Mayor Cara Spencer today signed Board Bill 49 (BB 49) into law, codifying a nation-leading municipal regulatory framework for data center development in the City of St. Louis. Sponsored by 1st Ward Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer and passed unanimously by the Board of Aldermen (BoA), the landmark legislation updates the municipal Zoning Code to establish clear land-use rules, strict environmental and noise controls, and enforceable community protections.”This bill is the result of an intensive, lengthy, and collaborative effort to tackle a complex issue head-on,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “By bringing together city departments, aldermanic partners, neighborhood advocates, labor, and environmental leaders, we have established a nation-leading benchmark. We are proving that St. Louis can attract high-tech economic opportunity while prioritizing sustainability, protecting neighborhood health, and guaranteeing public accountability.”The signing marks the culmination of a year-long collaborative process initiated under Mayor Spencer’s Executive Order 92 and BoA Resolution 111. The order replaced outdated zoning classifications regulating data centers under generic “office” or “warehouse” categories with an interim regulatory framework, while directing city departments to construct a permanent legislative framework. Over the past year, city leaders from the Planning & Urban Design Agency, Zoning Office, Water Division, and Sustainability Office worked closely with members of the BoA, community residents, labor leaders, environmental advocates, and industry stakeholders to craft a comprehensive policy.”By putting the city’s first comprehensive regulations in place, we’ve made it clear that St. Louis not only expects new data centers to run on renewable energy, but also that developers invest their resources to expand clean energy infrastructure and to innovate in ways that protect the air we breathe and the water we drink,” said BoA President Megan Green. “I want to thank the many, many residents who shared their views and stayed engaged throughout this process; it’s because of them that our city now has some of the strongest data center regulations in the country.”As data center infrastructure expands nationally, St. Louis residents have voiced crucial questions and concerns regarding potential impacts on neighborhood quality of life, public health, energy and water resource demands, heat generation, and local electrical grid stability. BB 49 directly addresses these concerns through best-in-class, legally binding safeguards:Strict Buffers and Neighborhood Protections: Data centers are strictly prohibited in all residential districts and local neighborhood commercial zones. Where permitted with conditions in industrial and commercial zones, mandatory buffer setbacks safeguard sensitive uses:Micro Data Centers (<10,000 sq. ft., <5 MW): Minimum 150-foot setback.Standard Data Centers (10,000-250,000 sq. ft., 5-30 MW): Minimum 300-foot setback.Major Da 

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