Vote on proposed data center in Midtown delayed

Mayor Cara Spencer has postponed a scheduled vote by the St. Louis Board of Public Service regarding a plan to convert an area near the Armory in Midtown into a data center. The delay is intended to facilitate the creation of new regulations and restrictions for data centers within St. Louis City. These forthcoming rules will address where data centers can be built and how they operate. Spencer indicated that the city is carefully evaluating the economic benefits of data centers against residents' concerns, which include potential increases in electrical rates and environmental harm. She also noted that because Ameren supplies power throughout the St. Louis region, data centers anywhere in the area could impact rates for all residents.