NAACP urges revisions to St. Louis data center bill
The St. Louis City NAACP is urging the Board of Aldermen to revise a proposed zoning bill for data centers, advocating for stronger community benefits, local hiring, and environmental protections. They seek to ensure Black communities share in economic benefits while being shielded from disproportionate impacts, leveraging data center revenue for public schools and digital equity programs.
The St. Louis City NAACP is actively advocating for revisions to Board Bill 49, a proposed zoning measure aimed at regulating data centers within the city. Adolphus M. Pruitt II, president of the St. Louis NAACP branch, testified before the Board of Aldermen’s Urban Development and Zoning Committee, emphasizing the need for responsible data center regulation that expands the city’s tax base, supports public schools, and funds digital equity programs, particularly benefiting Black communities.
The NAACP's recommendations include strengthening the bill with enforceable community benefits agreements, local hiring commitments, and participation goals for minority- and women-owned businesses. They also call for public reporting on energy and water usage and propose replacing the bill's blanket 600-foot residential setback with an adjacent property owner consent process. Pruitt highlighted the framework's goal to ensure equity in the inevitable rise of AI, protecting residents from disproportionate environmental and infrastructure impacts while preparing underserved communities for the growing AI economy.
The proposed measure follows months of public hearings and debate on regulating the rapidly expanding data center industry, intensified by the planned $3 billion Armory Innovation District which includes a large data center. While supporters tout economic growth, critics, including Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, have raised concerns about electricity demand, water consumption, and environmental impacts. The Planning Commission, after rejecting an outright ban, recommended zoning regulations allowing data centers under specific conditions.