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Business Journals
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
St. Charles data center dead after developers withdraw their proposal, mayor says
The developers of a massive, secretive and controversial data center project in St. Charles have withdrawn their offer from the city. St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer told KSDK on Monday that City Council members will no longer vote on "Project Cumulus" after the application's withdrawal. "The vote was whether or not they could use diesel generators for power. That's all the vote was about. As soon as people heard diesel fuel a million gallons in the well field, they became upset. Well, there's 125 generators, so it's not a million gallons someplace. Disrespectful of all that, we don't want one generator to leak. They had measures in place to take care of a lot of that, but the fact of the matter is that it was a lack of information. The culprit was transparency," Borgmeyer said. The data center has received widespread pushback from over 5,500 residents over concerns of water pollution, energy bill increases, and general community impacts. Two members of the City Council recently . GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Councilmember Justin Foust, who represents Ward 6 in the city, previously said it would be "nearly impossible" for him to support the project. He expressed disappointment after the developers pulled their offer. "Residents deserve better communication, real transparency, and the chance to have their voices recorded through an open vote," Foust said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the decision to pull the application was made by the applicant, not the City Council." Foust urged residents to still attend Tuesday's City Council meeting to make their voices heard on the matter, in case "this applicant returns or another comes forward." The council meeting is scheduled to be held at the St. Charles Convention Center's Junior Ballroom on the first floor. Developers were having little success in convincing residents that the data center would be an ultimate good for the community. Many residents have shown up to give passionate speeches against the data center at past City Council and planning and zoning meetings. A petition to "Stop the Hazardous Data Center" was signed by nearly 5,000 residents a week after it launched. "No Data Center" fliers were recently sent out across St. Charles. The fliers claimed the project was dangerous and wrong for the city for numerous reasons, along with listing numerous data center projects that have been stopped across the country, including in Arizona, Virginia and Tennessee. The flyer was paid for by the "Good Government Committee" and urged people to contact their council members. Some residents said that the format of a recent open house made it difficult to get exact answers about the project, in part because everyone needed to talk over each other to be heard. Others had hoped for the opportunity to speak publicly on their issues, but officials didn't give them a chance to do so. "I think it's very important that people understand, we listened and even if they hadn't withdrawn it, I'm almost positive it would not have made it on Tuesday," Borgmeyer said. Tim Kline, a longtime farmer in the St. Charles area, has been watching the area for years. "The contaminated area is on the far east end of the protected area and this was going to be developed on the far west end of the area, which is over a mile away from where the contamination was from UE and Findett corporations, and I just hope we can get this stopped down here," Kline said. Kline wanted to thank everyone who signed the petition and showed up at the open house. And while he's gotten his wish for now, he's worried the industrial zoning of the area will allow Project Cumulus or another company to try again. "It's our protected water source. So, we need to get together and see if we can get it re-zoned back to agricultural and stop the filling on top of our water source," Kline said. After the open house, Borgmeyer decided to withdraw his support from the project. He added that the non-disclosure agreement went much further than the ones they "do all the time." "This one went to the point where it was just ridiculous. And they needed to step back, and there's a lot of good things about the project, but there's a lot of bad things about the project. And I think until the full scope of it's understood, they've withdrawn. I don't know if they'll come back or not," Borgmeyer said. He also addressed rumours that the original land owners are his cousins, which he says was brought to light by his last opponent for the mayor's office. "I think it's a second or third cousin. I have no idea who the people are. I'm related to just about everybody in St. Charles, the Boscherts, the Echols, and everybody else. I've talked to [St. Charles County Executive] Steve Ehlmann. We had lunch yesterday. He said, 'Yeah, we are,' I'm even related to Steve Ehlmann. So it was a political shot," Borgmeyer said. Project Cumulus attorney Korb Maxwell said he wants residents to know they were heard and that's part of why they pulled the application. "It was time to re-evaluate the approach that we made to the site and look at really focusing on what changes can we make to the site that may garner more support, but also what changes can we make to the process," Maxwell said. KSDK's Laura