Atlanta considers banning data centers: 'A lot of space, not a lot of people'
ATLANTA - Members of Atlanta's city council are trying to stop the machines from taking over.
Legislation introduced this week by Council members Jason Dozier and Matt Westmoreland would curb the construction of any more data centers near the BeltLine and in other high-density areas.
"It's a lot of space, not a lot of people," Dozier said. "As I see it, opportunity calls."
Dozier pointed to data from real estate services firm CBRE that shows construction of massive warehouses throughout metro Atlanta has spiked 211% since 2023.
That's the highest spike in the country.
1/ Excited to introduce legislation alongside @WestmorelandATL to address the rapid growth of data centers in Atlanta. Atlanta's data center market is booming faster than any other in the US. From 2022 to 2023, data center projects under construction increased by a whopping 211%. pic.twitter.com/m49mTo44Pv
— Jason Dozier (@jasonsdozier) May 6, 2024
The legislation would ban them near the BeltLine Overlay District as well as high-capacity transit stations.
"I’m trying to make sure we create places for people, not places for machines or cars," Dozeir said.
Fulton County got backlash earlier this year for giving Elon Musk a $10 million tax break to expand one on the Westside near the Beltline.
The council has also banned storage facilities, gas stations, and drive-thrus near the trail.
Dozier says the Neighborhood Planning Units and the Zoning Review Board will work on the legislation.
He’s thinking about 3-6 months before it gets a vote in the council.
