The Docket: Statesboro and Metter, October 2026

The short version

Data centers are now on the agenda in all three governments. Residents sued over Statesboro's Burkhalter Road rezoning on September 17.⁴ Bulloch County's ban failed by one vote, and its moratorium runs through December 31.⁵ Metter posted a fiscal study for a 100-megawatt project along I-16.⁹
Metter held a hearing on annexing 46.76 acres on Fortner Road, at its I-16 exit.⁷ The use has not been disclosed.
Statesboro's council tabled a high-density rezoning on Zetterower Road to November 17 and approved up to $12 million in bonds to rehabilitate Statesboro Summit.³

Status labels

Filed on an agenda or in an application · Approved a board or council voted yes · Started construction confirmed by the developer or the city. Every entry shows its source and the date we last checked it.

New this month

This is the first issue. "New this month" covers September 2026. The ledger below covers April 2025 through September.

Burkhalter Road data center: lawsuit filed Approved

6539 Burkhalter Road, Statesboro

Eleven residents and Coastal Communities United asked the court to overturn the August 18 rezoning, which passed 3-2 on the mayor's tiebreaking vote.¹⁴ The developer, 4AM Development, has not yet filed for the special use permit the city's data center ordinance requires and says it intends to proceed.⁴³¹

Sources 1, 4, 31 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Bulloch County data center ban fails, 4-3

Unincorporated Bulloch County

On September 1 the commission voted down a text amendment that would have banned data centers in commercial and industrial zones. The chairman broke the tie. The commission created a 21-member citizen working group. The moratorium on data center applications stays in place through December 31, 2026.⁵

Source 5 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Zetterower Road rezoning Filed

Zetterower Road, Statesboro

Zack Smith Properties asked to rezone 17.83 acres to R-4, high-density residential, for 192 apartments: independent senior living and multifamily.⁴³ The council tabled the request to November 17 while the developer works out access with GDOT.³ A 198-apartment request on nearly the same site drew a staff recommendation of denial in 2025.

Sources 2, 3, 43 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Statesboro Summit rehabilitation Approved

Statesboro

The council approved up to $12 million in housing authority bonds to rehabilitate 98 units, with no city debt.³

Source 3 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Tormenta Way rezoning and a new housing incentive Filed

Tormenta Way, Statesboro; citywide

The September 15 agenda carried a request by Techwood Lodging to rezone 3.8 acres from PUD to mixed use for a 122-room WoodSpring Suites extended-stay hotel.⁴³ It also carried an ordinance replacing the city's subdivision incentive program with a workforce housing incentive program.² Outcomes will appear in the minutes.

Sources 2, 43 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Fortner Road annexation Filed

Fortner Road west of Crabby Lane, Metter

Metter held a hearing on September 14 on annexing and rezoning 46.76 acres. A separate notice set highway commercial zoning for 990 Fortner Road.⁷⁸ The applicant and the use were not named.

Sources 7, 8 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Metter publishes a data center study

Along I-16 near the airport, Candler County (to be annexed into Metter)

The city posted a February 2026 fiscal impact analysis for a 100-megawatt data center, called Project Back in Black. It assumes $1.1 billion in real property, $5.5 billion in equipment, and 40 jobs.⁹¹⁰ The city is forming a data center task force of residents and business owners.¹¹ On August 21 the city said no developer or property owner had approached it about a data center inside city limits, and that talks with owners of more than 400 acres next to the airport covered only possible annexation, with no formal request and no use identified.⁴⁷ No application or agenda item has appeared, so this is a lead, not a ledger row.

Sources 9, 10, 11, 47 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

Burkhalter Road corridor study Approved

Burkhalter Road, Bulloch County and Statesboro

The county approved a $193,500 contract with Kimley-Horn for a 2.2-mile corridor study on September 1.⁶ It follows a February city-county agreement to share the cost of improvements on Burkhalter, Harville, and Cawana roads.²⁹

Sources 6, 29 · Verified Oct 2, 2026

How we drew this market

Statesboro and Metter sit 25 miles apart on I-16. They share a labor pool and the same pull from the east, so we treat them as one market. We cut it into eight areas by what each is mostly adding: two interchanges where the jobs land, a planned new center on Old Register Road, downtown and the campus, two growth edges, a retail corridor, and downtown Metter as a satellite town. The rules are the same in every market we cover.