Barczewski asked Maxwell if they are looking elsewhere or if they will try again on the same site. "I think the project fellows team is always keeping our options open and looking at options all across the nation and in the Ameren service territory, but we really like this site. I think it has a lot to offer. I think it could be a incredibly compelling opportunity for the St. Charles region and for us, if we're able to get out our message effectively and communicate with both the businesses and the city," he said. This is the full statement released by Project Cumulus: "The Cumulus team announced today that it is withdrawing its conditional use permit application from consideration at the August 19th St. Charles City Council meeting. The decision will allow the team to incorporate recent community feedback and prepare a revised proposal for future review. "Over the past months, Project Cumulus has conducted extensive analyses of the project, its impacts, and its anticipated community benefits. While this work has been substantial, the team recognizes the importance of strengthening its outreach process to ensure information is accessible and clearly communicated to the public. "Project Cumulus is committed to working hand-in-hand with the City of St. Charles and its residents. Cumulus believes this project has the potential to deliver significant benefits to the city and the greater St. Louis region, and we want to ensure it is done the right way — with open dialogue and meaningful collaboration. "The Cumulus team will continue working closely with city officials and the public in the coming months to develop a proposal that reflects shared priorities and delivers long-term value to the community." Representatives for the project will still be at the council meeting on Tuesday, and the council will still take public feedback on the issue despite the withdrawal. View KSDK's full report and video here.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Groundbreaking for new St. Charles City Centre Complex
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – St. Charles City officials broke ground Tuesday on a major project in the heart of downtown. The new City Centre Complex is a 550,000 square-foot project is at the old American Car Foundry property, strategically located to bridge the gap between historic Main Street and Frenchtown. Mayor Dan Borgmeyer said this project is several years in the making and said it is a bridge between the north and south parts of town along the river. He said there are going to be some changes with this project impacting the Katy Trail. 'Katy Trail is going to be relocated down by Riverpointe on that end,' he said. 'We're going to try to follow the tree line as best we can, but we are rebuilding. We have permission from DNR and everything to take care of that.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The new complex, also known as the C3, is a significant investment in the community, funded by an $85 million bond issue called Proposition C, which was approved by voters last spring without a tax increase. The development will include a new city hall, a state-of-the-art recreation center, a senior center, a four-seasons farmers market, art and cultural spaces, and a restaurant incubator aimed at supporting local entrepreneurs. Mayor Borgmeyer said the project will also include a new parking garage. 'There will be private parking on second street for seniors, so they can all park up there. That is the shortest entrance they can enter that way. Then there will be a walkway through it all, from Second Street down to Main Street, is a 14-foot fall. So, there will be a wide, kind of magnificent stairway for people to operate on and sit on and things like that,' said Mayor Borgmeyer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St. Charles to break ground on new city centre complex
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – St. Charles is set to break ground on the new City Centre Complex, a major development project at the former American Car Foundry property at Clark and Main Street. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, marking the start of construction on this transformative project. The City Centre Complex, also known as C3, is a significant investment in the community, funded by an $85 million bond issue called Proposition C, which was approved by voters last spring without a tax increase. This development will include a new city hall, a state-of-the-art recreation center, a senior center, a four-seasons farmers market, art and cultural spaces, and a restaurant incubator aimed at supporting local entrepreneurs. St. Louis remembers the People's Pope: A legacy of faith and service Mayor Dan Borgmeyer emphasized the project's importance, stating that the complex will enhance services and create a space for people of all ages to gather, learn, and grow. The City Centre Complex is strategically located to bridge the gap between historic Main Street and Frenchtown, with a new Main Street extension facilitating this connection. City Hall is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the remaining phases of the complex wrapping up in 2027 and 2028. The City Centre Complex is poised to become a vibrant community hub, bringing new amenities and opportunities to St. Charles City. All facts from this article were gathered by KTVI journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KTVI staff. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
