MTAA Hyperscale Data Center

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.

What: two data center proposals draw most of the public attention: a conceptual data center on 30 to 40 acres at the south end of Forbes Field proposed with the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority (MTAA), and a separate proposed site captioned "Compass" on 77th Street.
Where it stands: Curtis Sneen of MTAA presented the airport project to the Governing Body on 2026-10-13 (non-binding letter of intent, developer not named, county application not before spring 2027). Councilmembers pushed for the developer to appear and several said they are against it. It was also raised in public comment on 2026-10-19 and 2026-10-20.
Next: no council action recorded; the county, not the city, would review any application, and moratoria are in place.

Based on auto-generated captions; figures are preliminary estimates given by the presenter.

Two buildings of about 150,000 square feet each, with a possible second phase of two more; 70 to 80 megawatts for the first phase; closed-loop cooling using about a million gallons of water a year; 50 to 65 decibels estimated.
Developer would lease the ground and pay for the road, power, water and sewer; no incentives; a payment in lieu of taxes to be negotiated with the county. Power supply from the electric utility is the main open question.
Site is outside the runway flight surfaces; FAA filings and a county application come later.
Councilmembers Kell, Valdivia-Alcala, Bradberry and Banks and Mayor Duncan pressed for the developer to be named and appear publicly; McGee asked about FAA clearances. Kell asked for a standard definition of hyperscale and to keep the moratorium.
Public comment that night (about ten speakers) covered health, noise, blowdown water, power demand, plume risk to aircraft, nearby schools and PILOT value. Mike Bradley, Amy Gillette and Danielle Twemlow spoke.
Related: Island Annexation Process (no annexation request has been received for the Compass site).

Sharon Gillette warned that data centers store and make available surveillance data and asked the city not to "give them another set of eyes".
Amy Gillette thanked councilmembers for questioning the presentation and cited environmental stress in the area and the prospect of multiple data centers.
At the Planning Commission, Megan Ryan of Protect Kansas raised lead exposure near the proposed Compass site and diesel emissions, and Mike Bradley urged consulting the FAA about thermal plumes near Topeka Regional Airport. Staff said the commission's three-mile authority covers subdivisions only, the county is the place to raise it, and city rules would apply on annexation; the city's own data center text amendment goes to the governing body first.
A resident in a separate comment, Danielle Twemlow, listed data centers among clean energy ideas, so views differ.

About 108 minutes across 3 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

2026-10-20 - City Council - public comment from Sharon Gillette and Amy Gillette opposing the data center; no council discussion.
2026-10-19 - Planning Commission - general public comment on health and airport-safety concerns; staff explained jurisdiction limits.
2026-10-13 - City Council - MTAA president presented the Forbes Field proposal; councilmembers pressed for the developer to be named and several voiced opposition; about ten public speakers; no vote.