Two drivers sit outside the market. Hyundai's Metaplant in Bryan County had hired 4,365 of its promised 8,500 workers by June 2026.²¹ OpenAI's Project Camellia in Effingham County, a $20 billion data center campus, adds a second pull.³⁷ Neither is on the ledger. Both shape it.

The ledger

Larger projects we follow from month to month, as of this issue. The Statesboro and Metter page always shows the current version.

Project	Size	Status	Last change	Verified
Old Register Road PUD expansion Old Register Rd and US 301 S, Statesboro	237.59 acres; about 1,173 units planned: ~500 apartments, 225 student cottages, 202 townhomes, 246 homes; hotel, offices, retail	Approved Annexation of 99.53 acres and PUD expansion approved Aug 19, 2025. Unit counts are plan figures.	Aug 2025¹²¹³	Oct 2, 2026
Herman Rushing Road townhomes 285 Herman Rushing Rd, Statesboro	About 198 townhomes on 38.54 acres	Approved Blue Water Bulloch. Annexation and R-2 rezoning approved 4-1 May 20, 2025.	May 2025¹⁴⁴²	Oct 2, 2026
Hunnicutt subdivision US 80 East at Hagan Ln, Bulloch County	134 lots on 51 acres	Approved County rezoning AG-5 to R-8 approved 3-2	Aug 2025¹⁵	Oct 2, 2026
Zetterower Road residential Zetterower Rd, Statesboro	17.83 acres to R-4 (high density); 192 apartments (independent senior living and multifamily)	Filed Council tabled to Nov 17, 2026 for GDOT access	Sep 2026²³⁴³	Oct 2, 2026
Coca-Cola bottling plant redevelopment 401 S Main St, Statesboro	7.54 acres; 108 apartments (240 beds); restaurant and brewery in the 1920 warehouse	Approved PUD rezoning and variance approved unanimously	Aug 2026¹³³	Oct 2, 2026
Georgia Southern Foundation hotel and conference center Tillman Rd between Fair Rd and S Main St, Statesboro	13.5 acres; hotel, conference center, alumni condominiums	Approved Rezoned to mixed use June 16, 2026; developer and brand not announced	Jun 2026¹⁶³⁶	Oct 2, 2026
Statesboro Summit rehabilitation Statesboro	98 units; up to $12 million in bonds	Approved Housing authority bond issuance approved Sept 15, 2026 (rehab, not new units)	Sep 2026³	Oct 2, 2026
Kroger Marketplace Veterans Memorial Pkwy at Cypress Lake Rd, Statesboro	99,000 SF store; $45.7 million; anchors a 21-acre center	Started Groundbreaking Aug 6, 2026; opening fall 2027. Rezoned to mixed use Dec 2025.	Aug 2026¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹	Oct 2, 2026
Northside Drive store reuse Northside Dr E, Statesboro	Academy Sports (47,448 SF, former Publix); HomeGoods (former Kmart)	Started HomeGoods opened in the former Kmart. Academy Sports has sign variances (May 19, 2026) for the former Publix; construction start not confirmed.	May 2026¹⁹²⁰	Oct 2, 2026
Fortner Road annexation Fortner Rd west of Crabby Ln, Metter	46.76 acres; highway commercial zoning proposed for 990 Fortner Rd	Filed Annexation and rezoning hearing Sept 14, 2026; use not disclosed	Sep 2026⁷⁸	Oct 2, 2026
Burkhalter Road data center 6539 Burkhalter Rd, Statesboro	26.49 acres; ~230,000 SF; up to 99 MW requested; $1.2 billion over 10 years; 12 jobs	Approved Rezoning approved 3-2 Aug 18, 2026. Special use permit not yet filed. Residents sued Sept 17.	Sep 2026¹⁴³⁴	Oct 2, 2026
Hyundai suppliers on US 301 South Bruce Yawn Commerce Park, Gateway park and nearby sites	Ajin/Joon Georgia $317M, 630 jobs; Ecoplastic $205M, 456 jobs; Hanon Systems $40M, 160 jobs	Started Ajin/Joon and Ecoplastic are operating; hired as of Aug 2026: Ajin/Joon 430, Ecoplastic 268. Hanon lists its Statesboro facility among its production sites; current employment is not published. Ecoplastic land request for worker housing tabled June 2026.	Aug 2026²¹²²⁴⁴	Oct 2, 2026
Gateway Regional Industrial Park Phase II Off US 301 S, Statesboro	69-acre Cannady site; $1.52 million state grant to make it pad-ready	Approved OneGeorgia grant awarded June 2025	Jun 2025²³	Oct 2, 2026
revalyu recycling plant Gateway Regional Industrial Park, Statesboro	43 acres; $200 million+; 121 jobs in two phases	Started Groundbreaking Oct 2023; phase one was due Q3 2025. Current operating status not confirmed.	Oct 2023⁴⁵	Oct 2, 2026
American Aero 16274 US 80 E, Brooklet	45,000 SF; from 100+ to about 300 employees	Started Groundbreaking March 24, 2026; completion expected end of 2026	Mar 2026²⁴	Oct 2, 2026
Metter-Candler I-16 Industrial Park Lytell St, Metter	130+ acres; DAS Corp. (300 jobs) and Doowon Climate Control ($30M+, 200 jobs) announced	Approved $103,500 state grant (Jan 2026) to renew certification and expand the park. DAS and Doowon were announced in 2023 and 2024; current operations and hiring not confirmed.	Jan 2026²⁵²⁶²⁷	Oct 2, 2026
Southeast Bulloch High School Brooklet-Denmark Rd	Up to $165 million; $50.3 million in bonds sold	Approved Bonds sold Feb 2026; construction planned from summer 2026; opening about 2029-30. Start not confirmed.	Feb 2026²⁰²⁸	Oct 2, 2026
Southeast corridor roads Burkhalter, Harville and Cawana roads, Statesboro	Planned: two roundabout projects ($3.3 million; $2.75 million) and Burkhalter widening ($2.8 million); $193,500 corridor study	Approved City-county cost-sharing agreement Feb 2026; county study contract Sept 1, 2026. The city counts about 1,342 units planned in the corridor.	Sep 2026²⁹⁴⁶⁶	Oct 2, 2026

