Kansas City Data Center Developer Discusses Historic Building Preservation Amid Council Opposition
Revitalization Unlimited has proposed a 20-story data center in downtown Kansas City, facing opposition from city council members Crispin Rea and Eric Bunch. Concerns include the potential demolition of the historic Western Newspaper Union Building and the project's impact on city growth. Developer Steve Austin expressed willingness to preserve the historic facade and highlighted the project's economic and environmental benefits.
A proposed 20-story data center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, by developer Revitalization Unlimited has sparked opposition from city council members Crispin Rea and Eric Bunch. The council members expressed concerns over the potential demolition of the historic Western Newspaper Union Building, which is listed on the National Register for Historic Places, and questioned the project's overall benefit to the city's growth and culture.
Steve Austin, CEO of Revitalization Unlimited, defended the project, emphasizing its potential for substantial revenue to fund public services like infrastructure, teachers, firefighters, and police. Austin also stated his team's willingness to collaborate with the city to preserve the historic facade of the building, indicating that demolition is not a definitive plan.
Austin maintained that a data center represents the only economically viable project for the site, unless significant government incentives are provided. He further highlighted the proposed data center's environmentally friendly design, which includes a microgrid intended to provide all power at approximately half the carbon footprint of the current grid, according to Utility Commission assessments.