As questions continue to arise regarding the proposed Flint Hills Digital Campus project, local economic leaders are continuing to try and provide as many answers as possible.
The latest effort took the form of a presentation by Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce members and a Q&A on Monday in the chamber offices. To begin, local leadership, in the form of Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking, RDA Interim Vice President Brad Kraft, Kanza Park Place spokesman Garret Nordstrom and Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods, addressed many of the concerns that have been stated in recent weeks surrounding the proposal, including issues such as water use, electricity and others, before taking questions from those in attendance.
Those questions centered on a variety of topics, including inquiries regarding sales tax exemptions, which were provided through Kansas Senate Bill 98, which established a 20-year state and local tax exemption for data centers in the state. Cocking noted during the conversation that should an end user for the facility be identified and choose to come to Emporia, they would be, as a commercial customer, required to pay state and local sales tax on utilities such as water, which equates to a cent on the dollar and, in Cocking’s assessment, a significant financial boost to the local economy.
Another line of questioning centered on job creation, with individuals noting the city and RDA have stated the potential development of a data center could lead to upwards of 300-500 new jobs, both for construction, management and upkeep of the facility, with said jobs paying upwards of six figures. Specifically, one of the questions centered on where the workers would come from and what steps the city would take to ensure the developer and end user lived up to those expectations.
Individuals would again specify their question and ask how many of the workers impacted by the recent business closures and layoffs would be able to fill these positions, to which Kraft responded, saying, “Will all of the folks who lost their jobs be qualified for this? Probably not.”
Kraft would also note that the city and RDA are currently looking at a three-year buildout process and future construction to continue adding to the facility once it is built, estimating that over 10 years, the venture, should it move forward, could lead to upwards of 1,000 new jobs. While interviewing, Kraft KVOE News asked how a 10-year plan to create so many jobs would be beneficial for those who are hurting currently.
Kraft says in the present, “We are working with what we’ve got.”
Other topics of discussion centered around the steps the city would take to protect the environment and residents from potential noise and environmental pollution, who would bear the cost of infrastructure and more, with leadership offering answers to most but noting, as they have previously, that they do not have an answer to every question. Woods claims the answers to those questions will likely come once an end user has been identified and entered into agreements with, should the process reach that phase.
When it comes to potential end users, leadership has not stated any specific possibilities; however, Nordstrom says there has been interest expressed by “big names” in the tech field, which he says is not surprising, as Emporia is an attractive location for major companies.
When it comes to finding a specific end user, Woods and others have stated that the process cannot take place until matters of zoning are concluded.
That said, Cocking did note during Monday’s meeting that city officials have taken tours to data centers in other communities, specifically Pryor, Oklahoma and Council Bluffs, Iowa, to get a better picture of exactly what they are proposing. To that point, towards the end of the meeting, Cocking stated to an individual in attendance that he would like to “get you on a bus” to see the facilities in person as well.
While speaking with KVOE on Monday, we asked Cocking if that is an invitation and opportunity the city would make more readily available to community members should the project move past the zoning phase.
Monday’s chamber presentation precedes the special meeting of the Emporia Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, where members will consider the proposed Digital Infrastructure Overlay. The DIO is one of three matters to come before the commission Tuesday evening with Cocking, during the most recent installment of KVOE’s Q&A With Trey this past Tuesday, explaining exactly how the meeting will operate.
Cocking adds that those who cannot attend the meeting can submit questions or comments by emailing EmporiaInfo@EmporiaKS.gov. Cocking stressed that when it comes to Tuesday’s meeting, the planning commission will not be approving or denying any of the matters coming before them; they will be making a recommendation to the Emporia City Commission, which will take the ultimate final action in the weeks to come.
The meeting will begin at 6 pm inside of the main arena at White and will be live-streamed on the citys website Emporiaks.gov and the city’s Facebook page. The city link will be accessible through emporiaks.gov/agendas. KVOE will be carrying the broadcast on our official Facebook page @KVOENews.
