Ellenwood data center (PCC-DeKalb LLC)
PCC-DeKalb LLC wanted to build three two-story data center buildings (about 2 million square feet) and a substation in Ellenwood. Residents worried about air quality and the county's strained water system. Commissioners rejected it in August 2026.
Where things stand: DeKalb County commissioners rejected the special land use permit on Aug. 13, 2026.
π Latest update (Aug 13, 2026): DeKalb County Board of Commissioners rejected the data center after almost a year of resident opposition. Planners had recommended denial.
What we know
- π Where95-acre site in Ellenwood, south DeKalb, Unincorporated DeKalb County, DeKalb County
- π’ CompanyPCC-DeKalb LLC
- π³ Size95 acres
β Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Will the developer appeal or sue? π I'll find out
What happened so far
- Aug 13, 2026DeKalb County Board of Commissioners rejected the data center after almost a year of resident opposition. Planners had recommended denial.
Local votes and rules
βοΈ Court case
Shadowbox Studios sued DeKalb County in August 2026, saying the county's data center pause is illegal and that planners told it three times in writing it could build a data center on its land. On September 9 the county zoning appeals board upheld the denial and left the fight to the courts.
β Turned down
After almost a year of protest, DeKalb County commissioners rejected a special land use permit for a 2 million square foot data center on 95 acres in Ellenwood, a mostly Black community already dealing with air pollution. County planners had recommended denial.
π Data center rules
DeKalb County commissioners voted down a proposed data center zoning ordinance after a year of work. Residents said the rules were not strong enough or would be hard to enforce. The draft sorted data centers into five size groups and kept big ones away from homes, parks and transit.
βΈοΈ Pause on new data centers
DeKalb County paused new data center applications in July 2025 to write rules, and has extended the pause several times. On July 7, 2026 commissioners extended it into early 2027 and asked county departments like public safety, roads and public health to study how data centers would affect them. The county cannot take new data center applications until March 30, 2027.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- A Black DeKalb Community Fought a Massive Data Center for Nearly a Year and Won Β· Capital B Atlanta Β· Aug 18, 2026
See something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.