As metro Atlanta development continues to expand southward, Henry County is positioning itself as an important part of the region’s economic growth — and Carlotta Harrell, chair of the Henry County Board of Commissioners, says managing that growth carefully is key.

Harrell is focused on guiding development while ensuring Henry County remains a relevant player in metro Atlanta’s broader economy.

Henry County is a logistics and manufacturing community — a destination for trucks moving goods from the Port of Savannah — and home to EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We are still one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia and in the country,” Harrell said.

Henry County is expected to grow 44% by 2050, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The Future of Data Centers in Henry

Located about 15 miles south of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Henry County is becoming a destination for developers looking to build. And with Georgia now being the second fastest-growing market for data centers, Harrell and her fellow officials are careful about how the county grows, she said.

Six data centers have expressed interest in building in Henry County. Separately, a data center is currently under development on 133 acres in the city of Hampton.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners placed a moratorium on industries considered large water users while officials worked on an ordinance to guide how data centers could locate in the community.

The newly created ordinance is scheduled to be voted on this month. The Henry County Water Authority has already created an ordinance that will become part of the county’s new policy, Harrell added.

“We want to be smart about what we do,” Harrell said.

The ordinance would require large water users to complete feasibility studies and pay for any system upgrades needed to support their operations. The goal, Harrell said, is to ensure those costs are not passed on to residents.

How Residents Live Work and Play

Another project expected to shape the county’s future is The Grove, a planned $4 billion mixed-use development by Geosam Capital.

The nearly 1,300-acre property, once owned by the Talmadge family, is expected to become a large residential and commercial community. The project was approved last year and plans for more than 6,000 housing units, two million square feet of commercial and mixed-use retail space, 35 pocket parks, eight miles of trails and 150 acres of preserved open space. The development would also include six miles of lakefrontage.

Patrick Brooks of Geosam Capital, the developer of The Grove, spoke about the project in February during the South Metro Development Outlook Conference. He described Harrell as someone who “moves mountains across this great state” while making Henry County her priority.

Whether The Grove will include affordable housing remains unclear. As housing costs continue to rise, Harrell said expanding attainable housing across the county is a priority. Local officials are working with developers to find ways to make housing more attainable as land prices, construction costs, labor, and tariffs rise, she added.

“Most of the subdivisions that have come in since I was elected in 2020 are high-end communities,” Harrell said.

County leaders are also looking at housing options for seniors and residents on fixed incomes. Last year, the Kelleytown Senior Living Community opened through a development supported by state and federal housing tax credit programs.

“(The Department of Housing and Urban Development) subsidizes the rent to make it affordable for seniors,” Harrell said. “We are looking at doing another similar development.”

Another planned initiative focuses on young people aging out of the foster care system at A Friend’s House. The nonprofit foster care organization is located on county property, and officials are planning to build tiny homes on the 10-acre site to provide housing for young residents transitioning into adulthood.

The first phase would include five homes, Harrell said. Rent would be based on what residents can afford if they are attending school or working.

Harrell said the goal is to help the young adults stabilize their lives as they move toward independence.

“We hope to have the first five built by the end of the year or the beginning of next year,” she said, adding that companies have expressed interest in helping construct the homes and support the project in other ways.

“I am very happy about some of these projects,” Harrell said.

As metro Atlanta grows, Harrell said it is also important that Henry County remain part of regional conversations about transportation and infrastructure.

Foundations of community

Residents will vote in November on the county’s second Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or TSPLOST. The first, approved by voters in 2021, generated more than the projected $245 million for infrastructure projects, according to Harrell.

Harrell, who was elected in 2020 and entered office in 2021, brought decades of public service experience to the role.

The Atlanta native served more than 20 years in law enforcement. She was the first Black female lieutenant in her department and previously worked as an undercover narcotics agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

“You see a lot of things that people may have to do to survive, so it gives you a different perspective on how you see people,” she said of her career in law enforcement. “I think there is good in everybody.”

Harrell moved to Henry County with her late husband and children 35 years ago and has watched the community transform from about 50,000 residents into one approaching 300,000.

“A lot of people think of us as a small rural community,” Harrell said. “We are a small urban community… Henry County is the jewel of the South.”

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