Festus data center (CRG / Clayco)
Also called: Festus Forward
CRG, part of St. Louis builder Clayco, plans a $6 billion data center campus in Festus. After protests it cut the plan to four one-story buildings using about 600 megawatts. The city approved the project, but residents have sued to undo it and voted out council members who backed it.
Where things stand: City approved rezoning (Nov. 2025) and a development deal (March 2026). A residents' lawsuit to undo it is pending.
🕒 Latest update (Sept 1, 2026): A judge dismissed residents' lawsuit seeking to force a recall election of the mayor and three council members.
What we know
- 📍 WhereNorth of US-67 and west of Highway CC, next to the Ashford Place neighborhood, Festus, Jefferson County
- 🏢 CompanyCRG
- 🏛️ Owned byClayco
- ⚡ Power it needs600 megawatts (about as much as 480,000 homes)
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop cooling (developer plan)
- 💵 Cost$6 billion
- 💸 Tax breaks100% city property tax break for five years. The Jefferson County Port Authority will decide on a personal property tax break.
- 👷 Jobs promised150
- 🤐 Secret deal (NDA)No
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How many acres will the campus use? Reports say 240, 360 and 370 acres. 🙋 I'll find out
- Who will use the data center (which tech company)? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will it use per day, and from which utility? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will the Port Authority approve the personal property tax break? 🙋 I'll find out
- How will the residents' lawsuit be decided? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Nov 2025City Council voted unanimously to annex the land; rezoning followed that month.
- March 2026City Council approved the development ordinance 6-2, with a five-year property tax break and a buyout offer for about 12 nearby homes.
- April 8, 2026Voters ousted the council incumbents on the ballot after the data center vote.
- April 10, 2026Wake Up JeffCo and four property owners sued the city and CRG to undo the rezoning and deal.
- June 29, 2026CRG showed a smaller plan: about 600 MW in four one-story buildings, with bigger setbacks and berms.
- Sept 1, 2026A judge dismissed residents' lawsuit seeking to force a recall election of the mayor and three council members.
Local votes and rules
🗳️ Public vote
Residents turned in recall petitions against the mayor and three council members over the data center. The council refused to call the election, saying the petitions did not list misconduct. A judge dismissed the residents' suit to force the vote on Sept. 1.
⚖️ Court case
Resident group Wake Up JeffCo and four property owners sued the city and developer CRG. They say officials met privately in small groups to dodge the Sunshine Law, and ask to undo the rezoning and the developer contract.
🗳️ Election
Voters removed all four council members on the ballot who had backed the data center. Four new members who oppose it were sworn in.
✅ Approved
City council voted 6-2 for the development deal for a $6 billion data center by CRG, with a five-year property tax break, despite strong public opposition. The land had been annexed and rezoned in November 2025.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Developer eyes Festus site for new data center development · St. Louis Public Radio · Nov 13, 2025
- Festus data center project moves forward · Spectrum News · March 31, 2026
- Data center opposition group sues city of Festus and proposed developer · St. Louis Public Radio · April 10, 2026
- Festus data center developer scales back project after public opposition · KFVS12 · July 1, 2026
- CRG unveils refined conceptual design for proposed Festus data center · The Missouri Times (press release) · June 29, 2026
- Judge dismisses lawsuit over Festus recall election · First Alert 4 (KMOV) · Sept 1, 2026
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