Kansas City, MO Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Effective date
- January 15, 2026 (Ord. 251031)
- B & D districts
- Special use permit required
- Footprint cap
- 50% of street-frontage building's ground floor
- Large-format threshold
- 500,000+ sq ft continuous floor area
- Industrial districts
- Permitted by right
Summary
Kansas City requires a special use permit for data centers in Business and Downtown districts, caps their ground-floor footprint at 50% of street-frontage buildings, and permits them by right in industrial zones.
Data centers shall require review and approval of a special use permit.
88-339-04-B. Data centers may not exceed more than 50% of the ground floor gross floor area of any building with street frontage. For the purposes of this section, a building with street frontage is any building located within 50 feet of a street right-of-way line.
88-339-04-C. Data centers shall maintain all transparency requirements of the underlying zone or overlay district.
(Ord. No. 251031, § 6, 1-15-2026)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 139 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Kansas City's Zoning and Development Code Section 88-339 (effective Jan. 15, 2026) governs data center siting citywide. Every applicant must submit a Service Availability ('Will Serve') Letter from local utilities confirming capacity to serve the facility. Facilities over 500,000 square feet of continuous floor area count as large-format uses under Section 88-353. In Business and Downtown districts a special use permit is required, ground-floor footprint is capped at 50% of any street-frontage building, and street-level transparency standards must be met. Data centers are allowed by right in industrial districts.
Violations & Fines
Siting a data center in a Business or Downtown district without an approved special use permit, or exceeding the 50% ground-floor footprint cap, is a zoning code violation subject to city enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kansas City require a permit for a data center?
What must a data center applicant prove before approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kansas City
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