Data centers could bring high tax revenue to Spalding County

Spalding County, Georgia, is embracing data center development as a crucial strategy to boost commercial and industrial tax revenue and reduce the property tax burden on residential owners. The county has identified the 10-mile stretch of state Route 16, known as Arthur K. Bolton Parkway (AKB), as an Employment Corridor ripe for such development. So far, Spalding County commissioners have approved three significant data center projects and a fourth is currently in the planning and zoning pipeline. The first campus, proposed by property owner Alan R. Mobley and developer Montana Property Group LLC, was approved in July for 132.9 acres on High Falls Road, featuring three large buildings totaling over 2.5 million square feet, with an estimated annual local tax revenue of $26.859 million upon its 2030 build-out. The second campus, from Spalding Investments, LLC, received approval on October 23rd for 127.45 acres near High Falls Road, South McDonough Road, and Highway 16. This project includes six two-story data centers totaling 1.42 million square feet and is projected to generate $22.9 million in local tax revenue by its 2030 completion. The third project, the Wallace Jackson Data Center Campus, was approved on January 22nd and will feature 10 two-story data centers spanning almost 5 million square feet. This campus has an estimated value of $3.65 billion by its 2035 build-out, with projected annual local tax revenues of $51.656 million. Currently under county review is the 75 South Data Center Campus on Tomochichi Road, proposed by Industrial VI Enterprises, LLC. This campus would comprise seven two-story buildings totaling 2.24 million square feet, with an estimated value of $6.098 billion and $86.3 million in annual local tax revenues by its proposed 2030 completion. The projects include various infrastructure like power substations and a proposed solar farm, underscoring the significant capital investment and revenue potential that data centers offer to the county.