Officials have rejected proposals for a 20-story data center development in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.. The Kansas City planning commission last week unanimously voted to reject an application from Revitalization Unlimited to develop a 384-foot-tall (117-meter) data center with ground-floor retail in place of the Western Newspaper Union Building at 304 W.
10th Street in Jackson County.. – Google Maps. News of the planned development first surfaced in January. Revitalization was hoping to demolish the existing three-story building, totaling 29,990 sq ft (2,785 sqm), and instead develop a 20-story, 30MW facility..
Some 18 floors would have been dedicated to data center use, with retail space on the ground floor. The 142,085 sq ft (13,200 sqm) facility would reportedly be equipped with natural gas fuel cells.. City staff had recommended the planning commission recommend denial of the project.
During the planning commission meeting, officials questioned the low number of jobs a building of this size would offer, with one noting it would employ less than it currently does. Hundreds of people had written in to the commission opposing the development, and more than 50 people spoke out against the project during the meeting..
Opposition groups KC Data Center Watchdog and the Sunrise Movement called the denial a “major win” for the people of Kansas City.. “This is what happens when the people come together and fight for their community, rooted in the love they have for their city and their neighbors,” the groups said in a joint statement on social media..
Revitalization could force an appeal to take the final decision to the city council, but Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has suggested it is unlikely the project will get the green light.. Located in Kansas City’s Library District, the existing building dates back to around 1900.
It originally housed the A.N. Kellogg Auxiliary Newspaper Co., with Western Newspaper Union (WNU) acquiring the company in 1906. The building was renovated in 2017 and housed offices and short-term rental units.
The property is already on the National Register of Historic Places. It would likely require a special-use permit for demolition, as it is eligible for the city’s local historic register.. Revitalization acquired the site in January, saying at the time it planned to “continue the careful preservation of the building’s architectural features, building on the work of the prior owner.”.
Revitalization Unlimited describes itself as an investment fund dedicated to preserving historically significant US real estate, and says it is committed to safeguarding America’s heritage while revitalizing historic assets.. Thank you for your North American news subscription. More in Construction & Site Selection.
12 Jun 2026. More in North America. 06 Aug 2026.
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