Google: Project Kestrel

Project Kestrel, a major new data center development, is officially taking flight in Kansas City, Missouri, following the acquisition of 430 acres of land near the Kansas City International Airport by Google affiliate Shenandoah Computing LLC.

Purchased from Hunt Midwest, the site is slated for a phased rollout of five 500,000-square-foot data centers, alongside an on-site power substation developed by Evergy. The campus aims to utilize at least 50% carbon-neutral energy sources and create approximately 50 full-time jobs per construction phase, with work potentially starting later this year. While local officials have supported the project with a robust 35-year tax exemption package, the deal has drawn criticism from local leadership regarding the long-term economic impact of such steep tax breaks for major corporations.