Shadowbox Studios wants board to overturn data center denial

Shadowbox Studios is set to appeal DeKalb County's decision to deny its data center development bid to the county's Zoning Board of Appeals on September 9. The company seeks to overturn a June 12 planning department ruling that rejected its application to convert 155 acres at 3600 International Park Drive from film studio use to data center use. The county's denial was based on a temporary moratorium on new data center development, which was approved last year by the board of commissioners.

In its appeal brief, Shadowbox argues it has a vested right to build the data center, citing three written confirmations from county officials between June 2023 and February 2025 that stated data centers were permitted on the property. Based on these assurances, Shadowbox claims to have invested nearly $37 million in the project, including a data center-specific site plan, an economic development study, and securing 651 megawatts of electricity from Georgia Power. The county, however, contends these letters were not legally binding.

Shadowbox has also filed a separate lawsuit challenging the legality of the county's moratorium. The DeKalb County moratorium was first approved in July 2025 and has since been extended multiple times, most recently through March 2027. Commissioners also rejected proposed data center regulations in June. Residents have consistently voiced opposition to proposed data centers, citing concerns over electricity demands and environmental impact. This appeal follows the unanimous rejection by county commissioners in August of a separate $1.6 billion data center project in Ellenwood, which also faced significant community opposition.