Atlas Development LLC has unveiled plans for a massive new data center campus just outside Atlanta, marking its third major data center project in Georgia this year.
Project Springbank, as the development is called, will be located in Bartow County, about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta. The project, which is expected to span a vast 2.274 million square feet (211,260 square meters), is slated for completion by December 2031. The six-building campus will be designed to meet the growing demand for data infrastructure, an essential resource in the age of cloud computing and big data.
Project Details and Location
The location of the new data center campus is a significant factor in its appeal. Situated southeast of Adairsville, Georgia, along Perkins Mountain Road, the site is strategically placed to benefit from the region’s proximity to Atlanta without the higher costs and congestion associated with the city’s core. Atlas Development’s filing with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, known as the Development of Regional Impact (DRI), marks the first official step in the approval process for the project.
The use of closed-loop technology to reduce water and sewer demands is another notable feature of the project. This technology could help minimize the environmental footprint of the data center campus, a critical consideration as industries around the globe face increasing scrutiny over sustainability practices.
A Growing Presence in Georgia
Atlas Development’s push into Georgia continues to gain momentum. This filing for Project Springbank follows two other major data center proposals made by the company earlier this year. In January, Atlas submitted plans for an 830-acre, 13-building campus south of Atlanta in Newnan, and shortly after, it filed for another 178-acre project in Rome.
These consecutive filings suggest that Atlas sees Georgia as a strategic location for expanding its data center portfolio, likely due to the state’s favorable business environment and access to crucial infrastructure. As demand for data centers continues to rise, Atlas appears poised to capitalize on Georgia’s growing role in the tech sector.
Economic and Community Impact
The development of a 2.27 million square foot data center campus is expected to have significant economic implications for Bartow County and the surrounding region. In addition to creating construction jobs, the project could lead to long-term employment opportunities in operations, security, and maintenance roles. Furthermore, the increased demand for local services and infrastructure improvements could benefit the broader community.
However, while the project is likely to bring substantial economic growth, it also raises questions about its environmental impact, especially in terms of energy consumption and water usage. The closed-loop technology that Atlas plans to implement may help mitigate some of these concerns, but data centers are notoriously resource-intensive.
As the project moves through the approval process, local residents and environmental groups may keep a close eye on its potential effects on the region.
A Strategic Bet on Data Centers
Atlas Development’s growing presence in Georgia reflects the state’s increasing role in the data center industry. With the rise of cloud computing, streaming services, and data-driven applications, the demand for data centers continues to skyrocket. Georgia’s favorable climate, business incentives, and access to power grids make it an ideal location for such projects.
In fact, Georgia has become a key hub for data centers in the southeastern United States. With the rise of 5G networks and continued expansion in artificial intelligence and big data technologies, the state is well-positioned to meet the needs of the ever-expanding tech sector.