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.