JACKSON Co.- At the intersection of Missouri 78 Highway and Little Blue Parkway in Independence, Mo., a 2.5 million square-foot, 10-building, 800 megawatt data center is awaiting Independence City Council approval to occupy 398 acres of NorthPoint Development’s EastGate Commerce Center, which was completed in January 2024.
Nebius Group, N.V., — formerly known as Yandex N.V., a 28-year-old Russian technology conglomerate, is a Dutch, artificial intelligence (AI) operator and technology hub headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, which branched off from its Russian roots in July 2024, refocusing its mission on AI and external partnerships — purchased land from the Kansas City commercial real estate developer on Friday, Dec. 5 to construct what will be, if approved, Nebius’s second Missouri data center, beginning in early 2026.
Nebius opened its first data availability zone in the U.S. in early 2025, turning the former Kansas City Star printing press building at 1601 McGee St., into an operational data center, in partnership with the building’s owners, Patmos Hosting, Inc. — a data hosting service and AI campus center. Nebius has gone on to open offices in Dallas, Texas, San Francisco, Calif. and New York, N.Y., according to its website.
Beginning in Finland, the company now operates availability zones around the world including in France, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Israel and two U.S. states — New Jersey and Missouri.
The EastGate Commerce Center project, which went before the City of Independence City Council at its study session on Monday, Dec. 8, has been in the making for the past six to 12 months, Independence Assistant City Manager Charlie Dissell shared with the city council on Monday. It has remained a topic of discussion at the Nov. 17, Nov. 23 and Dec. 5 Independence City Council sessions for various approval aspects of its undertaking, which is anticipated to occur in a series of phases between the next three to five years.
In a previous session, the council approved its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and its Independence Power & Light Agreement (IPA), which involves the creation of a 225 megawatt, natural gas-powered generation station, utilizing 15 turbines, facilitated by the Independence Power Partners, LP — also known as Sithe, an independent power producer — in phase one, followed by an up to 800 megawatt-supported data center facility in phase two over an approved 91 acres at the City of Independence’s retired Blue Valley Power Plant site, according to the Dec. 8 city council study session.
This is a plan, which upon completion, would triple Independence, Mo. ‘s power capacity — taking the city from its current 285 megawatts to 800.
Two developers under consideration to work on the project’s power buildout include United Energy Trading (UET) out of Lakewood, Co. and Exigent Energy out of Dallas, Texas.
Project Objectives
In building this new facility, Nebius hopes to focus on expanding support across three areas:
- K-12 Education — assist with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) advancement, sponsor robotics programs and foster AI literacy programs for students.
- Trades and Workforce Development — promote digital apprenticeship programs, provide tools, simulators and laboratory equipment aligned with industry standards.
- Metropolitan Community College (MCC) — collaborate to improve access to TripleTen, a Wyoming Computer training school, as well as provide firsthand training for adults entering high demand AI and tech career paths.
Key project creation components additionally include: high performance data servers, advanced mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems and robust HVAC systems designed for high-efficiency cooling and environmental control, Dissell shared during the Dec. 8 city council session.
To ensure its goals, the Dutch company plans to launch a community engagement panel comprised of up to 20 individuals to provide project progress as well as offer open communication to discuss areas of community need among residents and leaders, alike.
“Nebius is committed to being a long-term community partner, aligning its investment with local priorities in independence,” Dissell shared during an Independence City Council meeting, Dec. 8. “The company is focused on transparency, collaboration and trust building with a goal of being a good neighbor through meaningful partnerships and community investments.”
However, while Nebius has stated it is focused on creating local, community partnerships, the Dutch company has looked at using various construction companies out of Dallas, Texas, Redwood, Calif. and Lakewood, Co., for project completion.
A focus for the Jackson County union community, IBEW Local 124 Business Representative Wade Kiefer shared in an interview, is not with who Nebius selects as the general contractor, but rather, the sub contractors the general contractor chooses to bring on the project.
“We welcome conversation with Nebius themselves,” he said. “Data centers provide lots of work for construction workers; it keeps people employed. We hope they have a good relationship with unions in their home regions. We would love to create a relationship here.”
And while many aspects of this data center proposal still remain up in the air — including the general contractor option — Kiefer emphasized the significance a cloud facility of this magnitude could bring to Jackson County.
“There are a lot of untalked about advantages,” he shared. “Data Centers are more popular in contention with the public. We need to remind people, including our members, that they’re great for the community and for us. Data Centers keep families fed and well funded.”
Cost Projections & Tax Abatements
Over its up to five year construction process, Nebius has anticipated costs including $6.6 billion for land acquisition and site improvements, along with what the City of Independence stated in its Dec. 8 city council study session to be 10s of billions of dollars in initial equipment investment. The company has also estimated that the data center will need its equipment refreshed every five years, which would add to total additional costs.
At its meeting on Dec. 1, the Independence City Council approved its Missouri Chapter 100 Plan — a Missouri Department of Development statute, which allows a Company’s personal property lease exempt on state and local sales tax from the city and/or county —for 100% tax abatement. The decision for tax abatement, Dissell shared, was primarily to encourage power production in Independence and ultimately increase the city’s available power.
Within its initial five-year dual phase time frame, this data center is anticipated to generate between $35 to 55 million into the City of Independence’s general fund for both Independence Power & Light (IPL) and Payments in Lieu of Property Taxes (PILOTS).
Its capacity contracts are still making their way through Independence City Council for approval, however, they are prepared for 100% coverage by the project’s Energy Service Agreement (ESA), which is valid for up to 21 years, while its Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is termed for 20 years.
Next steps for the project advancement include complete approval by Independence City Council, relocation of Bly Road — which is a “right of way vacation” — and issuance of the building permit.
Independence City Council is scheduled to meet on Dec. 15 and if Nebius’s project is approved, the company anticipates phase one completion in October 2027.
Julia Williams — a Kansas City native — is a reporter and digital producer for The Labor Beacon. A University of Missouri School of Journalism alumna, she previously served as the editor-in-chief of The Northeast News before joining The Labor Beacon staff.
Williams’s grandfather was a Claycomo Ford Motor Company retiree and avid UAW Local 249 supporter, allowing her to understand the union difference from a young age.
In her free time, Williams enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to see her friends and hanging out at home with her cat, Greta. She loves a good cup of coffee, seeing local, live music and shopping secondhand. With a passion for storytelling, she hopes to bring her knowledge of journalistic integrity to the Kansas City union community — giving union and labor workers a voice, while holding people in powerful positions accountable.
