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OPUS says it is not negotiating lease or sale of 8719 Mississippi as residents raise data-center concerns
Summary
Councilors shared a letter from OPUS saying the company is not under contract to lease or sell the 8719 Mississippi facility to any federal agency, while residents urged caution about data centers, citing long tax abatements and infrastructure impacts.
The Town of Maryville council on Feb. 10 disclosed a written response from OPUS confirming the company is not under contract and is not in active negotiations to sell or lease the facility at 8719 Mississippi Street to any federal agency. Councilor Sean Pettit read portions of the letter, signed by Shauna Stroebruk, OPUS vice president and general counsel, and said the letter was provided to the council in response to resident inquiries.
Residents used the public comment period to press the council on data-center proposals and their local effects. Michael Miller, a Brookwood neighborhood association leader, asked whether elected officials had consulted constituents about development plans and raised concern that the town might be considering selling the Dean and Barbara White Community Center. Another resident, identifying themselves as Bayan (8031 Massachusetts Street), cited reporting and research indicating that large data centers often receive long tax abatements that can shift the tax burden to homeowners and strain local utilities; the speaker said they would present additional research later.
OPUS’s letter, as read into the record by council staff, stated that confidentiality obligations limit public comment but that OPUS can confirm it is not under contract nor in active negotiations with a federal agency regarding the Maryville property. The letter was signed by Shauna Stroebruk, vice president and general counsel of OPUS.
Council members did not take formal action on the data-center issue during the meeting. Councilor Pettit said the written response “should put this to bed” for now and suggested posting the letter online. Council did not announce any follow-up investigation or public forum specifically about the community center-sale allegation during the meeting.
What’s next: Residents said they would continue to bring information to the council; Pettit suggested posting OPUS’s letter on the town website. The council did not schedule a specific hearing or vote about a proposed data center at this meeting.
