Clay County is experiencing a significant trend in the development of large data centers.
Meta (Facebook) was recently identified as the entity behind a massive data center planned for 375 acres northwest of I-435 and Highway 169 in Kansas City, North. That nearly one million-square-foot data center will be in Kansas City, just south of Smithville. Somewhat lost in the announcement last month is that Meta’s big building is one of four similar structures planned for the development, Golden Plains Technology Park.
The latest news involves the same developer, Diode Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Black & Veatch headquartered in Overland Park. The most recent project one is also located south of Smithville, just north of I-435. Unlike the Meta project, this is on the east side of Highway 169 and is called Rocky Branch Creek Technology Park. Its nearly 360 acres is about the same size as Meta’s footprint.
In a subscriber-only article by staff writer Thomas Friestad, the Kansas City Business Journal recently reported on the development following a plan being filed with the City of Kansas City. Details, including a timeline, were not yet available, but it’s clear Clay County is on a roll in the much sought after “data farm” industry. Besides the flurry of activity surrounding I-435/Highway 169, Google last year acquired 236.4 acres, north of an additional 78.9 acres it has owned for years in Hunt Midwest Business Center.
