Patmos To Convert the Iconic Kansas City Star Building into a State-of-the-Art 100 MW Data Center

Kansas City, Missouri — November 14, 2024 — Patmos announced plans to repurpose the former Kansas City Star printing press into its new flagship data center. The project expands Patmos’ Kansas City presence while transforming an iconic industrial property to meet growing demand for scalable, high-density computing infrastructure and secure, resilient data center capacity.

Located in the heart of Kansas City, the 400,000-square-foot, five-acre campus is being transformed by Patmos into a hardware-agnostic, 100+ megawatt AI innovation facility as part of a billion-dollar retrofit project. Kansas City has emerged as North America’s fastest-growing hub for AI and machine learning workloads due to its central location, low natural disaster risk, robust fiber optic infrastructure, and affordable green energy. Patmos expects to have the first 40 MW online and rack-ready in 18 months, with the first 5 MW online next month.

Patmos provides vertically integrated infrastructure for clients of all sizes seeking an edge in an increasingly competitive AI landscape. With three data centers now completely occupied in Kansas City, Dallas, and Phoenix, Patmos is expanding into its second Kansas City campus to keep pace with client demand and is quickly earning a reputation as a data center owner and operator that delivers greater value than traditional hyperscalers.

By managing each phase of development in-house, Patmos completes bespoke data center builds with reduced timelines and costs. Targeting densities of up to 100 kilowatts per rack or greater, Patmos is also implementing advanced cooling solutions, including liquid cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, immersion cooling, and steam power generation, along with robust power distribution systems designed to maintain efficiency and reliability at the densities demanded by next-generation hardware.

As the former newspaper production facility of the Kansas City Star, the site also reflects a broader national trend of repurposing existing multi-megawatt industrial buildings for high-density compute.

“In a world where Big Tech is investing over $20 million per MW to stand up new data centers years down the road, the infrastructure already in this building allows us to build at a fraction of the cost in a fraction of the time,” said Joe Morgan, CIO of Patmos. “By breathing new life into historic structures, we can create sustainable and innovative AI data centers. Repurposing these buildings not only preserves architectural heritage but also reduces the environmental impact of new construction. These revitalized spaces can become hubs of technological advancement, powering the future of AI while honoring the past.”

As Patmos expands its presence in Kansas City, the company aims to attract technology talent and bring more high-paying tech jobs to the region.

“The Star building that is becoming the Patmos Center will be the technological heart of the heartland. Patmos was born in Kansas City, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to establish our new hub, right here in the Silicon Prairie. This groundbreaking AI colocation facility combines tomorrow’s densities with yesterday’s cost efficiencies. Patmos has always promised an unparalleled value to our clients through verticalized infrastructure, free speech policies, and promotion of technology that serves the human person. In these principles, we stand a fighting chance against an ever-encroaching technocracy. We are most grateful to our team, our clients, and the building’s sellers who have made this deal possible,”

John Johnson, Founder and CEO at Patmos

About Patmos

Patmos is a U.S.-based technology company built around a simple belief: organizations should have greater freedom, control, and sovereignty over the technology they depend on. From data centers and high-density compute infrastructure to web services and software, Patmos gives customers meaningful alternatives to highly centralized technology platforms while building long-term relationships around their unique requirements.

Patmos takes the same approach to the communities where it operates. Rather than treating data centers as isolated infrastructure, Patmos is developing technology campuses designed to become part of the communities that host them—revitalizing existing properties, creating opportunities for businesses and workers, and building technology ecosystems that deliver value beyond the data center.

Patmos expects to welcome colocation clients to the new Patmos Center soon. Interested parties can reach out to Patmos for availability.

Contact for media inquiries:

Camilla Patterson
(913) 890-8277
camilla.patterson@patmos.tech