A Kansas data center developer is offering neighbors $1,000 a year to win approval

I'd ask them to throw in an 18 hole golf course.

A Kansas data center developer is offering neighbors $1,000 a year to win approval

The $20 million community program accompanies a planned data center campus as the company and city work to finalize details

By Cris Tolomia, Quartz News

Updated October 14, 2026

Digital Realty plans to give households in De Soto, Kansas, credits of up to $1,000 a year for 10 years as part of a $20 million community investment the company announced last week.

The company is working with the City of De Soto to finalize the utility and property tax credits, which are based on current population estimates. Digital Realty said it will share more information once details are confirmed.

The investment accompanies Astra North, the first phase of the company's planned data center campus at Astra Enterprise Park, the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant. Digital Realty said the campus site has sat largely vacant for more than 30 years. The company said Astra North is expected to support thousands of construction jobs over time and about 250 permanent jobs once operational.

"This commitment is designed to deliver tangible benefits for De Soto residents while we invest for the long term," CEO Andy Power said in a statement.

Mayor Rick Walker said in a statement that the commitment builds on the city's long-term vision for the site by investing in De Soto residents.

According to Bloomberg, roughly 7,000 people live in De Soto. Data center plans in the city have drawn resistance from residents, Bloomberg reported, citing a May petition, now closed, that gathered more than 650 supporters. The petition called for a two-year moratorium over concerns about health, noise, water use and electricity rates, according to Bloomberg.

Some residents have responded to the credits with skepticism, according to KSHB 41. Neighbor Toni Caldwell dismissed the offer as "a bribe," adding that the company has not given residents straight answers about the project.

“They’re not really answering the questions that we have,” neighbor Sara VanDeCreek told KSHB 41. She said she suspects the announcement was timed deliberately to precede the company's anticipated request for bond-related tax incentives.

A spokesperson for Digital Realty told KSHB 41 by email that the commitment "accelerates benefits the community will receive and is a reflection of our broader approach to responsible development, collaboration and being a good neighbor in our project communities." The company did not make anyone available for an on-camera interview, according to KSHB 41.

De Soto is working with Digital Realty on how the payments will be structured and delivered, and the city's general revenue fund will not be tapped to cover them, according to KSHB 41. The station also reported that a public hearing on a tax increment financing district for the project is expected at the city council meeting on Nov. 19, and that construction is expected to start in 2027.