u/BrokerBroDad

Marietta just approved an 18 MW data center proposal at 1155 Powers Ferry Place, and the timing is what makes this interesting.

Last month, after a packed and contentious City Council meeting, Marietta placed a moratorium on new data center applications through the end of 2026 while the city studies zoning standards and potential impacts.
But this particular application was already in the pipeline, so the moratorium did not apply to it.

The proposal involves converting part of the existing Prime Storage property near I-75 and Delk Road into data infrastructure use rather than building an entirely new data center campus from scratch.

The property is about 10.7 acres, and the proposal calls for an approximately 18 MW facility within part of the existing commercial site.

This project had already generated significant opposition.
In July, residents packed City Hall and raised concerns about noise, environmental impacts, power demand, location and compatibility with nearby residential areas.
City Council initially tabled the case and asked for more information before making a final decision.
There was also an interesting issue in the city’s own review.

Marietta does not currently have a separate zoning category or detailed zoning standards specifically written for data centers.

City planning staff also raised concerns about whether the proposed use aligned with the city’s Comprehensive Plan and previously said additional technical information would be necessary to evaluate some of the potential impacts.

The developer’s argument is basically the other side of that equation.

They are proposing adaptive reuse of an existing commercial property rather than developing a completely new site, and they have said the facility would use closed-loop cooling, generate relatively little traffic and include measures intended to address noise and other impacts.

So I don’t think this is as simple as “data centers good” or “data centers bad.”

The bigger question is becoming increasingly important around Metro Atlanta:
Where should data centers actually go?

We obviously use enormous amounts of digital infrastructure every day, and demand is only increasing.
But many local governments are now trying to figure out whether their zoning codes were ever designed to handle facilities with this kind of electrical demand, equipment and potential impact on neighboring properties.
Marietta is now effectively doing both things at once:
It paused new applications so it can study the issue, while allowing a project that was already moving through the zoning process to continue.
That’s why I think this particular vote is worth watching beyond just this one property.
What do you think?

Should data centers primarily be concentrated in industrial areas, or is adaptive reuse of existing commercial properties like this a reasonable approach if noise, power and environmental concerns can be controlled?

I did a short breakdown of the Marietta vote in the Reel I’m attaching here.

Johns Creek is building a downtown from scratch.

And we’re getting pretty close to seeing whether it works.
The Town Center vision covers roughly 192 acres.

The Boardwalk behind City Hall is already open.
Medley is under construction with restaurants, retail, entertainment, housing, office space and a hotel planned around a walkable mixed-use center.

And the big date:
Medley is currently targeting October 2026, with October 29 slated as the grand opening.

This isn’t just another shopping center.
Johns Creek is trying to create the central gathering place it never really had.

Does this change how you think about Johns Creek?

One of Roswell’s most recognizable corridors is undergoing a significant transformation.
The Riverside Road Corridor Improvement Project has moved into construction, covering roughly two miles between Riviera Road and Old Alabama Road.
At the same time, Riverside Park is undergoing a separate approximately $13.8 million renovation.
Taken together, these projects are worth watching as Roswell continues investing in transportation, recreation and connectivity along the Chattahoochee River corridor.
I broke down what is underway, what is planned and what residents should watch next:
https://caryblumenfeld.com/2026/08/12/riverside-road-roswell-construction-riverside-park/

If you've driven past Canton Street + Mayfield Road in Alpharetta, you've probably wondered what's happening to this house.
It's the historic John C. Weatherford House, built sometime between 1910 and 1920.
And there is a reason it's still standing while development happens around it.
When Alpharetta approved the residential development on the property, one of the conditions required the house to be saved and restored.
The City later formally designated it historic.
But an engineering assessment identified serious foundation, structural and soil issues.
Now the developer is asking Alpharetta to change the original condition.
Instead of restoring the existing structure where it sits, the proposal calls for taking it apart by hand, salvaging viable original exterior materials, building a new foundation and reconstructing the house while maintaining its historic appearance from Canton Street.
That creates a much more interesting question than simply, “Are they tearing down an old house?”
If you dismantle a historic house and rebuild it, did you preserve the house or preserve what the house looked like?