Data Surge
Digital Realty says intown data centers serve a unique purpose, but some neighbors worry it won’t serve their needs.
(Illustration: Philip Robibero/AJC)
Atlanta put data center developers on notice two years ago, effectively saying they aren’t welcome in much of the city.
The City Council banned new data centers within a half-mile of the Beltline and MARTA stops. Last summer, the city went even further to prohibit these facilities in several neighborhoods while requiring additional permits for everywhere else.
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“To put it simply, we need to be close to 56 Marietta,” said Andrew Alves, Digital Realty’s senior vice president of acquisitions. Alves and Digital Realty discussed a planned data center in Atlanta during a March 19, 2026, town hall. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
ot taht stroppus ecaps dias nur gnignar tuo snoitazinagro fo fo lacol sderdnuh sletoh evah morf s’nwotnwod .seinapmoc ,stneilc reirrac eH enutroF 005
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htiw ot eht eht gnidnuorrus ,troppus emos spohs liater gnivreser ytreporp fo .sdoohrobhgien gnitaitogen sti si niag rof troffe ytinummoc stifeneb dna tnemeerga a ytlaeR nI latigiD
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dluow t’now .meht eht eht ekat .noitats etis lareves evres evres tnempoleveder ytimixorp srobhgien raen yam ti ti ni gnignahc-tsaf ,metsysoce latigid sremotsuc rodirroc s’ynapmoc tub yawa eugra dna a a tseW tahT kraP ATRAM ,daetsnI dnE riadA
Atlanta has banned data centers near transit and the Beltline, but this site (foreground) at 713 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. near the West End MARTA station is trying to get an exception. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
ni evah gnihcaer-raf noisiced dluoc .secneuqesnoc osla ehT kraP riadA
sihT“ d’I“ rehtehw ot s’ereht rieht rieht eht taht sthgis .dias ssecorp rehto ro no evitarcul ,snoitacol ti si nwotni mrofni ni enigami evah gniog gniog ”.drawrof eritne nwotnwod srekam-noisiced atad seinapmoc retnec eb gnola reizoD eniltleB ”,atnaltA
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yhW“ er’uoy uoy ot sgniht eseht ”?meht ssap ton tnemelpmi fi eh gniog od .deksa
‘You shouldn’t know it exists’
noissimsnart yeht eht dednuorrus snoitatsbus ezis lanoiger elpoep fo tsom .llam .senil gnikluh citnagig seitilicaf noisivne atad esirpmoc sretnec sesupmac yb era dna a ehT netfO
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Digital Realty’s carrier hotel data center is at 56 Marietta St. (Zachary Hansen/AJC)
eseht dias tsom wonk seitilicaf ,evitucexe neve .nwotnwod t’nod era rehtona ydaerla ,reldaS ytlaeR nadroJ latigiD snatnaltA
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ot esoht eht egarots etis rewop enilno .sdeen si erutcurtsarfni sah gnitsixe hguone noitcennoc esolc eugra dna dna dna yfilpma kraP eH sevlA riadA
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This is a site map of a proposed carrier hotel, a type of data center, by developer Digital Realty in Atlanta’s Adair Park neighborhood. (Courtesy of Digital Realty)
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Rezoning relevance
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htiw pu eht eht gnirosnops dias deviver rehtar cilbup lasoporp snepo ton noitalsigel tsal si rof .kcabdeef .llaf tnemesrodne tub euneva na na gnola yehT ,siweL ehsE namowlicnuoC ,snilloC
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saw .pu eht eht ,senecs gnitaeh etabed dniheb dnA
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tI“ tuB“ ruoy uoy etorw sv pu ot ot ot ot eht lacinhcet maet citnames gninozer tnaveler fo ylsuoivbo ton ”.rettam s’ti si ni ni fi yleritne egagne atad noitacoloc esoohc ”,retnec tnemugra a .rebotcO ttebraG sevlA
This computer equipment in the data center at 56 Marietta St. is a networking hub for other data centers across the Atlanta region to connect. (Courtesy of Digital Realty)
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Neighborhood desires
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etihw nabru denil-eert ot neht eht eht eht eht eht steerts ecnis devres no fo fo fo .sdoohrobhgien srorrim ssalc-elddim s0091-dim ynam del lairtsudni ni semoh sah thgilf serutaef ecneirepxe noitulove dne evalcne cimonoce tnemtsevnisid enilced cinorhc .yrutnec dlo-yrutnec yb sa aera dna dna a tsewhtuoS stI tI tuB s’atnaltA .atnaltA
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The property at 713 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd. was once advertised as a filming location. Digital Realty, however, sees it as a data center site. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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,krow eht eht yduts sutats .etis ,laitnediser tnempoleveder sserp laitnetop detullop fo fo sekam thgil dnik ti deniats-kni lairtsudni lairtsudni deifitnedi morf remrof .rovaedne yltsoc laicremmoc yb gnidliub ,dleifnworb sa sa yna dna dna osla ytivitca a a a tsilaruR lanoigeR sserP stI noissimmoC atnaltA A 9102
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rO“ erA“ ew ew desurednu eht eht eht taht dednemmocer ”?desoporp no esu-dexim rettel etinifedni evah ”?erutuf rof stnempoleved atad atad gnisoohc gnisoohc retnec retnec neewteb neewteb neeb .deksa era dna dna dna na serca a a hcraM 6 21
otni“ ,devresrednu yllanoitidart taht devrats gnihsup fo rettel ni sih evah elbatiuqe tnempoleved atad dezicitirc sretnec neeb saera dna ”.seitinema snekciD naciremA-nacirfA 4202
Community benefits
niw ot ot .troppus dias revo nepo doohrobhgien s’ti ytinummoc stifeneb tnemeerga a ytlaeR latigiD
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Attendees listen to presentations during a town hall by NPU-V and Digital Realty to discuss a planned data center March 19, 2026. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
.gninoz lliw elihw yllacipyt refsnart eht eht dias denozer tnediser ytreporp pihsrenwo .revo ybraen egarevel dnal sti si ni ni fi ,erutuf t’nod s’ytinummoc segnahc yrrac tseb stifeneb osla stnemeerga a a dnalkaO ,oeliD ytinummoC ,ytiC xelA
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htiw gniyrt ot ot rieht eht taht stops ngis yas .emas dias dias evitisop nalp rehto doohrobhgien gniteem lacol s’ti toh sah spuorg atad .snrecnoc retnec t’nac neeb dna tpada a ytlaeR siweL eH latigiD
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gninoz lliw lliw rehtehw etov etov ot ot ot neht eht eht eht troppus weiver .lasoporp no si ni ni og og rof rof lanif detcepxe noitpecxe s’ytic draob erofeb dna a V tinU s’ytlaeR gninnalP doohrobhgieN yadnoM yaM .enuJ tI latigiD licnuoC ytiC
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eht dias tcejorp ,7202-dim ni fi steg dehsinif ylrae dluoc dluoc noitcurtsnoc yb nigeb eb ,lavorppa dna ytlaeR latigiD sevlA .9202
htiw tucrednu tisnart tisnart eht eht taht taht gnihtemos dias nalp revo ro ylno ybraen ll’ti .buh gnisuoh sesrodne dluoc ,srodirroc stnemelpmoc ytic emoceb aera na a s’ytlaeR fI ttebraG latigiD
… elpoeP“ haey ew ot ot ”,ereht yas .dias secalp-non fi og tsixe t’nseod eunitnoc .erehwyna wolla lleW ATRAM ttebraG
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He’s been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people’s lives.
