KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Isabella Ledonne reports on stories in Overland Park, Johnson County and topics about government accountability. She's been reporting on data centers extensively on both sides of the state line. Share your story idea with Isabella.
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The Kansas City, Missouri, City Plan Commission voted Wednesday to deny the application for a proposed data center at the site of a historic former newspaper building.
Last month, Miami-based developer Revitalization Unlimited submitted plans to demolish the Western Union Newspaper Building in the Quality Hill neighborhood, which was first built in 1900, and replace it with a 20-story data center.
RELATED | Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, data center proposal sparks concern from neighbors
The data center would have been 141,000 square feet and 384 feet tall, with data center operations taking up every floor.
Developers argued the data center would have been an important and influential development to downtown. But many downtown Kansas Citians made their thoughts loud and clear at the planning commission meeting Wednesday, rejoicing when the proposal failed to get a city staff recommendation of approval.
"We do not want this data center," one resident said at the public hearing. "I simply refuse to believe that this development won't hurt Kansas City."
Neighbors sent more than 450 letters to the Kansas City Planning Commission, all in opposition of the downtown data center skyscraper.
"This data center will permanently and irrevocably change the character of my neighborhood," Margaret Flynn said.
The developers initially asked the planning commission for a continuance of the hearing in order to provide more education regarding the "false" claims that have been circulating in the community. Following the company's presentation, the commissioners denied their request to postpone the decision.
According to filings from Revitalization Unlimited, the data center would take up operations on nearly every floor of the 20-story building. There were plans to put a coffee shop on the first floor, and the building was estimated to employ about 30 people.
The former Western Union Newspaper Building is on the National Register of Historical Buildings, sparking community concern if the company is only seeking the tax credits that come with it.
"These out-of-town developers are manipulating our city with a data center proposal that they never planned to build for profit," Brooke Bowlin said. "We don't think this serves us."
The commission's concern came from the location. Commissioners and city staff stated at Wednesday's meeting that tearing down a historical building for something that doesn't attract residents or jobs doesn't comply with KC's Spirit Playbook.
"Even if everything that you presented to us pushed roses and daisies, I still wouldn't support this," commissioner Matt Hasek said.
"I don't think this is the right location for a data center," commissioner Luis Padilla said.
According to KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas, the applicant can ask the city council to override the recommendation, even though a reversal is highly unlikely. Lucas said he would not support the proposed data center.
"I think it's a signal that historic designation matters," Historic KC Executive Director Ethan Starr said. "It's this kind of building that has real potential for positive future economic productivity."
KSHB 41 News reporter Isabella Ledonne asked the developers questions about the proposal and their response to the public pushback after Wednesday night's meeting. They declined to comment.
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