De Soto data center plans to offer $1,000 to households, but neighbors say they're not so sure
Digital Realty plans to provide De Soto households with annual credits of up to $1,000 for 10 years as part of a $20 million community investment tied to its proposed data center. Some residents remain skeptical, citing unanswered questions about long-term effects, utility costs and the broader impact of two planned data center developments; a petition opposing the projects has collected more than 400 signatures.
Digital Realty is preparing a 300-acre data center site at Astra Enterprise Park in De Soto, Kansas, with construction expected to begin in 2027. The company said it will invest $20 million in a community fund, providing each household in the city with up to $1,000 annually for 10 years for property tax or utility relief. The city is helping develop the distribution plan, and Digital Realty said the payments are intended to deliver early, tangible benefits to residents.
Some neighbors, including Sara VanDeCreek and Toni Caldwell, criticized the offer as an attempt to win support while questions remain about the project's long-term effects and potential increases in electricity and water costs. The residents have helped organize a petition opposing De Soto's two data center developments that has gathered more than 400 signatures. A public hearing on a proposed tax-increment financing district for Digital Realty's project is expected at a De Soto City Council meeting on Nov. 19, while Beale Infrastructure is separately building a data center campus nearby.