Nebius Data Center, Independence, Missouri

Nebius is building an 800 megawatt data center on about 400 acres in the Eastgate Commerce Center in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, with construction underway since the project broke ground in May 2026. Nebius's site plan allows for up to 10 buildings that could eventually total 1.2 gigawatts, though only the approved 800 megawatt phase is under construction now. Three Independence City Council members have since lost their seats over tax breaks the city approved for the project.

In March 2026, council member John Perkins was one of five who voted to approve more than $6 billion in tax breaks for the planned $150 billion data center; two others who backed the breaks, Bridget McCandless and Jared Fears, lost their races for mayor and reelection that April. On September 1, Perkins was recalled, with nearly 70% of his district voting to remove him, according to unofficial results from Jackson County. Perkins urged voters to judge him on his full record, writing in a Kansas City Star op-ed that "disagreement isn't a crime."

On July 6, 2026, the Independence City Council voted 7-0 for a six month moratorium on new data center approvals, sponsored by councilman Brice Stewart; it does not affect Nebius, which was already approved, or a second pending application. Stewart said, "I understand their frustration. I don't think anybody could have imagined what a data center would be now compared to what it was then." The planning commission was due to take up zoning changes that would require large data centers, those over 2.5 megawatts, to get a special use permit instead of approval as of right, with a council vote possible as early as mid-August; no result of that vote has been published.

Residents living beside the site say the moratorium came too late to help them. Daniel Moorehead, who lives on Bly Road and leads the Independence Guard Alliance, said, "When you have a moratorium that doesn't stop current items, you're effectively saying I have special interest in keeping the current items active." Howard Hoff, who has lived near the site for nearly 30 years, said, "I don't personally know that we can do anything about what's going on now," and described a nearby road closed since April 1, 2026, to make way for the project. Nebius said it has sent updates to Bly Road residents and posted guards at Bly and Bundschu roads to keep construction traffic out of the neighborhood.