A $30 million bank loan will fund the purchase of 1,600 acres in Appling, Georgia, for a new data center. Half of the site could be sold to Trammell Crow Development for $60 million, but many locals say they weren’t informed about the plans.
Word of the White Oak Park Data Center reached Appling residents in August 2025. The board had signed off on First State Bank’s loan back in December 2024. The funds target the third stage of White Oak Business Park’s growth.
“Initially, I was concerned, but not too concerned, because I was familiar with the Vision 2035 Comprehensive Plan for Columbia County,” said Alan Wyatt, according to The Augusta Chronicle. “But as we investigated it, we discovered it’s the whole tract of land. This is 3 square miles of industrial complex. And that’s when it just absolutely blew my mind.”…