Joplin City Council passes annexation, rezoning of land in Wildwood Ranch
Land could potentially become an AI data center in the future
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The Joplin City Council has approved the annexation and rezoning of hundreds of acres of land in the southwest side of town that could possibly be home to an AI data center in the future.
The vote for annexation was 6-3. The vote for rezoning was 7-2.
The meeting on Tuesday evening had to be moved to Missouri Southern due to the large crowd that exceeded normal council chambers capacity at a previous meeting.
City officials, though, reminded Newstalk KZRG that even though they have approved the annexation and rezoning, it does not automatically mean an AI data center will go on that land. Numerous studies still need to be conducted for something like that to happen.
Opponents of the data center say their water and electricity bills will rise exponentially if one is built in town, but Mayor Keenan Cortez says that's not happening in places where these data centers are being put in.
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