What we're watching

Data centers in three jurisdictions. Statesboro has an approved rezoning, a lawsuit, and no special use permit yet. Its ordinance caps a data center at 50 acres and requires a permit and a hearing for every one.³¹ Bulloch County has a moratorium and a working group. Metter has a fiscal study and a task force. The three governments are writing three different answers to the same question. Too early to call.

Is county growth moving into the city? In 2025 the county commission denied at least 165 rural subdivision lots and approved about 200.¹⁵⁴⁰⁴¹ Since February 2026 it has frozen all residential rezonings while it writes an impact fee ordinance, and the freeze now runs through December 31.³⁰ Over the same stretch Statesboro approved about 1,500 units, most of them through annexation. Watching.

Metter's jobs and Metter's houses. Two suppliers announced 500 jobs at Metter's I-16 park in 2023 and 2024.²⁶²⁷ Candler County recorded 7 new housing units permitted in 2025.³² The city manager reported in February that developers of the housing projects the city had discussed had gone quiet.³⁸ Watching.

What we left off. Blue Fern Village, 1,794 units on 714 acres along Burkhalter Road, was pulled from the council's agenda and put on hold in September 2024.³⁵ If it returns, it will be the largest project in the market. The unfinished Aspen Aerogels plant at US 301 and I-16 was abandoned in February 2025, and the city recovered $741,000 it had spent on utilities.³⁹ Its reuse would be news.

Is revalyu running? The $200 million plastics recycling plant in Gateway park broke ground in October 2023 with phase one due in the third quarter of 2025.⁴⁵ We found no public report since on completion or hiring. It stays on the ledger as started until we can confirm more. Watching.

Coverage this month

Statesboro City Council minutes were read for December 2025 through August 2026, plus the September 1 and September 15 agendas. The city's online index does not list earlier 2025 council records, so council outcomes from April to November 2025 come from planning commission packets and press. Statesboro planning commission agendas, packets, and minutes were read for May 2025 through October 2026, except where a month's files did not load. Bulloch County Commission actions come from press and published meeting rundowns; its agendas were not read directly. Brooklet is covered through press only. Metter's February 2026 council minutes and its public notices were read; Candler County Commission was not. Georgia's regional-impact filing system could not be reached this month. If you see something we missed or got wrong, tell us and we will correct it in the next issue.

