QTS has quietly filed state paperwork for what could be a 12 million square foot data center campus on the outskirts of Blakely, Georgia, the tiny city that brands itself the "Peanut Capital of the World." The proposal would convert thousands of acres of farmland into warehouses of servers, electrical substations and direct fiber lines, at a scale big enough to reshape Early County's economy and utilities. The pitch arrives just as state regulators and lawmakers are turning up the heat on hyperscale data projects across Georgia.
What the state filing shows
The project's "Initial DRI Information" form lists the development as "QTS - Blakely" with a project size of 12,000,000 square feet and site coordinates at 31.406296, -84.912908, according to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The submission names QTS Technology Services, LLC as the developer and identifies McKnight Blakely LLC as the property owner, and it estimates the multiphase campus could be completed by the fourth quarter of 2035. Because of its sheer size, the filing triggers a regional review and will require local rezoning, site-plan approval and permitting before any construction can begin.
Where they would build it
The mapped footprint falls largely between U.S. Highway 27 and Magnolia Street near the Early County Airport on land controlled by McKnight Blakely LLC. That involves more than 2,300 acres and room for multiple data halls and at least three on-site electrical substations, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The general layout would mirror other QTS mega-campuses that pair huge floor plates with dedicated substations and carrier fiber. A QTS spokesperson told the paper that "planning is ongoing" and that power capacity and electrical infrastructure will be evaluated with utilities and local authorities.
Local leaders and the landowner
Early County leaders say the proposal could be a game changer for a community still feeling the sting of recent industrial closures. Susanne Reynolds, executive director of the Early County Development Authority, has told local outlets the project could bring major investment and tax revenue to support public works and schools. McKnight Engler said he began talking about the opportunity with the city in mid-2024, according to posts from the county development authority on its site. QTS already lists Blakely as a site "In Consideration" on QTS alongside its existing Georgia campuses in Atlanta and Suwanee.
Power, water and tax questions
Even supporters acknowledge that the hard questions are about electricity, water and tax policy. State reviews and public debate over these massive facilities have ramped up in recent months. The Department of Community Affairs has revised how large data centers move through regional review, a shift detailed by the Georgia Recorder. Separately, the state Senate has advanced legislation aimed at clawing back some sales tax exemptions for data center equipment, a move that could affect the economics of projects like this, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What happens next
With the DRI on file, the next formal steps shift to City Hall: site-plan review, any rezoning petitions and public hearings where residents can speak up, according to the DCA submission. The DRI form lists rezoning, permits and site-plan review among the actions requested of the city, which means Blakely officials will have chances to set conditions or negotiate terms before shovels hit the ground. If QTS moves forward, the DRI envisions phasing and buildout that could stretch to late 2035.
For Blakely, a town of fewer than 6,000 people ringed by peanut fields and small farms, the choice is stark: preserve farmland and long-standing rhythms or pivot toward a high-power, high-infrastructure future that could overhaul the county's tax base and skyline. Either way, the DRI gives residents and officials a rare chance to hash out those tradeoffs in public before the first server rack arrives.
