'Without A Data Center': Developer Of 2,000-Acre Master Planned Community Seeks Linn Creek Annexation
Mo Lake Development is seeking to annex 1,931 acres into the City of Linn Creek for a master-planned community. Developer Blake Hodits emphasizes that the current plan does not include a data center, despite an earlier concept that sparked significant local opposition and led to new county and city ordinances and moratoriums on data center construction. A public hearing is scheduled for September 30 regarding the proposed annexation.
Mo Lake Development, led by Blake Hodits, has purchased a 2,368-acre property in Camden County, Missouri, and is seeking to annex 1,931 acres into the City of Linn Creek for a large master-planned community. The developer is emphasizing that the current plans for the development do not include a data center, a significant change from an earlier concept.
Hodits' initial public drawings in 2022, and again in 2026, which included a 500,000-square-foot data center on the property, provoked strong opposition from the community. This backlash led to the hurried passage of city and county ordinances, including moratoriums on data center construction and regulations for any future developments. Hodits clarified that while an earlier concept included a possible data center, the company moved forward with the land purchase knowing the development had to work without one.
The City of Linn Creek has announced a public hearing for September 30, 2026, regarding the proposed annexation, noting that this process concerns boundary lines and does not grant zoning or project approval. Linn Creek, like Camdenton, has enacted a data center moratorium and utilizes the Camden County Unified Land Use Code. Hodits stated that long-term utility needs were a major reason for pursuing annexation with Linn Creek, and that he supports data center regulations, but is concerned about the breadth of the county ordinance's definitions.