Investors to pitch building data center near Armory in Midtown

Developers are proposing a $3.1 billion data center project in Midtown St. Louis, near the historic Armory building. Local investor Rod Thomas and Las Vegas real-estate firm Contour are seeking a conditional use permit to build the 525,000 square foot facility at the former Famous-Barr warehouse, located at Market Street and Vandeventer Avenue. The developers also intend to convert the shuttered Armory building into luxury office space. The project is slated for discussion at a virtual conditional use hearing with St. Louis city officials, which was scheduled for 8:30 AM. No specific data center user has been publicly named for the facility. The proposal has already encountered opposition from area residents and activists, who have expressed concerns regarding potential environmental impacts, energy consumption, and the possible displacement of human jobs by artificial intelligence, with around 50 jobs estimated for the data center itself and 150 for the office building.