Kansas City residents question whether a 20-story data center is a developer's Trojan Horse
A Miami-based developer proposes replacing a historic building in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, with a 20-story data center, raising concerns among residents and city officials about the developer's use of a preservation easement for tax incentives. Opposition groups and councilmembers question the project's benefit to the community and its ethical implications. The City Planning Commission is scheduled to decide on the proposal in August.
Kansas City, Missouri, is currently reviewing a controversial proposal by Miami-based developer Revitalization Unlimited to demolish the historic 126-year-old Western Newspaper Union building at 934 Central Street and replace it with a 20-story data center. Residents and city officials, including Councilmembers Crispin Rea and Eric Bunch, express skepticism, fearing the developer's strategy is designed to exploit tax incentives rather than genuinely benefit the community.
Revitalization Unlimited, led by CEO Steve Austin, partnered with The Barn Group, a Georgia-based land trust, to place a historic preservation easement on the building. Austin explained that this strategy allows for a charitable deduction based on the "lost opportunity" of maximizing redevelopment potential, a business model with a 12-year lifespan targeting significant investor returns. However, critics like Grace Snyder of Sunrise Movement KC and Ethan Starr, executive director of Historic Kansas City, argue that demolishing an eased, National Register-listed building could pose legal risks for the developer and goes against preservation efforts.
Nick Morris, Downtown Neighborhood Association Planning and Development Chair, noted a public pre-development meeting in March 2026 where Austin outlined plans to demolish the building. The proposed data center, designed by architect Geoff Bird of Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, would dedicate 19 floors to data center operations.
The Kansas City City Planning Commission is scheduled to make a decision on the development plan on August 5, 2026, at City Hall, where the public is invited to provide testimony. Despite facing significant pushback and questions regarding the project's minimal local employment and residential benefits, Austin maintains the data center proposal remains a priority.