An 88,000-square-foot data center at 40 Perimeter Center East in Dunwoody, next to Two Bridges Park, is being switched back on as an AI data center. Coca-Cola built it, and it has sat empty for about nine years. California-based Raeden plans up to $500 million in upgrades for AI tenant Alembic Technologies and is aiming to reopen in late December 2026.
What’s happening at the Dunwoody data center?
An old data center is becoming a new one. The building at 40 Perimeter Center East sits on about 12.76 acres next to Two Bridges Park and backs up to the North Springs, Chateau Woods and Village Springs neighborhoods. Coca-Cola built it, sold it in 2017, and it has been empty for about nine years, according to city officials.
Raeden, a California company, is buying it through a lease-to-buy deal. The upgrades could cost up to $500 million: a full interior gut, new chillers and generators, and a better power connection, according to Rough Draft Atlanta. The only tenant will be Alembic Technologies, an AI company Delta has hired, on a lease of at least 10 years, according to Appen Media. The city issued demolition and interior renovation permits on Sept. 15, and the target is to switch it back on in late December.
Is this one of those giant AI data centers?
Raeden says no. It will open at the 10 megawatts the site is already approved for. Hyperscale campuses can use hundreds. Raeden hopes to grow to 43 megawatts, possibly in late 2027, but that needs city approval. The building is already at its maximum size, and Raeden says it won’t get taller or wider.
The company also says the center will use a closed-loop cooling system that reuses the same fluid instead of drawing lots of water, keep the mature trees around the site, and hold noise to about 40 decibels, roughly a refrigerator hum. A third-party sound study is planned.
What are neighbors worried about?
Noise, the tree buffer, water and power use, and Nancy Creek. At the Sept. 28 council meeting, some residents said they got no notice before demolition started and described loud booms during the work. Raeden says it plans to be transparent, hold meetings with nearby residents and businesses, and post its city filings online.
One more thing neighbors noted: DeKalb County’s data center moratorium only covers unincorporated DeKalb, so it doesn’t apply inside Dunwoody. Decisions like the 43-megawatt expansion come down to the city.
What does Dunwoody get out of it?
City officials conservatively expect more than $300,000 a year once the upgrades are done, which would make it one of Dunwoody’s top 10 commercial revenue sources. Raeden also says it will build a walking path outside its fence. A neighbor on Village Springs Run is pushing for a short trail link from Orleans Way, which dead-ends behind the data center, into Two Bridges Park.
Status as of Nov. 11, 2026: Permits issued Sept. 15, 2026, and renovation underway. Target reactivation in late December 2026 at the existing 10 megawatts. Any increase toward 43 megawatts needs City of Dunwoody approval.
My take
It was a data center before, and it’ll be a data center again. The difference is two letters. AI is the hot button, and that’s what neighbors are watching. The building isn’t getting any bigger, and the city gets a top-10 revenue source out of a site that’s sat empty for nine years.
What I’m watching next: whether it really runs as quiet as promised once it’s on, the sound study results, and whether Raeden comes back to the city asking for more power.
Thinking about living near Two Bridges Park?
Two Bridges Park has the city’s first splash pad, a playground, pavilions and trails, right off Perimeter Center East. The neighborhoods around it, like North Springs, Chateau Woods and Village Springs, put you a few minutes from Perimeter Mall and the Dunwoody MARTA station. If you’re looking at a home back here, I’m happy to walk you through what’s going on at the data center.
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I’m Matt Weber, an Atlanta REALTOR® who follows the top end of the Perimeter so you don’t have to. If you’re thinking about buying or selling around Dunwoody, let’s talk.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Dunwoody Data Center
Is there an AI data center in Dunwoody?
Yes. The former Coca-Cola data center at 40 Perimeter Center East, next to Two Bridges Park, is being renovated by Raeden for AI company Alembic Technologies, with a target reopening in late December 2026.
Where is the Dunwoody data center?
40 Perimeter Center East, on about 12.76 acres next to Two Bridges Park, backing up to the North Springs, Chateau Woods and Village Springs neighborhoods.
Is the Dunwoody data center a hyperscale data center?
No. It will open at its existing 10 megawatts. Raeden hopes to grow to 43 megawatts, which would need City of Dunwoody approval. Hyperscale campuses can use hundreds of megawatts.
Will the Dunwoody data center be loud?
Raeden’s goal is about 40 decibels, roughly a refrigerator hum, and a third-party sound study is planned. It also plans to keep the mature trees around the site.
How much will the data center pay Dunwoody?
City officials conservatively estimate more than $300,000 a year after upgrades, putting it in the top 10 of Dunwoody’s commercial revenue sources.
New to the area? Start with my guide to moving to Dunwoody.