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A Dutch tech company broke ground Tuesday in eastern Independence on what it calls an AI factory, even as nearby residents protested outside the construction fence.
Nebius plans to build a 45-acre data center on a plot of land off Little Blue Parkway and Bly Road. At Tuesday's ceremony, speakers compared Independence's history of westward expansion through the California, Santa Fe and Oregon trails with pioneering into the future of AI.
John Boynton, chairman of the Nebius board, said the facility will support medical research, self-driving cars and more.
"Of course, no one can predict exactly what will be happening 10 years from now, but I will tell you the depth of demand for what we're building is immense, and it's only going to get bigger. We view AI as the next utility," Boynton said. "We believe these AI data centers are going to become part of the fabric of the country that allows us all to move farther, faster, and it’s really going to have a positive impact, at the end of the day, on all of humanity.”
On the other side of the construction fence, a group of residents protested. Among them were Mary and Howard Hoff, who live two doors down from the site on Bly Road, the southern section of which is now closed for construction.
"It's sad, is what it is. We've lived here so long in the country," Mary Hoff said.
The group raised concerns about water usage, electricity rates and impacts to wildlife. They also believe council members voted against public sentiment by approving $150 billion in bonds and other tax breaks for the project.
A judge dismissed a lawsuit this group filed in an attempt to force a city-wide vote on the project.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do here," Howard Hoff admitted. "But if enough people hear our voices and see what we're doing, maybe it will save another community from having to go through what we're going through."
Independence City Council Member Cody Atkinson, who won his seat after the Nebius vote but supports the project, acknowledged the divide.
"Not everyone feels the same," Atkinson said in his remarks at Tuesday's ceremony.
Atkinson said Nebius has addressed his concerns: it will generate its own electricity, which should not impact rates for Independence Power and Light customers. The center will use a closed-loop water cooling system that uses about as much water per year as a QuikTrip, a Nebius representative said.
Atkinson believes this project sets a standard for how data centers can benefit communities, highlighting how the center will generate roughly $30 million to $50 million for the city in tax revenue annually.
"I think the standards we have set here with Nebius are the groundwork needed to make sure communities benefit from these in a manner going forward," Atkinson said.
Boynton said the first phase of the data center should be operational in the second quarter of 2027. Construction should end in 2029.
Construction will support about 1,300 jobs, and the AI factory will employ about 130 people once it opens.
Nebius plans to create STEM curriculum to help with workforce training for Metropolitan Community College, as well as the Independence and Fort Osage school districts.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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