Daily Digest — April 22, 2026
St. Louis Grants Final Approval to $3 Billion Armory Data Center Despite Opposition
The St. Louis Board of Public Service unanimously approved a conditional use permit for a $3 billion data center project in the city's Armory Innovation District, according to multiple local outlets including STLPR and the St. Louis American. The approval came just weeks after Mayor Cara Spencer requested a delay for further due diligence, and while the mayor was on a trade mission in London.
The 120-megawatt facility, developed by a consortium including Contour, TeraWatt, THO Investments, Steadfast City, ARCO, and Lewis Rice, will convert the former Famous-Barr warehouse near Grand and Market into a hyperscale AI data center, with the adjacent Armory building becoming office space. As reported by Spectrum News, the project is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2028.
The approved permit includes extensive conditions:
- Closed-loop cooling system with air-cooled chillers to minimize water use
- At least 50% renewable energy sourcing within five years of operations
- Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25 or better
- Noise-emitting equipment acoustically treated and set back from primary frontages
- Generator testing restricted to specific hours and prohibited on bad air quality days
- Cool, green, or rooftop solar panels required to reduce urban heat impacts
- No on-site generators used as a primary power source
- Full tenant disclosure (barring national security implications) and a prohibition on crypto-mining tenants
The developers must also forgo tax abatements and contribute an estimated $15.75 million to a community fund, including multimodal enhancements such as the Brickline Greenway. The project is estimated to generate $27.4 million in first-year tax revenue for the city and $33.4 million for St. Louis Public Schools, according to Spectrum News.
KSDK reported that the vote took place remotely while opponents gathered at City Hall but were denied public comment before the vote. Mayor Spencer's dinner in London with top campaign donor Bob Clark, founder of Clayco, drew scrutiny from aldermen, though Clark's firm is not directly involved in the project. AFT St. Louis Local 420 and the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council endorsed the deal, citing approximately 1,050 union construction jobs.
The city's Planning and Urban Design Agency is separately developing a citywide zoning framework for data centers.
Data center project near Armory gets final approval from city
St. Louis American
Data center project near Armory gets final approval from city just weeks after mayor asks for delay
STLPR
City board OK's permits for $3B data center, office project in Midtown
Spectrum News
St. Louis data center wins approval as Mayor Spencer meets in London with top campaign donor
KSDK
St. Louis approves data center after vote without public comment
KSDK News
Shreveport Data Center Clears Legal Hurdle as Judge Upholds Special-Use Permit
A Caddo Parish District Court judge has dismissed a legal challenge to a multibillion-dollar data center project in west Shreveport, Louisiana, allowing STACK Infrastructure and Amazon Web Services to proceed, according to The Center Square and the Baton Rouge Business Report. Judge Ramon Lafitte ruled the City of Shreveport's special-use permit was not arbitrary or capricious, ending a roughly 90-day delay caused by the January lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs including Mooringsport Mayor Tyler Gordon, Michael Craft, and Mary Blakemore, who argued the permit approval lacked sufficient evidence to ensure public health and safety. News Radio 710 KEEL reported that the proposed facility spans over 300 acres and would require 7.5 million gallons of water daily, with community members citing concerns about resource consumption and noise.
The investment at Resilient Technology Park is projected at approximately $6 billion. Justyn Dixon, president and CEO of North Louisiana Partnership, told The Center Square that STACK and Amazon are expected to become major taxpayers in both Caddo and Bossier parishes within five years. Opponents are evaluating options for an appeal, according to the Baton Rouge Business Report.
Data center legal challenge resolved without derailing project
The Center Square
Amazon wins round in fight over Shreveport data center
Baton Rouge Business Report
Attorney Clay Garside discusses court ruling in Caddo Parish
The Center Square
Data center in west Shreveport back on track: Judicial review fails in court
The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate
Bessemer Approves Rezoning of 914 Acres for Project Marvel Data Center Campus
The Bessemer, Alabama, City Council has approved the rezoning of 914 acres from agricultural to light industrial for "Project Marvel," a data center campus developed by Shift Logistics and Investment, LLC, as reported by ABC 33/40 and CBS 42. The rezoning expands the project footprint to approximately 1,600 total acres.
City and project leaders stated the change does not increase the number of data center buildings but allows the 18 planned structures to be spread across more land, creating larger buffers from nearby homes and shifting the project away from a proposed Northern Beltline corridor. The council meeting included over an hour of public comment, with residents expressing concerns about water, wildlife, noise, and infrastructure impacts, according to CBS 42.
WVTM 13 reported that McCalla-area residents raised concerns about potential pollution and increased utility costs. Bessemer City Councilor Chester W. Porter defended the decision, stating that any development would be subject to state and city environmental regulation.
Bessemer approves rezoning of 914 acres for 'Project Marvel' data center
ABC 33/40
Alabama city council approves rezoning for data center
CBS 42
Rezoning additional acres for data center in Bessemer
WBRC 6 News
Bessemer City Council approves rezoning for data center amid community pushback
CBS 42
McCalla residents raise environmental concerns over data center rezoning
WVTM 13 News
Logan County, Illinois, Residents Rally Against Data Center as Moratorium Nears Expiration
Residents in Logan County, Illinois, are actively protesting a proposed data center ahead of a county board meeting on Wednesday that will determine whether to extend or let expire a moratorium on the project, according to WICS ABC NewsChannel 20. The protest, organized by Logan County Indivisible, drew dozens of residents who circulated petitions and called for an ordinance granting community voting power on large-scale projects.
During the moratorium, the county commissioned a study to assess whether local electricity grids and water resources can support the proposed facility. The data center near the village of Latham was initially pitched by potential developer Hot 8. Neighboring Sangamon County recently approved a zoning request by a 17-10 board vote for a CyrusOne data center — a $500 million, 280-acre complex on farmland in the county's southwest corner.
