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Data center aisle racks at Microsoft (Photo credit: Microsoft)

Data Centers

Data centers are specialized facilities that house the computing and networking systems needed to run applications and to store, process, and manage large amounts of data.

The demand to develop new data centers has been rapidly increasing amidst the Artificial Intelligence (AI) boom. As data centers become increasingly common nationwide and in the St. Louis region, concerns have arisen around their environmental, economic, and community impacts.

Large-scale data centers can require tremendous amounts of water and energy to sustain, straining local utilities and potentially impacting residents’ utility bills; create noise and heat pollution; and cause other nuisances that negatively affect surrounding neighborhoods.

Updated-data-center-zoning-regulations_050126_reducedsize.pdf

(1.6 MB)

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Planning Commission Considers Data Center Moratorium

Planning Commission Considers Data Center Moratorium

Phase 2: Mayor Issues Executive Order 92

Mayor Issues Executive Order 92

Phase 3: Public Input on Data Center Projects & Regulations

Public Input on Data Center Projects & Regulations

Phase 4: Board of Aldermen Passes Resolution 111

Board of Aldermen Passes Resolution 111

Phase 5: Developer of Proposed Armory Data Center Holds Town Halls

Developer of Proposed Armory Data Center Holds Town Halls

Phase 6: Missouri Public Service Commission approves Consumer Protection Plan

Missouri Public Service Commission approves Consumer Protection Plan

Phase 7: Planning Commission considers Data Center zoning regulations

Planning Commission considers Data Center zoning regulations

Phase 8: Conditional Use Hearing on Armory Data Center Proposal

Conditional Use Hearing on Armory Data Center Proposal

Phase 9: Planning Commission considers Data Center Zoning regulations

Planning Commission considers Data Center Zoning regulations

Planning Commission considers Data Center Zoning regulations

May 3, 2026 5:00 AM - May 19, 2026 5:00 AM

The Planning Commission will consider data center zoning regulations at a special meeting on May 18th at 5:30 PM in the Kennedy Room at City Hall. This regulations would apply to all future proposals for data center related development and would not be retroactively applied to existing data centers located in the City or the Armory project approved through conditional use hearing under Executive Order 92.

Updated-data-center-zoning-regulations_050126_reducedsize.pdf

(1.6 MB)

23 comments

Sam Pounders3 weeks ago

Lisa Williams 4 weeks ago

Mitchell Easter4 weeks ago Pouring St. Louis’ investment strategy and civic imagination into the data center collection plate because the technocrat class has decided AI is our new personal savior is not vision. It's not even innovation. It's civic desperation covered in gold leaf and sold as salvation.This feels like another round of civic dark-ages tithing: give more land, more power, more water, more tax advantages, more political deference, and somehow our odds of entering the economic kingdom of heaven will improve. St. Louis has heard versions of this sermon before. Decade after decade, residents have been asked to believe in the next big thing while basic city-building, neighborhood stability, infrastructure, maintenance, and quality of life are deferred into afterthoughts, resulting in an exodus in aeternum.Data centers will not be this City's salvation: They are not a neighborhood strategy. They are not housing. They are not transit. They are not small business growth. They are not public safety, street repair, beautification, or population growth. They do not change centuries of inequities. They are energy-intensive, land-intensive, water-sensitive leeches that often produce far fewer long-term local jobs than the slimy sales pitch implies.The current public temperament across the United States reflects a well-earned hatred of government incompetence, arrogance, and non-responsiveness at every level. That frustration is increasingly bipartisan, and so is the skepticism toward AI hype and data centers. People are asking basic, reasonable questions about devaluation of their homes/properties, electricity demand, water usage, grid strain, environmental impact, noise, land use, public incentives, and whether these projects improve daily life for surrounding residents.If the City is serious about moving forward, data centers are not the vehicle to build momentum. They are another test of whether our tax-paid leadership can tell the difference between real public benefit and another expensive sermon from peculiar corporate oligarchs who think they are holier than thou.

