Ferguson City Council to vote on tax breaks for possible data center

The Ferguson City Council is scheduled to vote on a bill that could approve more than $1 billion in tax breaks for a substantial redevelopment project on the former Emerson campus. The proposal outlines a multi-phase, mixed-use development featuring technology, energy, manufacturing, office, and research spaces, with the potential to include a data center. The bill, which would authorize the City of Ferguson to issue up to $22 billion in industrial revenue bonds and grant 15-year tax abatements on personal property taxes, is undergoing its second city council reading. At a previous meeting, numerous residents raised significant concerns regarding the project's lack of transparency, the potential environmental and health impacts associated with a data center, and the long-term financial benefits of the tax breaks for local schools and services. City officials have emphasized that Thursday's vote is not a direct approval of a data center, but rather a decision on whether to provide financial incentives for a broader redevelopment that could potentially feature a data center. The City Council meeting, where the vote will take place, is accessible via livestream on the City of Ferguson’s YouTube page.