Proposed Highway 85 Data Center Heads to Fayetteville Planning Commission

A proposed data center along Highway 85 North will be reviewed by the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission during its meeting Tuesday, January 27, in the evening at 6 p.m., continuing an ongoing community conversation about growth, infrastructure, and economic development.

According to the Planning Commission agenda, commissioners will consider a conceptual site plan and building elevations from CHI/Acquisitions, LP for the “Hwy 85 N DC Project.” The property is located on Highway 85 North and identified as parcel 0538 104.

The proposal comes as Fayetteville continues to evaluate the broader impact of data center development following construction of the QTS facility along Ga. Highway 54.

City leaders have previously pointed to QTS as a major economic asset for Fayetteville, citing its contribution to the tax base and recent community investments. In November, QTS unveiled a new multi-use path as part of a broader community partnership, a project local officials said demonstrated long-term commitment to the city.

Still, concerns about continued data center development have been raised by some residents.

Jesse Brooks, a Fayetteville resident who contacted The Citizen to raise concerns about the proposed project, said frustration has grown as the physical footprint and infrastructure demands of large data centers have become more visible.

“Fayetteville is fed up with data centers,” Brooks said. “The massive QTS facility on Hwy. 54 has already put enormous strain on the local roads, electrical grid, and ecosystem, and it isn’t even finished.”

Brooks, a multimedia producer who was born and raised in Fayetteville, said utility infrastructure built to support the facilities has been a particular source of tension.

“Everyone I talk to is furious about the mammoth utility poles that have been strung up across the city, through yards and neighborhoods, to keep it running,” he said.

He said the proposed Highway 85 project has raised concerns about cumulative impact and location.

“And now another outside developer wants to toss another log on the fire with a data center directly adjacent to the city’s busiest shopping center,” Brooks said. “I’m not sure who stands to benefit from these deals, but it isn’t the people of Fayetteville.”

Brooks said opposition to additional large-scale development cuts across political lines.

“We’re a pretty diverse town politically, but we all pretty much agree that it’s enough with all the big development and data centers,” he said.

Supporters of data center development, however, have argued that projects like QTS provide long-term financial benefits that help fund city services without adding residential demand. Local leaders have also highlighted infrastructure improvements and partnerships tied to the QTS project as evidence of responsible corporate engagement.

Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting will also include a public hearing on separate requests from Corvus Investment Group, LLC involving annexation and rezoning of more than 243 acres along Highway 85 North and Highway 314, as well as a review of conceptual plans for Piedmont Fayette Hospital.

Any recommendation made by the Planning and Zoning Commission is advisory and would move forward to the Fayetteville City Council for final consideration.

The meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Fayetteville City Hall, 210 Stonewall Avenue West.