Residents fight back as data center developers chase Kansas tax incentives

Communities in the Greater Kansas City Metro area of Kansas are actively opposing proposed data center developments, particularly in Gardner and Edgerton. A key driver for developers choosing these rural areas is the availability of significant tax incentives, often for up to 20 years, as enabled by Kansas Senate Bill 98, passed last year. In Gardner, Beale Infrastructure recently withdrew its development application after the city stated it would not offer the requested tax breaks to fund the project. Arlene Martinez from Good Jobs First, an advocate for government accountability in economic development, highlights that developers are increasingly selecting communities with lower regulations and cheaper land in pursuit of these substantial tax packages. Meanwhile, Edgerton, Kansas, is the next Johnson County city facing a data center proposal, with a project slated to go before its Planning Commission. Community members, such as Courtney Dunning, express concerns beyond environmental and school impacts, particularly regarding the use of taxpayer dollars for what Martinez describes as "pretty poor use of the public's money." Beale Infrastructure, which has a $3 billion data center campus under construction in DeSoto, announced a $250,000 investment in local and regional nonprofits, a move Martinez suggests can be a "peace offering" to communities. However, some residents, like Dunning, view such donations with skepticism, calling it "doubles money in interest in Kansas."