De Soto, Kansas

Overview

The De Soto data center project is a multi-building data center campus located south of K-10 in De Soto, Kansas, within a planned industrial area adjacent to the Sunflower Ammunition Plant site. The project represents investment in existing industrial corridors, maintaining clear separation from residential neighborhoods, while activating property already designated for industrial use.

From the outset, planning has focused on maintaining compatibility with surrounding land uses, protecting nearby environmental features, and ensuring the project delivers long-term fiscal benefit to the community.

As one of Johnson County’s largest private investments, the project is expected to generate substantial ongoing tax revenue, strengthen local infrastructure, and provide permanent employment, without increasing demands on municipal services.

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Project Snapshot

Location

City of De Soto, Kansas
South of K-10
Approximately 45 minutes southwest of Kansas City International Airport

Economic Significance

First hyperscale data center development announced in the state of Kansas
Significant long-term investment in legacy industrial site

Utility Providers

Electric service provided by Evergy
Water service provided by Rural Water District #7 and the City of De Soto

Wastewater service provided by the City of De Soto

Campus Design

Phased hyperscale data center campus with a minimum of four data center buildings, plus supporting facilities

Community Benefits

Tax
Revenue

The project is structured to generate substantial long-term public revenue for De Soto and surrounding taxing jurisdictions. Even during the authorized Industrial Revenue Bond property tax abatement period, the project will make Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOTs) on a per-square-foot basis. After abatements expire, the project becomes fully taxable.

In addition to property-related payments, the project will generate franchise fees from electricity sales, currently capped at $5.5 million annually and gradually increasing over time. At full buildout, franchise fees alone are expected to exceed the City’s current annual property tax revenue.

Infrastructure Improvements

All infrastructure upgrades required specifically for the project, including roads, power, water, and wastewater improvements, will be privately funded by Beale. These improvements will support the project while strengthening long-term infrastructure capacity and reliability in the area.

Primary access will be provided from 103rd Street, with future secondary access from Edgerton Road to support emergency access and operational resiliency.

New
Jobs

Construction activity is expected to support hundreds of contractor and trade positions during buildout. Once operational, the initial phase is expected to support approximately 50 full-time, on-site roles, with additional positions added as future phases are developed. Average salaries are expected to exceed $75,000 annually, plus benefits.

Ongoing operations will also generate continued demand for local service providers, including electrical, HVAC, security, landscaping, janitorial, food service, and general maintenance services.

Community
First

The De Soto data center project is designed to generate significant long-term tax revenue while placing relatively limited demand on municipal services. Data centers have minimal impacts on school classroom sizes, require limited day-to-day public services like police, medical or fire response, and produce minimal traffic compared to residential, retail or other commercial developments.

Site Plan

The campus is designed to maintain compatibility with surrounding land uses and preserve separation from residential areas. The nearest home is located more than half a mile from the first phase of the planned data center buildings.

Building heights will not exceed the screening wall height and zoning codes unless modified through a public approval process. Access is designed to utilize existing industrial corridors while maintaining physical separation from residential neighborhoods.

The design meets the City of De Sotoʼs sound level requirements, which imposes strict daytime and overnight limits.

The facility is also designed to operate within the areaʼs existing ambient sound environment that is influenced by K-10 traffic and surrounding industrial activity.

Exterior lighting will follow Dark Skies–compliant practices, using shielded, downward-facing fixtures to prevent glare or spillover beyond the site.

Additional Project Detail

Power

The project will be served by Evergy. Evergy’s generation portfolio includes significant renewable energy resources, primarily wind, with additional capacity planned under its Integrated Resource Plan.
In addition to private, on-site substations, the campus will include a new public Evergy substation and associated infrastructure designed to strengthen regional grid reliability and support additional economic growth in the area outside the data center.
The Kansas Corporation Commission’s Large Load Power Supply tariff ensures large customers pay their proportional share of infrastructure upgrades they trigger, protecting other ratepayers from cost shifting.
Back up generation, if used, will serve as emergency only and operate under strict emissions standards and legally defined runtime limits. These will be tested from time to time during weekday business hours.
The facility is designed to align with the International Energy Conservation Code and high operational efficiency standards.

Water

Water rates are established by Rural Water District #7 and the City of De Soto. The project will not receive discounted water rates.
The primary cooling of the data center equipment for the first phase will use a closed-loop, air-cooled system, which does not continuously consume water for industrial cooling purposes
After the initial closed loop fill-up, water is only used for “domestic” purposes, such as employee kitchens, bathrooms, hand washing and health/safety requirements.
On average, the facility is estimated to use 15,000 to 20,000 gallons per day, depending on occupancy, which is roughly the same as two to three sit down restaurants.
Domestic wastewater can be accommodated by the City of De Soto’s existing treatment facilities.
If required, Beale will fund additional sewer infrastructure and an industrial wastewater treatment facility designed specifically for cooling water flows, ensuring municipal systems are not disrupted.

Sound

The project is designed to meet applicable municipal sound limits, including the more restrictive overnight standards.
Ambient sound in the area currently ranges from the low-50s to low-60s decibels, the range for normal conversation or background music.
Operations are designed to remain within the City’s thresholds and consistent with the existing sound environment.
Backup generator testing, if required, is limited by federal law to no more than 100 hours per year.

Light

Environmental Compliance & Protection

The project must meet all applicable local, state, and federal environmental requirements prior to construction or operation.
Required permits related to stormwater, air quality, and wastewater are issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Johnson County, and the City of De Soto.
A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan will be implemented during construction to prevent sediment from entering nearby waterways.
With the exception of a permitted stream crossing, existing wetlands, waterways, and surrounding vegetation will remain undisturbed. The natural stream corridor provides separation between initial and future phases of development.

Quality of Life & Regional Environment

The project is designed for quiet, low-impact operation without manufacturing activity, continuous truck traffic, or industrial production noise.
The campus maintains substantial separation from residential neighborhoods and preserves existing natural buffers.
Compared with many alternative land uses, the project generates higher long-term tax revenue with limited demand on public services.

Project Timeline

2026

April 2026

Planning Commission Hearing

Spring 2026

Construction Start

2027

2028

2029

Phase 1 Completion