City of St. Charles bans data centers
The City of St. Charles, Missouri, has officially banned data center proposals after its city council passed an ordinance amendment with a seven-to-one vote. This ban follows a one-year moratorium on data centers enacted last year and is cited as the first in the Midwest. The legislation clarifies its scope to avoid extending the ban to general merchandise storage.
The City of St. Charles, Missouri, has taken a significant step by banning data center proposals, making it the first city in the Midwest and fourth nationwide to enact such a prohibition, according to Interconnected Capital's tracker.
The city council approved the ordinance amendment in a seven-to-one vote on Tuesday night. Councilman Vince Ratchford expressed that there is "currently no place in our community for a data center as they currently exist," acknowledging substantial community interest and concern regarding data center development.
This ban comes after the council had implemented a one-year moratorium on data centers last year. Bill 14085, which established the ban, explicitly states that public interest was a key driver for the legislation. The ordinance also included specific language to reclarify what constitutes a "warehouse" to ensure the ban does not inadvertently apply to the storage of general merchandise or commodities.