ARCO National Construction recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the first phase of Nebius’ planned 1.2-gigawatt AI factory campus in Independence, Missouri. The project represents a major investment in next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure for Nebius (Nasdaq: NBIS), a global AI cloud platform provider.
Located on approximately 400 acres in eastern Independence, the development is planned as a multi-building hyperscale AI infrastructure campus capable of supporting up to 1.2 gigawatts of computing capacity, positioning it among the largest AI infrastructure developments currently underway in the United States. The first building within the campus — a 488,000-square-foot facility with 200-megawatt computing capacity — will be delivered by ARCO National Construction.
The groundbreaking ceremony brought together state and local officials, economic development leaders, community stakeholders, and project partners to mark the start of construction on the campus. Nebius already operates in the Kansas City area and views the Independence AI factory as a critical next step in its long-term growth in the United States.
“Projects like this are built for the long term, and we are committed to developing this facility in a way that directly benefits Independence,” said Nebius Board Chairman John Boynton. “We want to create lasting opportunities, act as a good partner with the community, and set a standard for developing AI and digital infrastructure responsibly.”
Construction of the first phase is now underway. The campus has been designed with a focus on minimizing environmental and community impacts, including measures to reduce water consumption, mitigate operational noise and lighting impacts, and protect local utility ratepayers.
The facility will incorporate a closed-loop cooling system engineered to support high-density AI workloads while maintaining water consumption levels comparable to traditional commercial uses. Noise mitigation technologies will also be integrated throughout the facility to minimize impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. The campus will connect to Independence Power & Light, the city’s municipally owned utility, with electrical infrastructure structured so that the project does not increase residential electricity rates.
At full operation, the development is expected to create approximately 1,200 construction jobs — primarily through local union building trades — along with 130 permanent high-tech positions. The project is also projected to generate approximately $650 million in tax revenue for local school districts and taxing jurisdictions over the next 20 years.
Nebius has also established a community benefits plan focused on education and workforce development initiatives within the region. Early efforts include contributions to eliminate school meal debt within the Independence and Ft. Osage School Districts, along with an agreement with Metropolitan Community College centered on AI literacy and workforce development programs.
“Projects of this scale require deep coordination and technical expertise,” said Chris Wilson, CEO of ARCO National Construction. “We are proud to partner with Nebius to deliver a facility of this complexity and bring it online in Independence.”
This project further reinforces ARCO’s expertise in mission critical and advanced technology infrastructure construction. Through its integrated design-build approach, ARCO delivers large-scale, technically complex facilities that require accelerated schedules, high-capacity utility coordination, and specialized infrastructure systems.
ABOUT NEBIUS
Nebius, the AI cloud company, is building the full-stack platform for developers and companies to take charge of their AI future — from data and model training to production deployment. Founded on deep in-house technological expertise and operating at scale with a rapidly expanding global footprint, Nebius serves startups and enterprises building AI products, agents, and services worldwide.
ABOUT ARCO NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION
ARCO National Construction is a premier, full-service design-build general contractor with more than 30 years of experience providing clients with complete project delivery throughout the United States. Our professional, qualified team is capable of designing and building the most demanding construction projects anywhere in the country. We pride ourselves in offering the best, most cost-effective, single-source, turnkey solutions and adding value to every project.
