Full interview: St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer discusses data centers
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer is prepared to sign new data center regulations into law, which will take immediate effect. These rules aim to balance attracting investment with community protection, addressing concerns like noise and renewable energy standards, despite some internal disagreements among city officials. A previously approved Midtown data center project will be exempt from these new rules, and discussions are underway for a new, unnamed data center proposal in the 13th Ward.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer confirmed her readiness to sign new data center regulations into law immediately, bypassing a 30-day waiting period through an emergency clause. The mayor stated the goal is to establish a framework for regulating data centers, balancing tax revenue potential with community protection, especially regarding noise and environmental concerns.
However, the legislative process faced internal friction, with the Planning Commission and the Board of Aldermen disagreeing on specific amendments, including density recommendations. Despite these disagreements, Mayor Spencer emphasized that the final framework is a compromise that most stakeholders can accept. She acknowledged that a previously approved hyperscale data center project in Midtown would be exempt from these new rules because its application predated the new framework.
Separately, Board President Megan Greene revealed that a new data center proposal is being considered for the 13th Ward, a large industrial area in North St. Louis. Mayor Spencer confirmed awareness of the project's existence and interest in a specific site but stated she has not been directly involved in discussions with the developers and could not identify them. The interview also touched on the city's noise controls, which limit data center noise to 5 decibels above baseline, and the challenges of enforcing renewable energy standards through zoning requirements, a hurdle also noted by St. Louis County officials.