Clayco CRG’s BIG RED FLAG

The area where the proposed Festus data center is to be built and the surrounding subdivisions were originally part of unincorporated Jefferson County. So, why did Clayco CRG hire the Thurman Law Firm to facilitate the annexation of area in question and then have it rezoned from residential to industrial? This is the BIG RED FLAG that would raise suspicion for anyone taking a close look at this. Why didn’t the developer ask to place the data center in unincorporated Jefferson County? The reason is that the data center would have faced a much tougher legal battle with the county council, and the regulations governing data center development in unincorporated Jefferson County would have required much more accountability from the developer. Simply put, Clayco CRG found a willing and corruptible city council that they could easily win over with the promise of doubling the tax revenue. They annexed the piece of land into Festus because they knew that they could count on the city to neglect all due diligence regarding such an immense project, and, as expected, the city didn’t even order something as rudimentary as an environmental study before approving the data center.

Read about the saga of the citizens of Festus here.