Project Iron Spur is the proposed hyperscale data center planned for a site directly across the street from Rural Hall Town Hall. It is Forsyth County rezoning case F-1669.
The rezoning request would change land near the center of Rural Hall from residential zoning to industrial zoning so the applicant can build a large data center campus.
Where the project would be built
The proposed site is located across from Rural Hall Town Hall, near the center of the community.
The location matters. This is not a remote industrial tract far from homes, churches, public buildings, and local roads. It is at the heart of Rural Hall, beside the town’s civic center and near existing neighborhoods.
What is proposed
The current proposal includes:
- A 128.54-acre rezoning request
- Three two-story data center buildings
- 1,122,300 square feet of total gross floor area
- A power substation
- Extensive mechanical and cooling equipment
- Backup diesel generators
- Security fencing, buffers, lighting, and internal service roads
- Major electricity demand
- Significant water infrastructure questions
The applicant’s revised materials describe approximately 144 acres of existing parcels and approximately 130 developable acres, but the formal rezoning case area is 128.54 acres.
Why residents are concerned
If approved, Project Iron Spur would permanently transform the heart of Rural Hall into a utility-heavy industrial campus.
Residents have raised concerns about:
- Continuous industrial noise from cooling and mechanical equipment
- Diesel generator emissions and testing
- Public-health risks for nearby residents
- Major electricity demand and new substation infrastructure
- Water use and impacts on shared water resources
- Construction traffic, dust, clearing, and disruption
- Stormwater runoff
- Threats to streams and wetlands
- Loss of open land and wildlife habitat
- Impacts to nearby homes and property values
- Long-term changes to the character of Rural Hall
This is not opposition to all growth. The Rural Hall Area Plan and county land-use planning documents anticipated mixed-use development for this area, not a hyperscale industrial campus across from Town Hall.
Timeline
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The Rural Hall Town Council adopted Resolution 901, formally opposing the proposed data center rezoning.
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The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Board voted 7-2 to recommend denial of rezoning case F-1669.
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The Rural Hall Town Council reversed its earlier opposition and adopted Resolution 912 in support of the project. The special meeting was announced only three days earlier as a “Project Iron Spur/Data Center Discussion,” and residents were not allowed to speak before the vote.
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The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is expected to consider the rezoning. The commissioners have final authority over the decision.
Who decides
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners makes the final rezoning decision.
The Planning Board recommended denial, but that recommendation is advisory. Rural Hall’s Town Council has taken a position, but the town does not control the rezoning because the land is outside town limits.
County commissioners can approve or deny the rezoning.
What residents can do now
- Sign the petition
- Contact Forsyth County commissioners
- Contact Rural Hall leadership
- Attend upcoming meetings
- Watch the July community forum
- Share the facts with neighbors
- Get involved with canvassing, signs, calls, and public turnout
The most important decision is still ahead.
Key documents
Frequently asked questions
- What is Project Iron Spur?
- Project Iron Spur is the name of the proposed hyperscale data center project in Rural Hall. It is tied to Forsyth County rezoning case F-1669.
- Where would it be located?
- The proposed site is directly across from Rural Hall Town Hall, near the center of the community.
- Has the project been approved?
- No. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners has final authority over the rezoning decision.
- What did the Planning Board do?
- On June 11, 2026, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Board voted 7-2 to recommend denial of the rezoning request.
- Why did Rural Hall’s position change?
- The Rural Hall Town Council first adopted Resolution 901 opposing the project. On June 22, the council adopted Resolution 912, which replaced Resolution 901 and expressed support for the project after discussion of possible annexation and tax revenue.
- Why are residents opposing it?
- Residents are concerned about industrializing the center of Rural Hall, continuous noise, diesel emissions, water and electricity demand, environmental impacts, nearby homes, public health, and the permanent loss of open land and wildlife habitat.
- What happens next?
- The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is expected to consider the rezoning on July 30, 2026. Residents should contact commissioners and watch for the official agenda.
Information current as of July 2026. Details may change as new information is released.