Data centers in Forsyth County, North Carolina: 1 project mapped

Imagery: Esri, Maxar

Forsyth County's big data center fight ended in July 2026. The Charlotte developer The Drox Group had asked to rezone about 128 acres next to Rural Hall, on the four-generation Wall family farm, for a $3 billion campus called "Project Iron Spur." The city-county planning board voted 7-2 against it in June, and on July 30 the county commission voted 5-2 to deny the rezoning. "I'm not saying I'm against data centers," said Commissioner Tonya McDaniel, "but I am against data centers in Rural Hall." The developer can appeal to Superior Court.

The county is now working out what it can regulate. Staff told commissioners in September that data centers are already allowed by right in many non-residential zones, and that state law restricts tightening those rules. "The state has restricted what we can do," County Attorney Gordon Watkins said. North Carolina generally bars local governments from down-zoning property without every owner's written consent, so the county cannot simply remove data centers from districts where they are already allowed. Commissioners still voted 4-3 to direct staff to draft a six-month moratorium that fits state requirements, which could come to a vote on September 28. "We know that more proposals are coming, probably in Forsyth County and probably soon," said Commissioner Dan Besse. The county already has four smaller data centers, including ones run by Wells Fargo and Lowe's.

Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.