DeKalb County CEO alleges commissioner failed to disclose data center talks

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has accused District 3 Commissioner Nicole Massiah of holding unauthorized discussions with developer Ryan Millsap regarding a proposed two-story data center. An email obtained by Decaturish reveals Cochran-Johnson's allegations that Massiah was sent a draft agreement in August 2025 by Millsap, which promised the county's full approval for a data center at 2235 Bouldercrest Road, including unconditional zoning approval and an on-site substation facility.

The proposed agreement was presented to Massiah while DeKalb County is in an ongoing dispute with Millsap, who was formerly head of Blackhall Studios, over unfulfilled obligations from a 2021 land swap, specifically improvements to Intrenchment Creek Park. Millsap's draft agreement suggested the county would drop litigation related to the land swap and release Blackhall from all obligations in return for data center approval. Cochran-Johnson asserted that Massiah lacked the authority to engage in such negotiations, which are typically handled by the county’s law department, and criticized her for failing to disclose details of these conversations, including a potential $1 million payment.

Commissioner Massiah has publicly stated that no negotiations occurred and her office did not respond to Millsap's email. She affirmed DeKalb County's existing moratorium on data center permitting applications and emphasized that any future development decisions must adhere to a formal legislative and regulatory process, which the Board of Commissioners is currently considering to establish future regulations and best practices for data centers.