Port KC approves $10B data hub funding
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
One of the biggest tech investments in Kansas City history is coming to the Northland in the form of a $10 billion, 500-acre data center campus.
Why it matters: Developers and regional leaders are betting on the metro's tech and infrastructure future with one of the largest development packages in city history.
Driving the news: Port KC approved the funds in revenue bonds on Monday for Project Mica, which will reportedly support Google's AI efforts.
- Port KC president and CEO Jon Stephens told Axios $1 billion will go toward construction, with the remaining $9 billion backing internal systems and ongoing infrastructure upgrades.
Context: The campus will sit near I-435 and Highway 169 in the Northland.
- Developers plan to build five data center buildings in phases.
- The first phase, starting with site work, is expected to take about 18 months.
- Port KC says it's working with Evergy to make sure early phases can run on existing infrastructure without straining the grid.
Follow the money: Project Mica will bring $1.75 million in upfront funding for local workforce development.
- $1.5 million will go to the Smithville School District for the workforce development program.
- $250,000 will support the new Northland Career Center, a school offering hands-on training in trades like health care, welding and IT.
- Neither payment is tied to construction progress.
What they're saying: Evergy communications manager Kaley Bohlen said the company works with new customers to understand their energy needs.
- "This past year, Evergy has announced new solar and natural gas generation in both Kansas and Missouri that will help ensure we are ready to meet the growing need for electricity in our region," Bohlen said.
Between the lines: Stephens says more than 1,000 skilled tradespeople will be employed over time as the campus is built. The goal is to create long-term jobs and apprenticeships while strengthening the local labor pipeline.
- The facilities will also support chip and processor technologies, with ongoing upgrades paid for and backed by the developer.
- All approved data center projects will use at least 50% carbon-free energy, he says.
The other side: Local groups like Sunrise Movement KC have raised concerns about the long-term impact of hyperscale data centers and public transparency around tax incentives and whether the project will deliver lasting community benefits.
The bottom line: Project Mica is expected to bring years of investment, jobs and infrastructure upgrades to the Northland and lock Kansas City deeper into the digital economy.
- At full capacity, the data center campus could require up to 500 megawatts of power, enough to supply roughly 400,000 homes, according to national energy usage estimates.