ST. LOUIS 鈥 Business leaders on Monday applauded the city鈥檚 new data center policy, which notably refrained from putting a moratorium on new development.
In an open letter led by Greater 最新杏吧原创, the region鈥檚 main business lobby, the leaders said they were heartened by the 鈥渢houghtful approach鈥 announced by Mayor Cara Spencer last week.
That approach requires data center developers to go through a special permitting process that includes a public hearing, and provide answers to a list of questions about their impact on the city. But unlike a new policy in St. Charles, it will not pause development entirely.
鈥淭his approach,鈥 the letter said, 鈥渞ecognizes the critical role developing this infrastructure will play in our growth as a region as well as the fact that individual projects should be judged on their own merits.鈥
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Others signing on to the letter included representatives from Arch Grants, which offers money to startups willing to locate in 最新杏吧原创, LaunchCode, which helps train coders, and the T-Rex technology incubator.
鈥淥ur community has worked tirelessly to position 最新杏吧原创 as a hub where technology can thrive,鈥 the groups wrote. 鈥淲ithout infrastructure that keeps pace with the industries of tomorrow, we risk falling behind in a race that other regions are running with urgency.鈥
It was some of the more positive feedback for the city鈥檚 latest work to grapple with an industry that is at once driving development and prompting backlash across the country.
Data centers are considered essential infrastructure for the artificial intelligence boom. And business leaders say they need them here to compete with other regions as a hub for talent and entrepreneurship.
But the facilities can take up large tracts of space, consume enormous amounts of energy, and generally do not employ many workers once they are built. In the city, where several already exist downtown, there are concerns that they could displace development that would draw more foot traffic, drive up electric bills and hurt residents more than they help.
Earlier this month, 最新杏吧原创鈥 planning commission voted to recommend a temporary pause on such development to allow new rules to be drafted. Spencer initially voiced her support.
But building trades unions, whose members could work on the projects, warned of lost jobs. Developers and business interests raised concerns about lost investment.
In response, the mayor鈥檚 office and some aldermen crafted the new plan, laid out in an executive order with the public hearings and questions for developers.
Spencer鈥檚 executive order also gave city departments five months to come up with additional rules.
