City of St. Louis Advances Landmark Data Center Regulatory Framework

Today, the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen ("BoA") perfected Board Bill 49 ("BB 49"), a comprehensive data center regulatory framework developed over the past year by the City and aldermanic, community, sustainability advocates, and industry stakeholders. This legislative milestone is the result of hard work, collaboration, and commitment to establishing a first-of-its-kind and nation-leading framework to balance economic growth with a commitment to sustainability and resident well-being.

"This bill is the result of a year-long intensive effort to tackle this complex and contentious topic head-on. By working together-our office, aldermanic partners, the community, industry experts, sustainability advocates, and labor stakeholders -we have developed a robust framework that sets a standard for other jurisdictions to follow," said Mayor Cara Spencer. "We can attract responsible investment while simultaneously upholding our high standards for environmental sustainability and neighborhood protection."

BB 49 establishes the framework for where, when, and how data centers can operate within the City, addressing the unique land-use impacts of these facilities like energy consumption, noise, light, and community compatibility. This framework was directed by Executive Order 92 ("EO 92"), issued by Mayor Spencer in September 2025. EO 92 addressed the growing concern that the city's dated zoning code treated data centers either as an "office" or "warehouse," by tasking City departments with developing a regulatory framework and establishing an interim framework restricting where they could locate and providing more robust transparency for applicants.

City departments spent several months researching this highly technical issue, other cities' approaches to regulation, and consulting with subject matter experts. In February 2026, the City's Planning and Urban Design Agency (PDA) published a detailed report and a proposed framework for data center zoning regulations, and held the first of many Planning Commission public meetings to receive community and industry feedback on the proposed framework. This feedback was integrated into the legislative framework the Planning Commission approved in June 2026 and sent to the BoA.

The framework was introduced at the BoA in June 2026 as BB 49, sponsored by Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, and the BoA refined the legislation through committee hearings and floor debate. Today's perfection vote of 13 Ayes and 1 abstention sends BB 49 back to the Planning Commission for approval of final changes at its meeting on September 9th to support the anticipated Third Read and Passage of BB 49 at the BoA's September 11th meeting.

"This agreement underwent a rigorous process to ensure everyone in the city of St. Louis benefits from thoughtful and inclusive economic development," said SLDC CEO and President Stephen Westbrooks. "Keeping St. Louis nationally competitive through updating our tech-based economy allows the city to attract development and jobs to strengthen the tax base."

The legislation is structured to balance community protection with economic opportunity, offering clear frameworks for both. For those concerned about data centers, it provides robust protections by ensuring data centers are held to strict operational and environmental standards while guaranteeing public accountability. For those concerned about the city's position as a technology, finance, or business hub, it creates a sustainable, responsible, and predictable development framework.