Data Center FAQs

The EastGate Development is an approximately 1,200-acre economic development project located along Little Blue Parkway and M-78 Hwy in eastern Independence. The project is designed to promote economic development in the City and serve as a catalyst for additional investment, job creation and development.

A data center is a specialized facility that houses physical computing infrastructure to power, store, and support web-based systems. They are the physical location of digital information and processes such as: e-mail, photo storage, AI generation, search engines, etc. The equipment within data centers require specific environments to function safely and reliably, including climate-control solutions, battery systems, and reserve power systems. 

Nebius is a NASDAQ-traded global technology company building full-stack cloud infrastructure for AI. The company has operations and R&D hubs across Europe and the U.S. and operates data center facilities in the U.S., including in Kansas City. Its customers include major companies such as Microsoft, Meta, and Shopify. Nebius also owns TripleTen, a workforce and coding education program already active in Independence. 

Nebius purchased the project site from private property owners through a voluntary real estate transaction and the company is exploring developing a state-of-the-art data center campus. The City did not acquire or sell the land and did not use eminent domain for this project.

The project site is already zoned for industrial and business park uses. Data centers are an allowed use under the site’s existing zoning, meaning no rezoning is required. The project must still comply with all applicable development standards, site plan review, and building code requirements.

Nebius is exploring developing a state-of-the-art data center campus that may include:

• Up to 10 buildings on about 400 acres
• Approximately 2.5 million square feet
• $6.6B in land and site/building improvements.
• Phased construction over 3–5 years
• Construction anticipated to begin in early 2026

The campus will be located northeast of Little Blue Parkway and Missouri Highway 78.

This project will require at least 800 megawatts (MW) of power, which will be supplied by a new, privately financed facility developed by Independence Power Partners (IPP) at the City’s retired Blue Valley Power Plant site.

The power plant will be built in phases:

• Phase 1: 250 MW, to be completed by October 2027.
• Phase 2: Expansion up to approximately 1100 MW of capacity to be completed by December 2029.

No.  The project is structured so that:

• Nebius pays the full cost of its electricity
• Existing Independence Power & Light (IPL) customers are not impacted
• The City and IPL take on no debt
• Rates for current customers are protected regardless of market fluctuations

• Performance Guarantees: Nebius must ensure financial stability.
• Prepaid Billing: IPL receives payments upfront.
• Grid Event Protections: City/IPL not liable for Southwest Power Pool (SPP)-mandated reductions.
• Phase 2 Controls: City can renegotiate or cancel if costs exceed projections.
• Force Majeure Clauses: Provisions for unforeseeable events like natural disasters and grid emergencies
• Delays: IPP must still fulfill SPP energy and capacity requirements if deadlines are not met.

Nebius will use a closed-loop cooling system, which requires a one-time fill of approximately 1.4 million gallons per 200 MW building (~20% replenishment annually). This will be phased with building construction.

At full buildout, the annual ongoing usage is estimated at between 400K-640K gal per year usage for facility operations.
 

The Courtney Bend Water Treatment plant currently produces an average of 28 million gallons of water per day (MGD).

Noise impacts will be evaluated as part of the site planning and permitting process. Data centers are designed to operate quietly, and equipment such as generators and cooling systems are typically enclosed or screened. As part of the original Eastgate Development approval, an initial analysis of sound for industrial activities was conducted which will result in setbacks from residential areas. An additional noise study is underway, which is specific to a proposed data center, to ensure compliance with City noise standards.

All exterior lighting will be required to comply with City lighting standards, including shielding and directional controls to limit light spillover onto neighboring properties. Lighting plans will be reviewed and approved as part of the site plan process.

The project is expected to deliver significant long-term benefits, including:

• Tens of millions of dollars annually in payments to the City and IPL
• Tens of millions of dollars annually in payments to other taxing jurisdictions, including Independence and Fort Osage School Districts, Jackson County, Mid-Continent Public Library and the Metropolitan Community College.   
• Hundreds of construction jobs and 125 permanent high-paying technology jobs
• Long-term investment in local infrastructure
• Community benefits partnership focused on education and community wellbeing initiatives.  

Nebius has committed to being a long-term community partner through:

• Transparent communication and engagement
• Creation of a Community Engagement Panel to provide input into the project
• Community benefits plan, focused on supporting:
  • K-12 STEM, robotics and AI literacy education
  • Workforce and technical training
  • Public safety and first responder support
  • Environmental conservation and volunteerism

Certain discussions were held in executive sessions as allowed by Missouri law to protect the City’s negotiating position while power purchase agreements were being finalized. This helped ensure lower costs and stronger protections for the City and residents.

Upcoming steps include:

• Additional City Council approvals
• Public meetings and Community Engagement Panel formation
• Continued community engagement as the project advances
• Site planning, engineering review, and building permits to be reviewed administratively