Former Kansas City Star printing plant to become flagship data center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patmos, which provides high-tech services, announced Thursday it will spend $1 billion on a project to retrofit the former Kansas City Star newspaper’s printing plant into a flagship data center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

“The Star building that is becoming the Patmos Center will be the technological heart of the heartland,” John Johnson, founder and CEO at Patmos, said in a news release Thursday. “Patmos was born in Kansas City, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to establish our new hub, right here in the Silicon Prairie. This groundbreaking AI co-location facility combines tomorrow’s densities with yesterday’s cost efficiencies. Patmos has always promised an unparalleled value to our clients through verticalized infrastructure, free speech policies, and promotion of technology that serves the human person. In these principles, we stand a fighting chance against an ever-encroaching technocracy. We are most grateful to our team, our clients, and the building’s sellers who have made this deal possible.”

The news release states the company has three data centers, including one in Kansas City, that are completely occupied. The second Kansas City facility will help the company keep up with client demand. Patmos expects to have the first 40 MW online and rack-ready in 18 months with the first 5 MW online next month, according to the company’s news release.

“In a world where Big Tech is investing over $20 million per MW to stand up new data centers years down the road, the infrastructure already in this building allows us to build at a fraction of the cost in a fraction of the time,” said Joe Morgan, CIO of Patmos. “By breathing new life into historic structures, we can create sustainable and innovative AI data centers. Repurposing these buildings not only preserves architectural heritage but also reduces the environmental impact of new construction. These revitalized spaces can become hubs of technological advancement, powering the future of AI while honoring the past.”

The green glass building at 1601 McGee St., in downtown Kansas City, opened in 2006 and has been closed for about two years.

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