A $3 billion, 120-megawatt data center is moving forward in Midtown St. Louis -- and the community already said no.

This past Wednesday, residents packed a public hearing that lasted nearly eight hours. They showed up, they spoke, and they made their opposition clear. The city's Board of Adjustment voted to uphold the permit anyway, ending a meeting that ran past midnight.

The proposed facility would sit in a warehouse at 3728 Market St., steps from the historic Armory. A data center this size draws enormous electricity, generates significant heat and noise, and brings heavy industrial activity into a neighborhood that deserves better than a rubber stamp.

The city's own zoning code does not allow this kind of facility by right. The conditional use permit process exists to protect communities. It only works if decision-makers actually listen.

The door is not closed. Anyone who disagrees with the board's ruling can appeal to Missouri Circuit Court -- and that fight is worth having.

Sign this petition to demand that city leaders block the Midtown data center and put community voices first.