Data center profile · North of Highway 67 and west of Highway CC, Festus, Jefferson County, Missouri

CRG Festus Campus

Clayco developer CRG's $6 billion, roughly 600 MW data-center plan on 360 acres in Festus, Missouri, approved 6-2 by a council that voters then threw out, and now in court

Approved, in court. Festus rezoned the site in Nov. 2025 and approved CRG's infrastructure agreement 6-2 in March 2026; a week later voters ousted all four incumbents on the ballot and residents sued to void both votes. No construction, tenant or utility filing is on record.
$6B
minimum private investment in the city agreement
project record; developer commitment
~600 MW
design capacity CRG states
developer figure; no utility filing states any MW
360 acres
site rezoned for the campus
north of Highway 67 (project record)
$45M
direct community payments over 10 years
plus up to $5M for a firehouse
OperatorCRG (CRG Acquisition, LLC), the development arm of Clayco
CustomerNone named
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2029 or later (no dated power path yet).
Next stepLawsuit to void the rezoning and agreement pending; no hearing date on record
Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet

Ameren Missouri grid via an on-site switchyardProposed
600 MW
CRG's stated design capacity; no utility contract or regulator filing states any MW Company · June 2026
Proposed

Getting on the grid

Permits

Permits checklist

2 contested · 1 granted · 1 checked, nothing on file

City approvals on record; all are under legal challenge.

Risks

What could slow it down

Lawsuits

1 case on record

Money

Money on record

$6B
initial private investment
project record citing the agreement News report · March 2026
$45M
community benefit payments over 10 years
plus up to $5M for a new firehouse Company · March 2026
$0
real property tax abatement requested
city will back a partial personal property abatement bid Local government · March 2026
~$1.3B
taxes and payments over 25 years
estimate on the project record News report · March 2026
Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. 2025
    Permits Council unanimously annexes parcels near Route 67 ahead of the data center (press) News report · 2025
  2. Nov. 27, 2025
    Permits City Council rezones the site News report · April 2026
  3. March 20, 2026
    Money Mayor says CRG will not seek real property tax abatement Local government · March 2026
  4. March 30, 2026
    Permits Council approves the infrastructure agreement 6-2 in a high-school gym; public comment cut off at two hours Company · March 2026
  5. April 7, 2026
    Site All four incumbent council members on the ballot lose to anti-data-center candidates News report · April 2026
  6. April 8, 2026
    Legal Wake Up JeffCo and four property owners file a 12-count lawsuit to reverse the approvals News report · April 2026
  7. June 2026
    Site CRG's own site still presents the campus, with an Ameren switchyard on the plan Company · June 2026
The buildings

Specs

360 acres
north of Highway 67 and west of Highway CC
News report · March 2026
Tier 4
backup diesel generators in the site plan
Company · Oct. 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners
  • CRG (CRG Acquisition, LLC): developer, the real estate arm of St. Louis-based Clayco
  • Bob Clark: Clayco executive chairman
Decision-makers
  • Festus City Council and Mayor: rezoning and infrastructure agreement
  • Jefferson County Port Authority: would rule on a personal property tax abatement
Power partners
  • Ameren Missouri: switchyard on CRG's site plan
Opponents
  • Wake Up JeffCo LLC and four property owners (lawsuit)
  • Council members elected Apr. 2026 on anti-data-center platforms
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

