Residents push back as developer promotes benefits of $6 billion Festus data center

Developer Bob Clark, founder of Clayco and a principal partner in CRG, affirmed that the proposed $6 billion data center in Festus, Missouri, will move forward despite significant local opposition and legal challenges. Clark's comments came a week after Festus voters elected four data center opponents to the city council and five days after residents filed a lawsuit seeking to void the project's approvals. He stated that CRG's development rights are "vested" and the company will "aggressively defend" them in court. The lawsuit, filed April 8 in St. Louis County Circuit Court by Wake Up Jeffco LLC and four residents, accuses the City of Festus and CRG of 12 counts, including unlawful spot zoning, civil conspiracy, and violations of Missouri's Sunshine Law, which mandates open government meetings. Text messages submitted as evidence allegedly show city officials discussing strategies to avoid public scrutiny and dismissing opponents as "uneducated people." Plaintiffs contend that the public was given insufficient notice for a vote on the 29-page Infrastructure Development Agreement, which the council approved 6-2. Residents have also expressed deep concerns about the data center's potential impact on local water supplies and quality. The development agreement allows CRG to drill private wells if the municipal supply is insufficient, drawing from the same aquifer that serves nearby homes. Over 300 Festus residents have filed complaints requesting independent hydrogeological studies, which the city has reportedly not addressed. When pressed about the potential effects on neighbors' wells, Clark stated he could not answer the "engineering question" but pledged that discharged water would be as clean as intake water. Clark acknowledged the election results but asserted they do not represent all Festus residents, hoping the new council will consider the project's public benefits. The first phase of the data center is projected to be operational by 2028, with an estimated $40 million in new annual revenue for Festus. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the November 2025 rezoning and the March 2026 Infrastructure Development Agreement, which could significantly impact the project's future.