Georgia Approves Massive 1,600-Acre Data Center Campus Near Atlanta
February 4, 2026
A major data center development, set to become one of the largest in the Southeastern United States, has received key approval from local authorities in Georgia, signaling the continued expansion of digital infrastructure beyond traditional hubs. The Forsyth City Council voted 5-1 on Monday to approve the rezoning for a sprawling 1,600-acre data center campus. The project, backed by CBRE-owned developer Trammell Crow Company in partnership with local landowner H&H, is planned for a site west of Interstate 75 along Johnsonville, Smith, and Collier Roads. Upon full build-out, the campus is projected to encompass up to 12 million square feet of space, representing a total investment estimated at $8.4 billion with development potentially continuing until 2037. The approval process was not without contention. During the council meeting, some local residents voiced opposition, citing concerns over potential environmental impacts and the perceived rapid pace of the planning proceedings. City officials, however, emphasized the significant tax revenue the project is expected to generate, arguing it was an opportunity the community could not afford to pass up. The Forsyth project underscores the intense demand for data center capacity driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence, which is pushing development into secondary markets. Located in Monroe County, approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta, Forsyth is part of a broader wave of data center activity in the region. This area, traditionally considered a Tier 2 market, has seen a surge in proposals. Notably, Google acquired a 950-acre parcel in Monroe County last October for a potential data center, and powered land developer Cloverleaf Infrastructure was reported in November to be eyeing a separate 200-acre campus in the county. The scale of the newly approved campus highlights the strategic importance of Georgia’s favorable power costs, tax incentives, and connectivity as a growing nexus for critical digital infrastructure in the Southeast.
Source: datacenterdynamics
