Second hyper-scale data center moves forward in De Soto amid petition drive

Digital Realty's hyper-scale data center project, known as "Project Jayhawk," has received approval for its first phase from the De Soto Planning Commission in Kansas. This initial phase entails the construction of a two-story, 450,000-square-foot building on a 300-acre site, located adjacent to the Panasonic plant.

Despite this approval, a citizen-led petition is actively circulating among residents of De Soto. The petition aims to block future high-impact data center developments by requiring a public vote on such projects. Similar citizen initiatives have been observed in other Kansas towns, including Edgerton and Ottawa, with El Dorado successfully placing a similar petition on its upcoming November ballot.

The legality of these citizen-led petitions in Kansas is a subject of ongoing debate. While state statute mandates that cities place citizen-led initiatives on the ballot if enough signatures are gathered, there is uncertainty regarding whether such an ordinance is considered administrative (overriding an existing policy) or legislative (creating new city policy). If determined to be legislative, DeSoto's petition could potentially appear on the March ballot next year. Digital Realty has stated its belief that the project will create long-term community benefits through investment and economic opportunities.