ABOVE: Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council President Greg Akerman speaks at the August 6th press conference in Fredericksburg. Photo: Michael Blain.
(FREDERICKSBURG, VA) – The Baltimore-DC Metro Building and Construction Trades Council (BDCBT) held a press conference at the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce on August 6th, urging the Fredericksburg City Council to look at the significant impacts their upcoming decision on 1500 Gateway will have on workers in the city.Â
The project includes a historic agreement between the developer and the trades to implement a project labor agreement (PLA). This means the $400 million investment will be built by a highly skilled, local workforce under standardized terms that prioritize safety, quality jobs and career opportunities.
“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to invest both in the economic future of the city of Fredericksburg, and in the people of this community.”Â
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to invest both in the economic future of the city of Fredericksburg, and in the people of this community.”Â
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council
“This agreement reflects a shared commitment to invest both in the economic future of the city of Fredericksburg, and in the people of this community,” said BDCBT President Greg Akerman. “By setting standards for employment, providing worker protections, and guaranteeing family-supporting wages and benefits, we are guaranteeing that this project will translate into high-quality, local careers and clear pathways for Fredericksburg City residents to learn skilled trades through registered apprenticeships.”
Over 20 members of Fredericksburg-area local unions were on hand to urge the Fredericksburg City Council to take a deep, realistic and hard look at 1500 Gateway, a project that has already been scaled back, redesigned and committed to union labor, and that would deliver the single largest new revenue source in the city’s history.
Speakers addressed how, with the approval of 1500 Gateway, a PLA will guarantee Fredericksburg-area tradespeople get the work, and a design that goes beyond what any existing city standard requires.
“I have never had the chance to work on a project in the city I call home. This project represents an opportunity for local workers to earn good wages, support our families and help build the future of our community.”Â
– Edgar del Aguila, Carptenters’ Local 197
“I have never had the chance to work on a project in the city I call home. This project represents an opportunity for local workers to earn good wages, support our families and help build the future of our community.”Â
– Edgar del Aguila, Carptenters’ Local 197
“I have called Fredericksburg home for 21 years,” said Edgar del Aguila, a member of Carpenters’ Local 197. “And in my 18 years as a union carpenter, I have worked hard to provide for my family while traveling across DC, Maryland, and West Virginia for opportunities. I have never had the chance to work on a project in the city I call home. This project represents an opportunity for local workers to earn good wages, support our families and help build the future of our community. With strong labor standards, this is the kind of investment Fredericksburg needs.”
For many local families, this project represents more than just construction; it is a critical opportunity for economic inclusion for city residents.
Lupe Trejo, a member of Steamfitters Local 602, explained: “My workday starts at 3:00 am to drive to Loudoun County for a 5:00 am job. That takes a lot of time away from my children, both in the morning and in the afternoon, with the long traffic that we’re all very familiar with coming from so far away. This project would do so much for me, my husband, and my children. It would buy us back so much time that we wouldn’t have to spend on the roads, allowing us to spend quality family time together in the evenings.”
“There are two Fredericksburgs,” said Akerman in his call for the city council to approve the 1500 Gateway project. “There’s the Fredericksburg where people get up in the morning, work from home, travel, and work white-collar jobs. And there’s also the Fredericksburg where people live here but have to commute to D.C. or Maryland to get a good-paying construction job. This project works for both.”
Why It Matters
Members of the Fredericksburg City Council have suggested they will turn down a project that answered every concern raised about data centers in Virginia.
- Half the size. Density cut from 2 million square feet to 1 million.
- No city water. Fully air-cooled. Not a competitor for the city’s water supply.
- $25 million a year in new tax revenue at full buildout.
- $1 million a year for 20 years dedicated to Fredericksburg schools on top of the approximately $6.3M a year in tax revenue.
- A new fire station, funded by the project.
A signed commitment to negotiate a project labor agreement covering shell, core and site work was executed July 22, 2026, with the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council.