer Alcoa Eastalco Works site near Adamstown, south of Frederick, near Mountville Road, Unincorporated Frederick County, Frederick County
- 🏢 CompanyCatellus Development Corporation (lead developer since 2024); owner TPG Real Estate
- 🏛️ Owned byTPG Real Estate
- 👤 Built forSeveral companies: Aligned Data Centers, Rowan Digital Infrastructure, Amazon Web Services
- 🌳 Size2,100 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs2,400 megawatts (about as much as 1,920,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromGrid power from Potomac Edison (FirstEnergy). The whole campus could use about 2,400 MW when finished.
- 💸 Tax breaksThe developer offered $110 million for schools, parks and other public projects in exchange for locking in the campus rules for 8 to 13 years (proposed Sept. 2026).
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- When will the County Council vote on the $110 million development agreement (DRRA)? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will the whole campus use per day, and where will it come from? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will new high-voltage power lines be built to serve the campus? 🙋 I'll find out
- Was a secret deal (NDA) signed with the county? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- June 2021Quantum Loophole and TPG Real Estate bought the 2,100-acre former aluminum plant site.
- 2024Quantum Loophole left the project after a legal dispute; Catellus became lead developer.
- April 2024Fiber-line drilling released drilling fluid into nearby streams; state inspectors have found many other problems at the site.
- Jan 2026County Council created the data center overlay zone, the only area of the county where data centers are allowed. It includes this campus.
- June 19, 2026A judge ruled the overlay zone could not go to a public vote; Maryland's top court agreed.
- June 20, 2026County Executive paused new data center applications until Dec. 31, 2026. Already-approved projects on this campus are not affected.
- Sept 1, 2026County Executive announced a proposed agreement: the developer would give $110 million in public benefits; the county would lock in the rules for at least 8 years. Public comment open to Sept. 10.
Local votes and rules
🤝 Agreement with the company
County Executive Jessica Fitzwater turned down a $110 million community benefits deal with Catellus, the Quantum Frederick developer, after residents raised concerns. The deal included money for a school, a park, job training and a fire engine.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
County Executive Jessica Fitzwater ordered the county to stop taking or reviewing applications for new data centers and their substations. It was first set to end Dec. 31, 2026. In September 2026 she extended it to July 1, 2027. Projects approved before June 2025, including the current Quantum Frederick projects, are not affected.
⚖️ Court case
Residents gathered more than 21,000 signatures to put the data center zone map to a public vote. Data center companies and landowners sued. A circuit judge and then the Maryland Supreme Court ruled the map could not go on the ballot. The court said the map is not a law that can be put to a vote, and the petition was unclear.
⚖️ Court case
Nearby residents asked a court to review the state air permit for Amazon's diesel backup generators at the Quantum Frederick campus, citing health, noise and air monitoring.
🗺️ Zoning change
The county council voted 5-2 to approve the map of the data center zone: about 2,600 acres north of Adamstown, around the Quantum Frederick campus and the old Alcoa Eastalco plant. That is over 1,000 acres more than the planning commission suggested.
📜 Data center rules
The county council voted 5-2 for Bill 25-09. It creates a special 'overlay' zone. Data centers and their power substations can only be built on land inside this zone. The zone can cover at most 1% of the county, about 4,200 acres.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Quantum Frederick, Frederick County, MD: Maryland Data Center Series, Pt. 3 · Nature Forward · June 26, 2026
- SUN: Frederick data center deal promises $110M. What does the developer get? · Baltimore Sun via FOX45 · Sept 3, 2026
- Catellus agreement would bring $110 million in community benefits to Adamstown · WFMD · Sept 1, 2026
- Maryland counties to data center industry: Slow down · Bay Journal · Feb 16, 2026
- Maryland data center FAQ · The Banner · Aug 25, 2026
See something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.