Forest Park staff outline community benefits package for proposed Digital Realty data center

City staff presented a draft community benefits agreement the Downtown Development Authority is negotiating with Digital Realty as part of discussions over a potential tax abatement tied to a proposed data center.

The draft asks the company to commit to workforce development and local hiring, scholarships, contributions to public infrastructure and programs to improve digital equity for low-income households. Staff also included provisions on site landscaping, noise buffering and environmental sustainability, and said the agreement would require regular reporting on job and community-benefit benchmarks.

A staff member summarized the proposed enforcement structure: the company would file annual reports showing progress, the DDA’s oversight committee would review those reports, and if Digital Realty failed to meet at least 80% of required benchmarks it would face financial remedies — up to making the full tax payment if commitments were not met. “In the event they don't comply, then they have to pay the full amount of taxes,” the staff member said.

Board members pressed staff on verification and oversight. Chair Eric Stallings asked whether compliance would depend on self-reporting; staff acknowledged the reports would be submitted by the company but said the oversight committee and other reporting mechanisms (examples in the packet) would be used to check compliance. Staff noted the agreement incorporates concerns raised at a public town hall and that the draft remains under negotiation.

Staff also said any tax abatement within the Fort Gillum area requires Clayton County consent to abate county taxes; if the county declines consent the DDA may structure a pilot payment to the county that mirrors the tax amount. Staff said the inducement resolution and a memorandum of understanding detailing incentives and job requirements are expected to return for board consideration at a future meeting.

Next step: staff will continue negotiations with Digital Realty, have legal and county discussions as needed, and bring the inducement resolution and final MOU to the board for action at a future meeting.