John Payne3 weeks ago I very much appreciate the work put into these proposals to define and regulate the data center industry. The city of St. Louis has so many serious financial needs. Needs for which I do not believe we have enough resources. This is an opportunity to not only generate much needed revenue, but to take a chance at investing in the regeneration of our city and the region as a whole. Who of us would not like to see our city become one of the fastest growing or most desirable? Any opportunity to help Saint Louis regain even a portion of the status and prestige it had just over 100 years ago (relatively speaking) is an opportunity worth investing in.

Leslie Wells4 weeks ago

Zach Driemeyer4 weeks ago

Sheila Rabbitt3 weeks ago

allison andrelchik3 weeks ago

Gracynn K1 month ago We the citizens who LIVE here and pay our taxes have spoken out all year that we DO NOT WANT THIS DATA CENTER HERE! Why are you selling us out to a tech surveillance billionaire?? We see the photos of you all with that disgusting man, we see you in London drinking tea with him while we here will have to deal with the consequences of this horrendous environmental hazard. WE DONT NEED MORE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WE NEED OUR TAXES TO GO TO CITY PROGRAMS, HOUSING AND FOOD, VI0LENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, ANYTHING BUT THIS F*CKING ROBOT CENTER! YOU ALL ACT LIKE YOU’RE LIVING IN SOME DYSTOPIAN FUTURE WHERE ROBOTS COME BEFORE PEOPLE, AND I DONT THINK THATS A WISE IDEA CONSIDERING HOW ANGRY PEOPLE ARE GETTING, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER TURNING AROUND BEFORE WE TURN THIBGS AROUND FOR YOU.

Susi Blatz1 month ago

Rebekah Nelson1 month ago

Byron Keller1 month ago

Gracynn K1 month ago We the citizens who LIVE here and pay our taxes have spoken out all year that we DO NOT WANT THIS DATA CENTER HERE! Why are you selling us out to a tech surveillance billionaire?? We see the photos of you all with that disgusting man, we see you in London drinking tea with him while we here will have to deal with the consequences of this horrendous environmental hazard. WE DONT NEED MORE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WE NEED OUR TAXES TO GO TO CITY PROGRAMS, HOUSING AND FOOD, VI0LENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS, ANYTHING BUT THIS F*CKING ROBOT CENTER! YOU ALL ACT LIKE YOU’RE LIVING IN SOME DYSTOPIAN FUTURE WHERE ROBOTS COME BEFORE PEOPLE, AND I DONT THINK THATS A WISE IDEA CONSIDERING HOW ANGRY PEOPLE ARE GETTING, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER TURNING AROUND BEFORE WE TURN THIBGS AROUND FOR YOU.

Charles Crittenden1 month ago Those of us in STL have heard this all before. Some great project is going to come in and fix all of our problems without the city government having to acknowledge or fix any of them themselves. Take a look around the country at the impacts the massive data centers have on the surrounding areas, the environmental impacts, and the general consensus in our city that this isnt what we want the focus to be. Our utilities are falling apart, the streets are a mess, and north city is still recovering from the tornado last year. For those of you in Oldenburg’s ward, know that he supports this data centers saying “There is zero evidence that residual power rates will go up.” Be sure to remember that when it is time to vote. Find out how your alderperson feels about this and vote accordingly.And lastly the city doesn’t even have the resources to tow cars or enforce parking tickets to massive repeat offenders, and you think you’re going to be able to handle checking their regulations without being able to ensure the person checking them also isn’t in the data center company’s pocket?Just admit you made a mistake, and fix it. Focus on the city and what we want. At least put it up for a city-wide vote without assuming that you know what we want and what is best for us.

TROY BRINSON1 month ago This is a bad idea. The data center will be less than two blocks away from St. Louis University where thousands of students live work and play. It will be a drain on natural resources, provide minimal job growth and drive up electricity prices.It’s especially disheartening how the elected officials of the City have hidden behind closed door sessions, passing the buck in closed door deals and being in London, while the matter was offered debate and vote . In my opinion, this should be a campaign issue against all Elected officials who helped facilitate the Data Center Process come the next election cycle.

