Economic Development Around the State
Tremendous Upside: Rendering of the green space that will be created as part of the Stitch, which planners say will rejoin communities and revitalize downtown. Photo credit: contributed
Cobb Mixed Use: The Cobb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a new 490,000-square-foot mixed-use development featuring 290 multifamily units. It will also include a 130-room hotel and 110,000 square feet of retail, grocery and restaurant space. The $275 million redevelopment of the Riverview Shopping Center is located at the corner of Cobb Parkway and Paces Mill Road. It will be renamed Riverview Village.
Metro Data Centers: In response to a large increase in the demand for computing power due to the rise of generative artificial intelligence, Amazon Web Services plans to invest $11 billion in an expansion of its data center network in Butts and Douglas counties. The new facilities will create 550 new jobs in the Metro Atlanta region. Since 2010, parent company Amazon has invested more than $18.5 billion in the state.
Fairburn Automobiles: Carvana is expanding its existing Automotive Dealer Electronic Services Association (ADESA) Atlanta wholesale auction site in Fulton County, adding an inspection and reconditioning center (IRC). The new auction-IRC megasite will create 200 new jobs while also adding a new pool of retail inventory for the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Duluth Headquarters: Belgian power management products supplier CE+T Power recently opened a 35,000-square-foot office and assembly space for its CE+T America headquarters in Gwinnett County. The company makes products like power converters and inverters that are used in data centers, public transportation systems and renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
More Green Space: Project leaders for the Stitch in Downtown Atlanta are planning to establish a nonprofit to oversee the park, seek more public and private funding, and continue community engagement. The Atlanta City Council is expected to formally approve the master plan this spring. Phase 1 construction is scheduled to begin in 2026. The first phase, which will cover 5.7 acres from Courtland Street to Peachtree Street and cost $202 million, will cap the Interstate 75/85 Connector with a park and provide $50 million worth of road improvements. 
