400-acre data center proposal withdrawn in Lovejoy, city council to revise zoning policies
Developers have withdrawn plans for the 403-acre Stillwater Technology Park data center campus in Lovejoy, Georgia, following significant resident opposition. Lovejoy's city council is now set to revise its zoning policies to specifically exclude data centers. This decision comes as Clayton County, where Lovejoy is located, is already under a moratorium on new data center applications.
Developers have voluntarily withdrawn their proposal for the Stillwater Technology Park, a 15-building, 403-acre data center campus in Lovejoy, Georgia. The site, planned for Panhandle Road, would have been across from two schools, prompting strong concerns from city residents. Mayor Marci Fluellyn stated that the developers responded to the "overwhelmingly uninterested" public outcry, acknowledging that a data center was not a suitable fit for the residential city.
The initial proposal for the property was a mixed-use residential development, which Mayor Fluellyn encouraged the developers to revert to if the data center plan was rejected by residents. The plans also garnered attention from the Clayton County’s Board of Commissioners, as the county currently has an enacted moratorium on new data center applications and construction in unincorporated areas. Commissioner Tashé Allen publicly shared the property owner's message confirming the withdrawal, citing the importance of listening to community feedback.
Following the withdrawal, Lovejoy officials announced that the city council will resume discussions on the original mixed-use residential development for the site. Additionally, the city council plans to revise its zoning policies to explicitly exclude data centers from future development.