Katie Lange1 month ago St. Louis has been plagued by corruption and it’s obsession with the next bright shiny opportunity to line the pockets of those in power at the detriment of the citizens since its founding. Cara Spencer is no exception. The citizens of St. Louis do NOT support another data center being built. We already have some. We need to focus on our dying downtown, developing a strong riverfront, working to reduce homelessness and gun violence, and supporting our neighbors who are still struggling one year after a catastrophic tornado devastated North City. If St. Louis is to become a vibrant, populous, and economically advanced city, we need elected officials who listen to the people and center people over profit.

Carly Ferdman1 month ago There are documented health risks (respiratory, cardiovascular, premature death) to vulnerable populations, including children. From University of Chicago about a hyperscale facility in MS: "weekly tests of backup diesel generators spike local NOx levels and worsen the area’s elevated childhood asthma rates." A recent independent analysis of a hyperscale facility in VA reports the pollution from the data center "could result in $53 million - $99 million in annual health damages." My children spend 24/7 within two miles of the proposed site. Please do not trade their lives for some easy money. Do not sell the very health and well-being of St. Louis's children for some cloud storage for out of towners.If the lives of our children are not enough, please consider that trusted online sources are already warning homebuyers away from purchasing near hyperscalers due to health risks and increased energy costs.If St. Louis government and leadership truly wants to grow a thriving St. Louis, the Armory data center is not the way.

Karen Carty1 month ago

John Parker1 month ago The tax revenue generated from this project will generate $25M ANNUALLY for public schools and $15M ANNUALLY for city infrastructure. The money is badly needed. It’s going into a long vacated warehouse that has never generated tax revenue. It’s in between a railroad yard and the highway. It has more regulation around it than any other data center in the country. THIS data center is being done right.

Nicholas Freed1 month ago

Ryan Danner4 weeks ago This seems like an insult drafting this after the Mayor has used the almighty power of a variance to grant a conditional use permit to a data center already. What teeth does this have when the mayor is just allowed to do as they please when the price tag is juicy enough? Can we put in some binding restrictions and penalties with some teeth to punish the businesses and spiky hair executive in the mayor's office who don't understand when they are being sweet talked by business interests? Is has been shown numerous times over the years that big business can't be trusted to hold up its end of the deal with the city. We need actual enforcement with teeth on our rules.

Patrick Cuba1 month ago I like data centers. I think Internet is good. I revile the proportion of beneficial to maleficent uses of these technologies.I am sure we cannot keep them out. I do not have the money to combat people who will let them pay for approval. I think this direction of clear regulation is the way to go.This document, however, notices the problems and does not escalate a solution. Not knowing how this will be resolved makes it impossible to get on board. Generic cynicism has unfortunately proven more useful lately than democratic trust. There is no policy guidance here and I think at least some of the people who helped to draft it must know this.

Bill Belgeri1 month ago I am not against Data Centers overall but there needs to be careful considerations of the current and future implications to our city. in 10-15 years these will be outdated facilities that will need environmental remediation and repurposing or demolition. remember when Computers were big and cellphones were bulky. the computing power in these proposed centers will be obsolete possibly before the construction is finished.

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Past events

Special Meeting of the Planning Commission
Event date: May 18th, 2026 at 10:30 PM to May 19th, 2026 at 12:30 AM.
1200 Market Street
11 registrants
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Informational Webinar: Updated Draft Zoning Regulations for Data Centers
Event date: May 11th, 2026 at 11:00 PM to May 12th, 2026 at 1:00 AM.
Online meeting
8 registrants
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Conditional Use Hearing on Armory Data Center
Event date: March 19th, 2026 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM.
Online meeting
7 registrants
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Planning Commission Hearing on Proposed Data Center Regulations
Event date: February 11th, 2026 at 11:30 PM to February 12th, 2026 at 1:30 AM.
1520 Market Street
Online meeting
1 registrant
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Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee Hearing on Resolution 111: Affirming Support of Executive Order 92 Concerning Data Centers
Event date: October 1st, 2025 from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
1200 Market Street
Online meeting
20 registrants
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