SOM's Highrise Data Center Proposal Faces Opposition in Kansas City
A plan put forth by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) for a data center housed in a 20-story skyscraper in Kansas City's Quality Hill area has encountered significant resistance from community organizations. Revealed in June and supported by Revitalization Unlimited, the 384-foot structure would feature data floors and public spaces, necessitating the demolition of the historic Western Newspaper Union building, established in 1900. On August 5, the Kansas City Plan Commission voted unanimously against the proposal, having received nearly 500 letters opposing it. Mayor Quinton Lucas endorsed this decision, indicating that a change in direction is improbable. SOM argues that the design promotes urban efficiency and minimizes environmental effects. Activist groups are challenging this and similar data center initiatives in the region.
Key facts
- SOM designed a 20-story highrise data center proposal in Kansas City's Quality Hill neighborhood.
- The proposal was announced in June and backed by Revitalization Unlimited, a Miami-based developer.
- The tower would be 384 feet tall and include data floors, power infrastructure, cooling systems, and public amenities.
- The Kansas City Plan Commission unanimously voted against the data center on August 5.
- The proposal received nearly 500 letters of opposition and zero letters of support.
- Mayor Quinton Lucas voiced agreement with the Plan Commission's vote and said a reversal is unlikely.
- The Western Newspaper Union building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, would be demolished.
- Historic Kansas City submitted testimony against the proposal to save the building.
- Revitalization Unlimited acquired the Western Newspaper Union building in 2025.
- SOM claims the tower will have on-site power generation and a closed-loop hybrid cooling system to eliminate demand on the local electrical grid and limit municipal water use.
- The tower is designed to be adaptable for future residential, office, or mixed-use space.
- Activist groups Sunrise Movement KC and KC Data Center Watchdog are opposing the proposal.
Entities
Institutions
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
- Revitalization Unlimited
- Kansas City Plan Commission
- Historic Kansas City
- Sunrise Movement KC
- KC Data Center Watchdog
- National Register of Historic Places
Locations
- Kansas City
- Quality Hill
- Miami
- Colorado Springs
- Colorado
- 10th and Central Streets