Nebius AI data center (Eastgate Commerce Center, Independence)
Nebius is building a large AI data center on a 398-acre site in Independence. It is planned for about 800 megawatts, with the first part running in spring 2027. The city approved big tax breaks in a 5-2 vote, and a lawsuit seeking a public vote was dismissed.
Where things stand: Council approved bonds and tax breaks March 2, 2026; ground broken May 12, 2026.
🕒 Latest update (May 12, 2026): Nebius broke ground. A resident lawsuit to force a citywide vote had been dismissed.
What we know
- 📍 WhereEastgate Commerce Center, off Little Blue Parkway and Missouri Highway 78, Independence, Jackson County
- 🏢 CompanyNebius
- 🌳 Size398 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs800 megawatts (about as much as 640,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromA separate private power plant, not the city utility (Independence Power and Light), per city officials.
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop water cooling
- 💸 Tax breaksAbout $150.6 billion in city revenue bonds; 98% real property and 90% personal property tax break for 20 years; no sales tax on building materials. The company is to pay about $651 million in lieu of taxes over 20 years.
- 👷 Jobs promised130
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Who will build and run the private power plant, and what fuel will it use? 🙋 I'll find out
- How much water will it use per day? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Dec 2025Nebius bought the 398-acre site from NorthPoint Development.
- March 2, 2026City Council voted 5-2 to approve bonds and tax breaks.
- May 12, 2026Nebius broke ground. A resident lawsuit to force a citywide vote had been dismissed.
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
City council voted 6-0 for new rules for future data centers. Reported rules: a buffer from homes, schools, parks and hospitals, closed-loop or other low-water cooling, generator tests only on weekday business hours (max 10 hours a month), and sound control on generators.
🗳️ Election
Voters in the 1st District recalled a city council member (about 68% yes) after he voted for tax breaks for the Nebius AI data center. Two other council members who backed the deal lost their seats in April.
⚖️ Court case
A resident group sued the city and the developer in Jackson County court. It says the March approvals broke zoning law, the Sunshine Law and the city charter, and asks to stop construction over noise, truck traffic and dust.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
City council voted 7-0 to pause new data center and big battery storage applications for 180 days to update its codes. It does not apply to projects already approved, like Nebius.
🗳️ Public vote
Residents filed a petition to put the Nebius tax deal to a public vote. The city refused to certify it, and residents sued. A judge ruled for the city on March 25, 2026: the bond ordinance took effect right away under the city charter, so it could not go to a vote.
✅ Approved
City council voted 5-2 for a 20-year, 90% tax break and a revenue bond deal for the Nebius AI data center in the Little Blue Valley. A court later described the bond limit as up to $150.6 billion; some news reports said $150 million.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Independence City Council approves tax plan for data center · Spectrum News · March 3, 2026
- Independence City Council greenlights data center tax breaks after heated feedback · KCTV5 · March 3, 2026
- Independence approves hyperscale AI data center, issues $150 billion in bonds · KSHB 41 · March 2026
- Nebius breaks ground on 45-acre AI data center in Independence amid community opposition · KSHB 41 · May 12, 2026
- Controversial data center moves forward in Independence · KCTV5 · May 12, 2026
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