Charlotte suburb nabs Google expansion project. It’s no data center, city stresses

Google is making plans to open a warehouse and logistics facility in Kannapolis, the city announced Tuesday.

It’s the latest expansion in North Carolina for the tech giant. But the city stressed that this operation would not be for a data center, which remains a source of contention for many residents alarmed by their proliferation across the state.

In March, Google said it was expanding its existing data center operation in Lenoir north of Charlotte to the tune of $1 billion.

But in Kannapolis, Google signed a lease for seven years and four months at the Overlook 85 Industrial Park at Exit 65 off I-85 in Kannapolis. The city declined to disclose the cost of the lease or the number of jobs the project could generate.

Google is using a third-party logistics provider to manage the project.

The 729,872-square-foot facility on Old Beatty Ford Road was built by Hudson Capital Properties and marketed by Foundry Commercial, according to the city.

Google’s footprints in the Charlotte region

Google’s regional presence has been anchored in the Charlotte area since opening its Lenoir data center in 2008.

On March 26, the tech giant announced its $1 billion investment to expand the facility, which employs 400 people. In 2024, Google announced a $600 million investment that came with incentives from Lenoir and Caldwell County.

Google has already invested more than $1.2 billion in the region and North Carolina.

The hyperscale data center expansion is part of a growing trend in the region, driven by demand for AI. To address residents’ concerns about energy use and other issues, Google also announced a $2 million Energy Impact Fund in Caldwell County to support energy affordability and weatherization upgrades for low-income households and schools.

There is an increased demand from companies supplying electrical systems, power racks and other hardware to support massive data-center build-out across the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported last month.

This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 5:13 PM.

Chase Jordan

The Charlotte Observer

Chase Jordan is a business reporter for The Charlotte Observer, and has nearly a decade of experience covering news in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Observer, he was a growth and development reporter for the Wilmington StarNews. The Kansas City native is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University.