St. Charles Residents Push Back on Unnamed Company's Planned 440-Acre Data Center

Residents opposed to a proposed data center crowded into an open house in St. Charles on Thursday, many of them wearing red shirts to show their opposition to the 440-acre project. The St. Charles City Council is weighing zoning approvals for the development and plans to vote on them Tuesday.

People who spoke at the event said they fear the facility could contaminate local water, drive up energy prices and reduce property values. The site sits off Highway 370 and Hayford Road, roughly 600 feet from the home of resident Chad Coleman. "I don't see any positive in any of this, actually," Coleman said, adding that plenty of industrial land in St. Charles County is not next to private homes and could have been used instead.

The identity of the company behind the project has not been made public. Its attorney, Korb Maxwell, would say only that it is a Fortune 100 company and that the data center will be large. He said the project would benefit the region through jobs, tax revenue and construction work. "America is changing, and the economy is digitizing further and further," Maxwell said, describing the development as part of a new economy that is coming "whether folks want it or not."

The project is being built by CRG Cumulus, a registered agent of Clayco, a construction company that has previously built data centers, including three in St. Charles for Centene, BJC Healthcare and CitiMortgage. Maxwell said projects of this kind are typically kept confidential at this stage because of what he called one of the most hypercompetitive landscapes America has ever seen in the data center industry.

That confidentiality has frustrated residents. Tim Kline, a third-generation farmer, grows soybeans and corn on land adjoining the proposed site that his family has held since the 1930s. He said he had heard many elected officials signed nondisclosure agreements. "How in the world can you work for the citizens of St. Charles and not be able to discuss this project with them before you take a vote on it?" Kline asked.

State Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, a Republican who represents part of St. Charles and belongs to the Missouri Future Caucus, which was formed to develop legislation on issues such as artificial intelligence, said he has not settled on a position. He said he needs more information first. "Not all data centers are built equally," Wellenkamp said, noting that some use fewer resources than others. "What kind of data center is this one going to be? I need to know."

Nearby resident Charles Cross attended with a sign reading, "No data center. Save our water." He also objected to the lack of transparency, saying the wealthy backers of such projects do not care about ordinary people.

Supporters point to the economic benefits. Maggie Kost, chief business attraction officer for Greater St. Louis Inc., said the project will generate millions of dollars in taxes along with construction and longer-term jobs. "Data centers are a critical part of our economic development strategy," Kost said, adding that the jobs of the future will depend on this type of infrastructure.