29 records from 7 documents

Drawn from news reports, company statements and local government records, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 6Company 2Local government 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (2)
  • CRG's own site plan includes an Ameren switchyard and a substation pad - Ameren Missouri is the serving utility on the developer's own record, and service would fall under Ameren's MoPSC-approved large-load tariff. CRG s
    “Supporting infrastructure includes mechanical and electrical yards for each building, a substation pad, and an Ameren switchyard.”
    Company · June 2026 · grade B
  • under Bill 4876 CRG is responsible for all energy costs, which the agreement states will not be passed on to Festus residents; CRG has not publicly disclosed total IT capacity.
    “Capacity: CRG has not publicly disclosed total IT capacity.”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C
Money and contracts (7)
  • Development agreement framework (Mayor's public statement, Mar 20, 2026): no real property tax abatement - developer commitment
    “The City has negotiated a commitment from CRG to not request real property tax abatement for the data center. There will be NO cap or abatement on the City's utility taxes.”
    Local government · March 2026 · grade A
  • Development agreement framework (Mayor's public statement, Mar 20, 2026): city support for partial personal property tax abatement application (Jefferson County Port Authority)
    “The City has, in turn, agreed to support the developer's application to the Jefferson County Port Authority for partial personal property tax abatement.”
    Local government · March 2026 · grade A
  • infrastructure development agreement: 100% of energy costs paid by CRG - not passed to Festus residents; CRG carries the cost of new water, sewer and energy infrastructure; $45M direct community benefit payments over 10
    “100% Energy costs paid by CRG — not passed to Festus residents”
    Company · March 2026 · grade B
  • Infrastructure Development Agreement (Bill No. 4876): minimum investment 6000000000 USD minimum
    “According to the minutes of the meeting on March 30 when the council approved the project, the developer CRG Acquisition, LLC, “intends to invest a minimum of Six Billion and 00/100 Dollars.””
    News report · March 2026 · grade C
  • Infrastructure Development Agreement: private well drilling right if Festus municipal water cannot meet demand, CRG may drill private wells drawing from the same aquifer
    “The Infrastructure Development Agreement gives CRG the right to drill private wells if Festus municipal water cannot meet demand.”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C
  • Project site (drawing on Bill 4876 and the MarksNelson model): $6 billion initial private investment, an estimated $1.3 billion in property taxes, utility taxes and community benefit payments over 25 years, $45M in direc
    “$6B Initial private investment”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C
  • Before the rezoning, the Festus City Council unanimously approved annexation of several land parcels near US Route 67 ahead of the planned data center development (DCD report; ~240 acres at that stage, $1 billion initial
    “the Festus city council unanimously approved the annexation of several land parcels near US Route 67 last week, ahead of a planned data center development.”
    News report · 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (4)
  • Festus's project record: key terms are drawn from the infrastructure development: Infrastructure Development Agreement approved (Bill No. 4876, Mar. 30, 2026); site rezoned Nov. 2025
    “Key terms drawn from the infrastructure development agreement (Bill No. 4876, approved March 30, 2026)”
    Company · March 2026 · grade B
  • City of Festus City Council (special meeting):
    “Authorizing ordinance: Bill No. 4876, infrastructure development agreement, approved 6–2 on March 30, 2026.”
    Company · March 2026 · grade B
  • Project status: approved but legally contested; no construction
    “Zoning | Complete | Festus City Council rezoned the parcel on Nov 27, 2025; one active lawsuit asks the court to invalidate that vote.”
    News report · April 2026 · grade C
  • All four incumbent council members up for election were ousted by anti-data-center candidates in the Apr 7, 2026 municipal election, a week after the 6-2 approval; a mayoral recall petition followed
    “All 4 incumbents ousted. Karl Weekley (W1), Allen McCarthy (W2), Dan Moore (W3), Rick Belleville (W4) elected on anti-data center platforms.”
    News report · April 2026 · grade C
Legal (2)
  • Decisive B6 items: Wake Up JeffCo LLC and four property owners filed a 12-count, 54-page lawsuit on Apr 8, 2026 alleging Sunshine Law violations and seeking to reverse the rezoning and development agreement; all four inc
    “54-page lawsuit filed. Wake Up JeffCo LLC, Sherman Doyle, Vernon & Sharon Valish, Rozilyn Daniels. Attorney Steve Jeffery. 12 counts including Sunshine Law violations, civil conspiracy, due process.”
    News report · April 2026 · grade C
  • Announced: Nov. 18, 2025
    “CRG president Chris McKee confirmed the company is pursuing potential data center development on the recently annexed land”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
Site and other (1)
  • County code: 29099
    “Site: ~360 acres north of Highway 67 and west of Highway CC, City of Festus.”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C