Sources and disclosure

City of Statesboro, City Council Minutes, August 18, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Agenda, September 15, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, Ten neighbors spoke, and the council kept your tax rate where it was, September 21, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, The gas tax comes off Tuesday, and the data center developers say they're moving ahead, September 28, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, The data center ban died on one vote, and 21 of our neighbors get the next word, September 7, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, The county decides on data centers Tuesday, and your insurance rating just improved, August 31, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Public hearing notice: annexation and rezoning of 46.76 acres on Fortner Road, August 12, 2026, via the Metter-Candler Advertiser. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Public hearing notice: zoning for 990 Fortner Road, 2026, via the Metter-Candler Advertiser. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Project Back in Black fiscal impact, September 22, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Economic Impact Group, LOCI fiscal impact analysis: 100MW data center in Candler County, February 2026, posted by the City of Metter. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Data Center Task Force, September 15, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, Planning Commission Agenda and Packet, August 5, 2025. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Grice Connect, Statesboro City Council approves property tax relief referendum, annexations, and housing programs, August 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Statesboro Herald, Council approves Herman Rushing Rd. annexation for 198 townhome units, May 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Grice Connect, Commissioners approve contested subdivision, legal contract, and jail bonds, August 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Minutes, June 16, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Minutes, December 2, 2025. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
WTOC, Kroger breaks ground on $45.7 million Marketplace in Statesboro, August 6, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Minutes, May 19, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, Edition 19: moratoriums, fire funding and record growth, February 16, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Current, Hyundai suppliers make hiring progress in exchange for public incentives, September 6, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Statesboro Herald, Proposed Ecoplastic land purchase could bring worker housing development to Bulloch County, June 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Expansion Solutions, Bulloch County secures $1.5M state grant for industrial site development, June 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Grice Connect, American Aero breaks ground on new 45,000-square-foot facility in Brooklet, March 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Georgia Virtue, Candler County Industrial Authority to receive state funds to expand industrial park, January 31, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Georgia Department of Economic Development, DAS Corp. to bring 300 automotive jobs to Metter, September 2023. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Office of the Governor, Second automotive supplier creating 200 new jobs in Candler County, February 6, 2024. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
WSAV, Plans for new Southeast Bulloch High School moving forward, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, Edition 20: moratoriums pass, grocery shake-up, February 23, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Statesboro Herald, Commissioners extend both moratoriums, step toward outright ban on data centers, May 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Minutes, June 2, 2026 (Ordinance 2026-01, technological facilities and data centers). Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Bulloch County and Candler County, Georgia (population and housing units, July 1, 2025; building permits, 2025). Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, The mayor broke the tie, and the Burkhalter rezoning passed, August 24, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, A $1.2 billion number, 12 jobs, and Tuesday's data center vote, August 17, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, City Council Agenda, September 17, 2024 (AN 24-07-01, V 24-07-02, RZ 24-07-03). Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, Edition 32: new GSU hotel project, May 18, 2026. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
The Statesboro Brief, Brooklet wildfire hits 389 acres, data center ban heads to Aug. 4 vote, July 27, 2026 (Project Camellia, Effingham County). Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Regular Meeting Minutes, February 9, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
WTOC, Taxpayer dollars impacted after Aspen Aerogels abandons Bulloch County, April 2, 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Grice Connect, Bulloch County commissioners reject subdivision plans, raise concerns over water and fire protection, September 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Grice Connect, Chairman Bennett breaks tie vote to deny 59-lot residential subdivision, June 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, Planning Commission Agenda and Packet, May 6, 2025. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Statesboro, Planning Commission Agenda and Packet, September 1, 2026. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Hanon Systems, Global network (Hanon Systems Statesboro, 8540 Zell Miller Parkway), checked October 2026; and Office of the Governor, Automotive supplier Hanon Systems to create 160 new jobs in Bulloch County, May 23, 2023. Primary. Hanon · Governor · Checked October 2, 2026.
Statesboro Herald, Recycling company revalyu breaks ground on Bulloch factory, October 6, 2023. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
Statesboro Herald, City looks toward upgrades of Burkhalter and Cawana roads and their intersections, June 2025. Press. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.
City of Metter, Public notice on data center inquiries and airport-area annexation, August 21, 2026, via the Metter-Candler Advertiser. Primary. Link · Checked October 2, 2026.

How Redchip researches and verifies: Method. Disclosure: the author is a partner in Vanguard Industrial Partners, which develops projects in the Southeast and may pursue projects in this market.

This is general information, not advice about a specific company, property, or transaction. See the disclaimer.

Statesboro and Metter: what was filed, approved, and started in October 2026