South Fulton Development Authority outlines major projects: Cedar Grove Village, hyperscale data centers, MANSA; legal review for park pledges

City of South Fulton economic development staff and the South Fulton Development Authority reported the status of several large development efforts and grants at a joint meeting, highlighting financial inducements previously adopted, the scale of proposed private investment and next steps pending legal and regional reviews.
The SFDA update included three large projects and a small-business façade grant program that together frame the city’s near-term growth prospects.
Cedar Grove Village (Project Merle): Economic development staff described Cedar Grove Village as a 65-acre, $300,000,000 mixed‑use development along South Fulton Parkway and Cedar Grove Road. The proposal includes roughly 360 town homes, single-family units and about 430 multifamily units, plus approximately 35,000 square feet of retail and office space. “Cedar Grove Village is a $300,000,000 65 acre mixed use development in District 4,” economic development presenter Theresa Parham said. The SFDA previously adopted an inducement resolution for a tax abatement tied to the multifamily phases; staff said the developer has not yet identified a multifamily operator and the transaction has been on hold while the city facilitates sewer connections with Fulton County.
Project DONES (data centers): Parham described a proposed $2,300,000,000 buildout of two hyperscale and two colocation data centers sited on Plummer Road (District 1) and Stacks Road (District 5). The authority’s materials projected 32 high‑tech jobs with an average salary of $115,000 and revenue impact of roughly $115.5–$125.5 million over 10 years. The SFDA has adopted inducement bond resolutions; the record lists bond validation by Fulton County Superior Court and MOUs with the Board of Tax Assessors as pending milestones, with closing expected in October or November 2025.
Project MANSA (Old National Highway): Staff said Butler Inc. purchased 66.4 acres in December 2021 and proposed a major mixed‑use plan that the materials say could yield 10,000 jobs, three 20‑story hotels (Hyatt, Hilton, and Wynn were named in the proposal), an amphitheater, office space, trails and park improvements, and a public‑safety rent discount for multifamily units. Isaac Gilma, outside counsel for the SFDA, said the purchase-and-sale agreement and related covenants are the controlling legal instruments and offered to prepare a written summary of the developer’s contractual commitments so council and the public can see “the benefits and covenants agreed to by the developer.” Multiple attorneys at the meeting recommended that detailed discussion of MANSA be reserved for executive session because of pending legal matters; the council moved to executive session during the meeting.
ARPA façade grant: Parham also reported an ARPA-backed façade-grant program that has distributed $122,682.38 of a $172,055.93 program (remaining funds $49,368.55). The program offers up to $10,000 per building for exterior improvements; staff said the program has been extended to March 2026 and officials are securing signatures and contract amendments to ensure full disbursement.
What’s next: Staff said it will share a redacted retail-recruitment report and circulate a written summary of the MANSA purchase-and-sale covenants. For projects that seek incentives, staff reiterated the process: incentives are negotiated by SFDA staff and advisors and brought to the SFDA for inducement resolutions or bond actions; several council members asked for earlier, more detailed notice when projects are likely to request abatements so the SFDA and council can better align desired public benefits with incentives.