AI Data Center Proposal Raises Local Concerns

From the El Dorado Springs Newsroom

A video shared with The El Dorado Springs Sun outlines concerns about a proposed AI data center tied to recent land-use decisions in Joplin and features Ryan Hagedorn, who is running for Missouri’s 127th Legislative District, currently represented by Ann Kelley.

According to information presented in the video and during a public town hall held Tuesday night, corporations are seeking to construct an AI data center in the Joplin area. City officials acknowledged that land within city limits is not currently large enough to accommodate a facility of that scale. As a result, attention shifted to land outside or adjacent to the city.

One such property, Wildwood Ranch — a 540-acre ranch located west of Joplin — has been identified as a potential site and is reportedly willing to sell.

At the town hall, public discussion centered on two primary questions:
• Whether the City of Joplin should annex the Wildwood Ranch property
• Whether the land should be rezoned from residential to industrial, allowing development of an AI data center

Residents spoke both in favor of and against the proposals. According to Hagedorn, a significant number of speakers opposed the data center during public comment, citing concerns about infrastructure strain, water use, and long-term impacts on surrounding communities.

Despite that public opposition, the following day, the Joplin City Council voted to approve annexation of the property and to rezone the land for industrial use, creating a pathway for an AI data center to be built at the site.

During public comment, Hagedorn raised concerns about what he described as inconsistent enforcement of speaking rules during the meeting, stating that speakers were held to different standards depending on whether they supported or opposed the project. He also referenced comments made by a councilman suggesting that Stockton Lake water could potentially be used to offset water shortages associated with the proposed development.

The El Dorado Sun reached out to Hagedorn following the meeting to ask about his concerns and his passion for the issue. He responded with the following statement:

“I’m so passionate about this simply because it’s the right thing to do. There are only two parties that stand to gain from the AI data center coming in: the data center company and the owner of Wildwood Ranch who’s selling out. Everyone else stands to lose with this arrangement, and that loss will take shape in ways such as higher utility and water bills, potential outages on the electrical grid, and the wasting of water to the tune of up to five million gallons a day if it’s an open-system AI data center.

One councilman said that the water may come from Stockton Lake. Why should we give our water to a corporation from a different state in a county three counties away when we from Stockton and the immediate surrounding area stand to receive no gain? We are getting the raw end of the stick, and I for one am going to stand up against it, let my voice be heard, and proudly represent the interests of the citizens of Stockton, Cedar County, and the surrounding area.”

This summary reflects information shared in the referenced video, statements made during the public meeting, and follow-up comments provided directly to The El Dorado Sun. Further coverage will follow as additional details become available.