Data center construction around metro Atlanta set records in 2026, yet the new capacity is filling almost as quickly as it comes online. Atlanta ended the first quarter with a vacancy rate of about 1 percent, an unusually low figure for commercial real estate, and most facilities under construction are leased before they open.
Georgia has overtaken Northern Virginia as the most active data center market in the country. Metropolitan Atlanta recorded 705.8 megawatts of net absorption in a recent year, nearly 39 times the prior year total, and the regional construction pipeline now exceeds 2,150 megawatts, the largest among primary US markets. The surge has been driven by hyperscale operators expanding artificial intelligence capacity.
Activity is spread across the metro counties. Microsoft began construction on a data center campus in Douglasville in Douglas County, with early phases due in 2026. QTS is building a second facility on a 615 acre campus in Fayetteville in Fayette County, roughly 30 miles southwest of downtown, and its first building opened and leased to Microsoft. T5 is advancing its Atlanta IV project, with utility service expected in 2026 and a first phase delivery in 2027.
The scale of investment continues to grow. Google unveiled itself as the operator behind an 8 billion dollar campus known as Project Pegasus, its largest investment in Georgia. The pace has also drawn legislative scrutiny and concern from some residents over land and resources, as state lawmakers weigh how to manage the boom.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/06/georgia-data-centers-fill-up-as-soon-as-theyre-built-driving-demand-higher/