Google has acquired hundreds of acres of land in Kansas City's Northland for a potential data center.

Kansas City Business Journal spotted property records showing that the company picked up 236.4 acres just north from Hunt Midwest, adding to an existing 78.9 acres it bought in 2019.

Google's data center campus near Pryor, Oklahoma
Google's data center campus near Pryor, Oklahoma – Google

"Google has acquired property in Kansas City, Mo., for a potential data center," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "While we do not have a confirmed timeline for development for the site, we want to ensure that we have the option to further grow, should our business demand it."

Operating under the pseudonym Shalerock LLC, the company has been pushing to build a $600 million 'Project Shale' data center since 2019. At the time, the Port Authority of Kansas City issued up to $25 billion in privately backed Chapter 68 bonds over a 35-year period, covering a property tax exemption.

Google regularly acquires land for potential data center developments, but does not necessarily follow through. The company often buys several nearby locations and develops in the one that offers the best incentives.

Earlier this month, Google announced that it would add cloud regions in Columbus, Ohio; and Dallas, Texas.

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