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Pittsburg approves sale and incentives for Wildcat Data Infrastructure LLC at Airport Industrial Park
Summary
The Pittsburg City Commission approved selling 15 acres to Wildcat Data Infrastructure LLC and an incentive package that includes a five-year 50% rebate of the electricity franchise fee and up to $75,000 toward utility extensions; the company expects to begin with 10 megawatts of capacity and scale to 50 megawatts.
The Pittsburg City Commission on Jan. 28 approved an economic incentive package to sell 15 acres in the city's Airport Industrial Park to Wildcat Data Infrastructure LLC and provide utility and tax incentives intended to help the company build a data center.
City economic development staff presented the commission with a package that sells the land at $2,500 per acre (described as a 50% discount compared with comparable sales), rebates 50% of the city electricity franchise fee for the first five years, and splits the cost of extending water and wastewater service to the site with the company's share; the city's share is capped at $75,000. The purchase agreement includes a city right of first refusal to repurchase the property at the same price if construction has not commenced within five years.
The package was recommended by the Economic Development Advisory Committee and approved after a motion by Commissioner Stu, seconded by Doc. The motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: city staff said placing a data center at the west side of the Airport Industrial Park would bring new power infrastructure that could support other industrial development on the roughly 60 to 70 acres adjacent to the site. City staff and company representatives described the project as a potential multi-million-dollar revenue source for local and state governments and a small number of local jobs.
What the city and company said: company representatives said the site can start with about 10 megawatts of capacity and, with additional buildout, reach about 50 megawatts. "We expect to start at 10 megawatts and go to 50 megawatts pretty quickly," said Justin Hartman, a company representative. Company and staff projections presented to the commission estimated roughly $2.8 million in government payments over five years at the initial scale and, if expanded to 50 megawatts, about $14 million over five years.
Staff also said Evergy has committed initial equipment to bring 10 megawatts to the airport site and that the company would work with the utility to build a substation as the project scales. City staff described the water and wastewater work for the site as minimal, limited to restroom facilities for phase 1.
Timeline and operations: company representatives said the project team aims to have the site energized by May and to be operational by late spring, contingent on construction and weather. The company and staff characterized the first phase as a modular build that can be placed into service quickly, with a larger permanent structure possible in a later phase.
Commission discussion and protections: commissioners asked about timing, utility capacity, and construction sequencing. City staff noted the purchase price, the right of first refusal if construction does not start within five years, and the $75,000 cap on the city's utility-extension contribution as explicit protections for the city.
Next steps: staff will finalize the purchase agreement and administrative documents referenced at the meeting and work with the company and Evergy on the utility buildout and permitting.
