MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A New York-based data company is hoping to build a $1 billion data center in Monroe County.
Data Core Innovations wants to build on a more than 900-hundred-acre campus off of the Rumble Road exit.
The $1.2 billion proposed project is called the Rumble Technology Campus. Developer David Aldridge says it will be in a secure, gated campus with up to 12 buildings.
Lucas Stickler works and lives near the location.
“It can have a positive impact as far as bringing in some good paying jobs,” Stickler said.
He thinks the plan will be beneficial for the county if it's approved, though he has some reservations.
“That was my hunting lease," Stickler said. "I was going to enjoy hunting there."
Stickler says things happen, and he originally expected to lease the area, but the deal went to Aldridge.
“This was going to be our first year there so we haven't gotten there to do anything but we toured the property," he said. "It was a beautiful property right near the power lines."
Developers with the data center say they expect to hire between 30-50 employees with 1,700 construction jobs over the years; they expect to pay $20 million in taxes per year.
“The tax revenue side - with the stuff going on with Georgia Power - we are looking for ways to generate tax revenue,” Stickler said.
The developer says he plans to create a travel lane on Rumble Road to help with traffic, but construction will take several years.
Stickler lived in Monroe County for more than 30 years. He says the projects are great, but it's hard to balance with more people in the county than ever before.
“School systems are pretty much overloaded right now; Highway 41 is busier than it's ever been [and] I've been here since 1985,” Stickler said.