Adair Park’s vote against a proposed data center sets up Atlanta’s next land-use fight near West End MARTA
Atlanta GA – NPU-V voted against a proposed Adair Park data center near West End MARTA, but the zoning case is still moving through Atlanta review.
Atlanta’s latest fight over data centers is now centered on a neighborhood vote near West End MARTA.
Neighborhood Planning Unit V voted 105-87 on April 13 against endorsing legislation tied to a proposed Digital Realty data center at 713 Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in Adair Park, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That matters politically, but it does not end the case. NPU votes are recommendations, and the zoning item is still moving through the city process.
Why this site is drawing so much attention
The property sits in a transit-rich stretch of southwest Atlanta near the West End MARTA station and close to Beltline-connected neighborhoods. That has turned the dispute into a broader argument about what kind of development should claim one of the area’s larger redevelopment sites.
Opponents have argued that land this close to rail transit should stay available for uses that put more daily activity on the ground, such as housing, shops, or other neighborhood-serving development. Supporters have argued the project would bring investment to a long-vacant industrial property. The immediate city question is narrower: whether Atlanta should allow a data-center use on this parcel despite newer restrictions meant to steer such facilities away from transit-adjacent areas.
Where the case stands now
The active zoning item is Ordinance 26-O-1097, listed in Atlanta City Council records as an Adair Park SPI ordinance and routed through the zoning process. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the measure would make Digital Realty’s proposal possible.
The next major public step is the Zoning Review Board. The city says the board considers rezonings and special use permits, weighs recommendations from the relevant NPU and zoning staff, and then sends its recommendation to the City Council’s Zoning Committee. From there, the full City Council has the final say on land-use legislation. The city’s current Zoning Review Board calendar shows May public-hearing dates, and the Journal-Constitution reported this case is expected to reach that stage in May before a possible City Council vote in June.
Why the 2024 rules matter
This is not a routine rezoning dispute. Atlanta spent much of 2024 tightening where data centers can go. City Council said Ordinance 24-O-1222 defined data centers in city code and prohibited them within 2,640 feet of high-capacity transit stops. Official city records also describe that ordinance as updating zoning tables in several districts, including SPI-21. A separate 2024 ordinance barred new data centers in the Beltline Overlay District.
That policy backdrop is why the Adair Park case is being watched beyond one parcel. If City Hall makes an exception here, residents and developers will read that as a signal about how firmly Atlanta plans to protect transit-adjacent land for other uses.
For residents, the practical takeaway is simple: the neighborhood body has formally opposed the proposal, but the decision is not final. The part to watch now is the zoning pipeline, especially the Zoning Review Board agenda, staff report, and any later City Council action on Ordinance 26-O-1097.
Sources
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution report on NPU-V opposition
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution background on the proposed Adair Park data center
- Atlanta City Council personal papers listing Ordinance 26-O-1097
- Atlanta Zoning Review Board process page
- Citycouncil
- Citycouncil
- City of Atlanta ordinance file for 24-O-1222 data-center restrictions
