Data centers are part of the discussion—but government policy, constrained power supply and years of rising grid costs deserve far more attention. In this 28th post of the MacRo Report Blog’s AI Corner, Rocky Mackintosh takes a deeper look into what we are actually paying for. Maryland residents do not need an economist to tell...
In the 27th article in The MacRo Report Blog’s AI Corner series, we take a detailed and unbiased look at this week’s announcement of a proposed Community Benefits package between Frederick County and the developer of the Quantum Frederick Campus. Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has announced what may become the most consequential agreement negotiated...
For the past eight months, I have been researching and writing about the growth of data centers in Frederick County. This article marks the 26th installment in the MacRo Report Blog’s AI Corner series examining one of the most significant economic and land use developments our community has faced in decades. Throughout the series, I’ve...
FREDERICK, MD — Mackintosh Realtors has announced that MacRo, Ltd. and its founder, Earl “Rocky” Mackintosh, are joining Mackintosh Commercial, bringing together two Frederick real estate organizations with common family roots and a real estate history spanning more than a century. For brothers Jim and Buzz Mackintosh, the combination represents more than an expansion of...
Our 25th post in the continuing series on the data center industry in Frederick County, Maryland revisits the precious commodity of water. Over the past several months, I’ve written two articles examining one of the most common questions surrounding the Quantum Frederick campus: How much water do data centers really use? Those articles explained how...
This is the 24th article in MacRo’s ongoing series examining the proposed data center industry in Frederick County. The purpose of this article is to explain the recent procedural action taken by the County Executive—not to advocate for or against that decision. When County Executive Jessica Fitzwater recently asked the Maryland Rural Legacy Board to...
Frederick County’s commercial real estate market continued its strong momentum during the second quarter of 2026, with 42 land and commercial transactions totaling nearly $145 million. Total sales reached $144.6 million, surpassing the approximately $103 million recorded during the first quarter and reflecting continued confidence across a remarkably diverse range of property types. Unlike markets...
This is the twenty-third article in a series examining the technology, infrastructure, and development of data centers in Frederick County’s Critical Digital Infrastructure Overlay Zone (CDI-OZ). For this post, it’s time to get a bit technical! In my June 22 piece, “Data Center Backup Generators: Separating Fact from Fiction,” I explained why hyperscale facilities continue...
Leasing activity accelerates sharply in the second quarter, fueled by large industrial and flex transactions while retail demand remains strong in Frederick County, Maryland. The Frederick County commercial real estate market recorded 37 lease transactions during the second quarter of 2026, according to CoStar data compiled by MacRo Ltd. Leasing activity more than doubled the...
County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has heard the voters. She has taken steps to address their data center concerns; so, what should come next? With the 2026 Frederick County Primary Election now behind us, one thing has become abundantly clear: regardless of where one stands on data centers, many Frederick County voters wanted their concerns to...