Bartow County site eyed for new data center development
Thor Equities is seeking approval to build a data center on part of a 561-acre site near Kingston in Bartow County. The Kingston Unified Zoning Board recommended approval of a special use permit, but the Kingston City Council must make the final decision amid community debate over economic benefits, rural development and environmental impacts.
Thor Equities plans to develop a data center on approximately 261 acres along State Route 293 near Kingston, Georgia, within a larger 561-acre property. The company says the facility would use a closed-loop water system and generate tax revenue for the town and local schools, but no technology company or other client has committed to occupy the site.
The Kingston Unified Zoning Board voted 2-1 to recommend a special use permit. The proposal now goes to the Kingston City Council, with construction dependent on final approvals and expected to take two to four years to begin. Residents expressed mixed views at a crowded community meeting, with some supporting the potential revenue and others criticizing the project’s effect on forests, farmland, rural character and transparency in the zoning process.