HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Hall County Commissioners are scheduled to vote on Thursday night on a zoning change that would permit the development of a 900,000-square-foot data center.
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The $1.2 billion computer processing facility, constructed in three buildings, would sit on a 100-acre site off O’Kelly Road near Interstate 985 in Gainesville.
“I think there are pros and cons to it. Obviously, there’s a lot going on with AI, and a lot of data centers have a lot to do with AI,” said neighbor Matt Caldwell.
Caldwell lives in a home that backs up to the planned data center site. He believes it will create some jobs and spur future economic growth in Hall County, but acknowledges potential downsides to the community.
“The problems are the massive amounts of electricity and resources it uses. I don’t think they do enough to use green energy, solar, things of that nature,” Caldwell told Channel 2’s Tom Regan.
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Developers say the facility will use approximately 225,000 gallons of water per day to cool computer equipment. Some residents worry that it will compromise water availability to residents.
“It’s a horrible idea. This place is growing, and I don’t want to see this town go down this path where people are going to have to move to find better water resources,” said resident Christy Palmer.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to commissioners and the developer for an interview on the project, but no one was available.
Commissioners have the option to take a final vote to approve the project or delay the vote to a later date.
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