Data Center Census

Festus, Jefferson County, MO

CRG Festus Data Center

Also known as Festus Data Center

ApprovedDevelopment agreement approved March 2026; CRG unveiled scaled-back 4-building design June 2026; resident lawsuit pending
  1. Rumored
  2. Proposed
  3. Approved
  4. Under construction
  5. Operating

CRG, the data center arm of St. Louis builder Clayco, plans a hyperscale data center campus with an estimated cost of $6 billion on about 360 acres north of Highway 67 in Festus. The city council rezoned the land in November 2025 and approved a development agreement 6-2 in March 2026. A week later, four incumbent council members lost reelection to candidates who opposed the project. In June 2026 CRG shrank the design to four single-story buildings of about 600 MW, and residents have filed a lawsuit that is still pending. No operator has been named.

Key facts

Size & schedule

Planned capacity600 MW [6]
approximate, per CRG's June 2026 refined design
Site size360 acres [2]
Leader reports ~370 acres rezoned, ~250 acres for data center use; CRG says 188 acres to be preserved
Buildings4 [5]
single-story, reduced from 12 two-story buildings
Stated investment$6 billion [2]
estimated
Permanent jobs (promised)200 [6]
200+, per CRG
Construction jobs1,000 [6]
at peak, per CRG

Power

UtilityAmeren Missouri [2]

Water

Coolingclosed-loop (per CRG) [6]

Money & incentives

Tax incentives5-year tax abatement; community payments of $3M/yr for 5 years then $5M/yr for 5 years [2]

Figures are as stated by the cited source. Where sources disagree, each figure is shown.

Lawsuits

Wake Up Jeffco LLC et al. v. City of Festus, Missouri and CRG Acquisition LLCpending [9]
Residents and Wake Up Jeffco LLC seek to stop the data center, alleging unlawful rezoning, open meetings and records violations, and challenging the infrastructure development agreement; the case was removed to federal court and remanded.
St. Louis County Circuit Court · filed Apr 8, 2026
Source excerpt
“Attorney Steve Jeffery filed the lawsuit seeking to stop the project — Wake Up Jeffco LLC, Sherman Doyle, Vernon Valish, Sharon Valish and Rozilyn Daniels v. City of Festus, Missouri and CRG Acquisition LLC — on April 8 in St. Louis County Circuit Court.”

Upcoming hearings

  • Sep 23, 2026 — City of Festus (Festus Forward): Public webinar for questions about the proposed data center [1]

Timeline

  1. City annexes 240 acres; Planning & Zoning recommends and council approves rezoning ~370 acres to I-1 industrial [7]

  2. City Council approves development agreement with CRG, 6-2 [2]

  3. Four pro-project incumbent council members lose reelection [4]

  4. Residents and Wake Up Jeffco LLC sue City of Festus and CRG Acquisition LLC in St. Louis County Circuit Court [4]

  5. Council rejects recall petitions, 4-3 [4]

  6. CRG unveils refined design: four single-story buildings, ~600 MW, closed-loop cooling [6]

  7. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen W. Dunne denies plaintiffs' motion for default judgment in the residents' lawsuit [9]

  8. Council annexes three more parcels (6.55 acres) in CRG's plan, 5-2, days before a new state annexation law took effect [8]

Issues raised

  • Residents objected to secret meetings, a rushed process, and placing the campus near homes [2][5]
  • Residents raised concerns about electric rates and wastewater capacity [7]
  • CRG's president estimates a November 2026 start [8]

Sources

  1. Information related to the Proposed Data Center
    City of Festus · 2026 · government
  2. Festus council approves $6 billion data center plan despite massive public pushback
    St. Louis Public Radio · Mar 31, 2026 · news
  3. After $6B data center plan, Festus voters oust every incumbent council member
    St. Louis Public Radio · Apr 8, 2026 · news
  4. No plans yet submitted for proposed Festus data center project; civil lawsuits loom
    Jefferson County Leader · Jun 17, 2026 · news
  5. Festus data center developer scales back project after public opposition
    KMOV First Alert 4 · Jun 30, 2026 · news
  6. Press Release: CRG Unveils Refined Conceptual Design for Proposed Festus Data Center, Launches Community Information Website
    The Missouri Times (CRG release) · Jun 30, 2026 · company
  7. Festus City Council passes data center rezoning request
    Jefferson County Leader · Nov 2025 · news
  8. Festus council approves more data center-related annexations
    Jefferson County Leader · Sep 5, 2026 · news
  9. Judge tells both sides in data center lawsuit to communicate better
    Leader (Jefferson County, MO) · Jul 17, 2026 · news