$21B data center proposal aims to become one of Georgia’s largest
Can you envision something that is 12 million square feet?
That’s how large a proposed data center campus would be in Georgia, ranking the plan among the most expansive pitched across the state.
Developer Trammell Crow Co. is planning a $21 billion technology campus for a 1,632-acre site along I-75 in the city of Forsyth, roughly 60 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. A state infrastructure filing unveiled the early-stage project Wednesday, but details are scant.
The project called the Forsyth Technology Campus could include up to 12 million square feet of buildings spread across 21 data center warehouses that store computer servers, according to a rezoning application obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
At that scale, it’s hard to make comparisons.
The average Atlanta home is about 2,200 square feet, so it would take more than 5,400 homes to match 12 million square feet. Atlanta’s tallest building, Bank of America Plaza, has about one-ninth of the floor space at 1.3 million square feet. More than seven Lenox Square malls could fit within the proposed Forsyth project.
Trammell Crow, which is pursuing a similarly massive data center campus near Augusta, declined to comment about the Forsyth Technology Campus. The Texas-based developer is also pursuing a 2.3 million-square-foot data center project in Douglas County.
Forsyth, a small town with about 4,600 residents, is along a stretch of I-75 between Atlanta and Macon that has become a hot spot for sprawling data centers. Multibillion dollar industrial projects are in various stages of development in neighboring Butts and Lamar counties.
The Atlanta area has emerged in recent years as one of the fastest-growing data center markets in the world. It ended June as the second-largest in the world behind only Northern Virginia, according to data from real estate services firm CBRE.
The industry’s rush into Georgia has sparked controversy, both statewide and locally. State lawmakers have considered revamping incentives designed to recruit data centers, while utility regulators and environmental watchdogs have scrutinized their power needs. Several communities have issued moratoriums to pause new data centers amid local opposition from concerned neighbors.
Trammell Crow seeks to rezone the Forsyth project site along Johnsonville Road, Smith Road and Collier Road west of I-75. The request triggered a Development of Regional Impact review, an infrastructure study required for most large projects.
Regional commissions, which conduct the review, received new guidance last week on how to evaluate data centers following a monthslong pause on accepting new projects into the DRI process.
The Forsyth project is estimated to generate $1.4 million in annual local tax revenues during the first years of development, the rezoning application said. When fully built out, it is projected to generate $222 million in annual taxes, including $21 million for Forsyth.
It’s unclear whether Trammell Crow is pursuing any tax breaks or other incentives.
Forsyth’s 2025 budget shows it anticipated total revenues of $12 million for the year, meaning the project could nearly triple the city’s tax collections when finished.
“Based on current tax estimates, Forsyth Technology Campus is expected to become the single largest taxpayer in Monroe County while producing one of the lowest impacts to public services of any major development in the county,” the rezoning application said.
Data Surge: An AJC series
Data center development is surging in Georgia with metro Atlanta becoming the fastest growing market for server farms in the U.S. and one of the top locations in the world. But the data center boom has raised many questions about land use, the resources the complexes consume and the risk of costs being spread to other Georgia residents and businesses. This story delves into the power and water demands of data centers and the deliberations of policymakers about this rising industry.
Part 1: Why mall-sized data centers are popping up across Georgia
Part 2: Data centers become new flashpoint for local controversy in Georgia
Part 3: Data Center Alley has lessons to teach. Is metro Atlanta listening?
Part 4: As data centers flock to Georgia, state lawmakers haven’t pumped the brakes
Part 5: Data centers’ thirst for power and water places Georgia on edge
The project is expected to employ 500 to 700 employees, according to the application. The technology park is also projected to use up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day, according to the DRI.
“Water demand for technology facilities vary greatly based on the need for cooling and cooling approach,” a city employee wrote in the DRI. “The design team will work with watershed management and their modeling to establish an achievable demand and adjust the cooling approach as necessary.”
The project’s completion timeline is listed in the DRI as 2037, indicating a multiyear phased approach.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
