KCRag Forum

The plot thickens. Facebook Raven project also built NE data center associated with CSC. So it could be anyone.

End of story? Google's Assistant/Search app is apparently called Velvet under the hood...
https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidQuestio ... q/what_is/

KCBJ just listed existing largest DCs in KC for reference... These appear to be 'wholesale', not corporate/govt owned data centers.
https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... nters.html

While digging into some sources about potential 'fun' project downtown (Ferris Wheel?) I found out that there's been some activity with Google on the data center front. But source wouldn't clarify if for the Hunt site or this GPTP site. Given the first GPTP project is called Project Velvet, which is codename for Google Search app, Google might be first tenant on this site. If the case hopefully that doesn't mean they give up on the Hunt site, which they indirectly have a deed on IIRC.

New data lines will be drilled from downtown under the river to thr northland to support these projects

^To the Bryant building would think, a key telcom 'carrier hotel'.

The announcement of a KCI Solar Field immediatly screamed "we want data centers" to me. Tech firms have a history of seeking locations where they can power their data centers with clean energy. The new CM is really in-tune with what development in the 21st century entails.


1 million SQFT Building #1 looks to moving forward

https://compasskc.kcmo.org/EnerGov_Prod ... b=moreinfo

^Maybe we'll eventually see the GPTP complex itself with solar fields and on top of buildings. And given fairly high speed of MO River current around KC area, need to figure out a way to get hydro power from that w/out a dam.

earthling wrote: ↑Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:36 am ^Maybe we'll eventually see the GPTP complex itself with solar fields and on top of buildings. And given fairly high speed of MO River current around KC area, need to figure out a way to get hydro power from that w/out a dam.

Climate change may require more dams to be constructed anyways

^Some kind of paddle wheel farm along unused banks that doesn't disrupt barges maybe, wherever highest current flow. There are some interesting techniques being tested in Europe for different modes of hydro power, including a unique system that takes advantage of waves/tides along coasts.

This project showed up as #1 of top 10 upcoming largest private projects in US, larger $ than any upcoming govt project as well, at least according to....

https://www.constructconnect.com/blog/t ... ember-2021

And a status update here..

Improvements are underway at Golden Plains Technology Park! We are working to extend Outer Road and provide safer access to the data center park and its neighbors from 169 Highway. Thanks to the team, JE Dunn Construction, Superior Bowen, & TREKK Design Group, LLC, for their hard work and to our neighbors for their support!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ericafro ... 21600-uALP

$517 million building value indicated on permit for the first phase.

Components include: $237 million for the buildings, $209 million for electrical, $43 million for mechanical

https://compasskc.kcmo.org/EnerGov_Prod ... b=moreinfo

earthling wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:06 pm The plot thickens. Facebook Raven project also built NE data center associated with CSC. So it could be anyone.

wink wink

Meta/Facebook is the company according to KC Biz Journal

freedog wrote: ↑Thu Mar 10, 2022 2:56 pm Meta/Facebook is the company according to KC Biz Journal

https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... lains.html

dnweava wrote: ↑Wed Jan 05, 2022 11:10 am

earthling wrote: ↑Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:06 pm The plot thickens. Facebook Raven project also built NE data center associated with CSC. So it could be anyone.

wink wink

Rag points to dnweava for the first insight. Is curious how far data center site selection goes from hiding themselves, seemingly pretending to be someone else (Project Velvet - Velvet is the internal name of Google's search engine) and all the big ones using the same agency to create obscure shell companies.

Is perhaps good news that it's Facebook over Google as given Google's Hunt site plans, another major player in metro brings diversity, which brings in a broader range of skillsets. The City should pursue Oracle for Cloud data centers beyond Cerner division at Bannister site as well (or GPTP) now that KC is on a path to quickly become a top tier data center market. Amazon AWS would be a good score too. AWS doesn't have a central west region. Though it wouldn't be surprising if Facebook gobbles up all of GPTP space.

Smaller DC players would be good too as they would bring in a broader range of vendor support (more local jobs). The big 4 tend to build their own equipment/tools and therefore less reliant on external vendors.

I'm still not quite clear again how hosting a data center for a tech company based in Silicon Valley helps us at all. Are we getting tech offices? Does it help bring tech here in the future? Or are we just used as a data farm? If so, who cares

^Because the economic impact is high at this scale even if not as clear cut as major direct job growth. Pro development studies can be overstated but even if half claimed, between 3 big KC projects planned likely many $Bs, it's significant.

Incentivizing a 1,700-job corporate headquarters would have the same impact has incentivizing a $1 billion data center.

https://www.areadevelopment.com/data-ce ... 2766.shtml

There's more to the ecosystem than the data centers themselves...

That end user’s company has also commissioned independent global studies to assess the impact of data centers. And they also found that “for every direct job that we provide, another 5 are created indirectly or induced because we’ve come into that city or region. ”

https://imasons.org/imasons-blog/data-c ... economies/

For GPTP site (not including expansion announced across the highway). The initial capital investment/construction/infrastructure is also significant with ongoing refreshes of equipment every 3-5 years...

kboish wrote: ↑Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:19 pm They also claimed there will be $71million in etax-able payroll for the city along with PILOTs and real estate taxes to the city in the amount of $356 million over the term of the incentive (37 years)

total of $1.8 billion of PILOTS and real estate taxes paid to all taxing jurisdictions over the term (37 years).

KC needs to expand into other industries and is perfectly suited for this one given all the major/minor longhaul Internet pipes into KC, decent tech talent base, plenty of water and conducive to renewable energy. Of all industries KC is not a major player in, this one is the easiest to become a top tier player in relatively short period of time. GPTP, the one across highway (starting at about 40% size of GPTP) and Google at Hunt site fairly quickly gets us there.

And when becoming a top tier player in an industry, it attracts others. Ideally Oracle transitions Bannister site to data centers and shifts some Cerner employment downtown (W&R building) - the City should be proactively pursuing this, probably won't happen by default. Attracting Federal data centers also an opportunity given KC's existing above average Fed presence and central location, and they are very reliant on external vendors and typically generate many secondary indirect jobs. When KC establishes a DC ecosystem with broad range of DC talent, the Feds may take interest.

AlkaliAxel wrote: ↑Fri Mar 11, 2022 5:26 am I'm still not quite clear again how hosting a data center for a tech company based in Silicon Valley helps us at all. Are we getting tech offices? Does it help bring tech here in the future? Or are we just used as a data farm? If so, who cares

DC and back bone lines are the railroads of the 21 and 22 centuries