06/08/2026
*** GIANT NEWS ST JOSEPH.... The following is an official statement from the City of St Joe***
Transparency is important as discussions begin regarding a potential data center project on Pickett Road. We wanted to take the opportunity to share with our residents the information we have, don’t have, what the City of St. Joseph is requiring and the process as this conversation moves forward.
A landowner approached the City of St. Joseph asking to have approximately 130 acres of property at 6321 Pickett Road annexed into the city. The landowner has informed the City that the property is being considered for a potential data center development.
City staff have requested additional information about the use of this land, particularly any data center. To date, we continue to wait for this information.
Here is what we know:
-No tax incentives have been offered or requested.
T-he developer has agreed to a community meeting about the project. We plan to have our utility partners present. No specific date has been set, but the meeting is expected to occur in mid-July.
-The City has not been asked to enter into a non-disclosure agreement.
The question of annexation is separate from the future use of the property. Under the City code, annexation and zoning are distinct processes. Annexation determines whether the property becomes part of the City of St. Joseph, while zoning determines what uses may be allowed on the property and what conditions may apply to future development.
The annexation request will be reviewed in accordance with Missouri law and City codes. Approval of annexation does not constitute approval of a specific development project.
Any zoning request would undergo a separate review process that includes evaluation of land-use compatibility, infrastructure impacts, utility capacity, environmental considerations and opportunities for public input before any decision is made.
The current timelines for these processes involving the property at 6321 Pickett Road are as follows:
Annexation: In early April, the City received a petition for voluntary annexation of the property located at 6321 SE Pickett Road. Under Missouri law, after the City receives a petition for voluntary annexation, it has 60 days to hold a public hearing on the annexation. That public hearing occurred at the City Council meeting on May 26.
Now that the public hearing has occurred, the City does not have any additional hard deadlines it has to meet. As part of the annexation, the City is required, by code, to address the zoning of the property "concurrently" with the annexation.
Zoning: Last week, an application was received from the property owner to have the property rezoned to a manufacturing district, and initially, that rezoning request was scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission at its meeting on June 25. After further discussion and consideration, the City and property owner decided to postpone the rezoning request until the July 23 Planning Commission meeting. The notice of the Planning Commission meeting that was published in the News-Press was revised to remove the rezoning request from the agenda, but several letters to adjacent property owners had already been mailed out.
The Planning Commission is a recommending body only, so after the July 23 meeting, it will forward its recommendation to the City Council for its review.
The first reading of the ordinance on annexation and the first reading of the ordinance on rezoning will tentatively occur on August 17, with a second and final reading on both issues to occur on August 31. A public hearing on the rezoning request will also occur at the City Council meeting on August 17.
The City has requested a full development plan to include wastewater impact (if any), expected development timelines, an agreement addressing any environmental concerns and clarity on any other issues we learn of as this conversation progresses.
Our community and elected officials deserve a clear understanding of this proposed project at an acceptable level of detail. The developer has assured us they agree.
Please note that all property owners have a legal right to request annexation and zoning changes. That said, staff recommendations to our elected officials hinge upon a complete understanding of any proposed project. Based upon conversations with elected officials, they will demand full disclosure and transparency.
Developer Fact Sheet https://bit.ly/4oghaJl
Picket Road Site Plan https://bit.ly/43UgW1b
