St. Louis wants to build a $3 billion tech hub — but the data center anchoring it is sparking backlash
TeraWatt Infrastructure is planning a 120-megawatt data center in Midtown St. Louis as the anchor of a proposed $3.1 billion Armory Innovation District. The project has received key municipal approvals but faces lawsuits from opponents and the developer, while St. Louis has enacted new rules governing future data center construction and operations.
TeraWatt Infrastructure’s proposed 525,000-square-foot, 120-megawatt data center would anchor the privately funded Armory Innovation District in Midtown St. Louis. Developers say the broader project would create construction and permanent jobs and generate substantial tax revenue, while the city has approved a conditional use permit and community benefits agreement requiring $15.75 million in local investments.
Opponents have sued over the project’s permit, citing insufficient consideration of health and environmental risks. TeraWatt subsequently sued the city, challenging conditions imposed by the Board of Adjustment, including a renewable-energy requirement. Amid the backlash, Mayor Cara Spencer signed legislation establishing buffer zones, noise limits and renewable-energy requirements for future data centers within St. Louis, though supporters of the rules said they do not resolve all concerns about utility costs and other impacts.