Statesboro approves rezoning for data center despite protests
The Statesboro City Council approved a rezoning request for a proposed data center project despite protests from local residents. The decision allows the project to proceed on nearly 26.5 acres along Burk-Halter Road. Concerns were raised regarding the accuracy of the developers' projected $1.2 billion investment.
The Statesboro City Council has approved a rezoning request for a proposed data center, a decision that has sparked significant opposition from local residents.
Protesters gathered outside City Hall ahead of the council meeting, expressing their concerns about the development. The vote by the City Council clears the way for the data center project to move forward on approximately 26.5 acres located along Burk-Halter Road.
During the discussion, Statesboro Development Authority CEO Benji Thompson publicly acknowledged that the projected $1.2 billion investment figure was supplied by the developers and he could not independently verify its realism. This statement prompted questions from a speaker about the lack of independent certainty regarding the actual benefits Statesboro would receive in return for changing the zoning of residential property.