St. Paul Caucus Surveyed Voters on Data Center Plans
The Domestic Policy Caucus is gathering resident feedback on downtown data center development and local rent control.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Data Centers
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The Domestic Policy Caucus has begun distributing door hangers to St. Paul residents to survey opinions on data center construction and rent control. This initiative follows city-level policy discussions regarding a proposed moratorium on such facilities.
Why it matters
The organization is attempting to gauge voter sentiment on urban infrastructure and development policy ahead of the 2028 election cycle. The effort highlights ongoing local debates over land use, housing permits, and the economic impact of data centers.
St. Paul reported a 37 percent downtown office vacancy rate as of 2026. This environment contrasts with current housing trends, where permits declined from 404 in 2024 to 357 in 2025.
The players
Domestic Policy Caucus
An advocacy group focused on local voter outreach and policy survey initiatives.
HwaJeong Kim
A St. Paul City Council member who proposed a moratorium on the construction of new data centers.
The details
The Domestic Policy Caucus uses door-to-door outreach to direct St. Paul residents to a digital survey. This process seeks to identify voter sympathies regarding rent stabilization ordinances approved in 2021 and the feasibility of building data centers in the downtown area. The survey launch follows a city council policy session held earlier this summer that considered a moratorium on data center construction.
Timeline
November 2021: St. Paul voters approved a rent stabilization ordinance.
2024: The city issued 404 new housing permits.
2025: The city issued 357 new housing permits.
October 2026: The Domestic Policy Caucus initiated the current voter survey.
The Tech Race
The move follows regional development trends where cities are weighing the economic trade-offs of repurposing vacant commercial space for digital infrastructure. This aligns with broader debates over whether specialized facilities or residential density better serves the local tax base.
Residents may notice outreach workers distributing surveys that could influence the future of zoning and commercial property in downtown St. Paul. These developments may eventually affect property tax assessments, which have risen from $3,500 in 2022 to $4,780 in 2026.
The takeaway
The current survey represents a concerted effort to measure public appetite for data center construction amidst high downtown office vacancies. Stakeholders should track future City Council sessions for potential legislative action on the moratorium proposed by Council Member HwaJeong Kim.
What happens next
Voters can anticipate further public policy discussions regarding city development as the 2028 mayoral and city council election cycle approaches.
Further reading
For more on the infrastructure and land-use policies shaping the industry, see the latest coverage in Data Centers.
More information
Residents can participate in the St. Paul policy survey to share their feedback on local development.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Twin Cities.
Live Poll
Do you support the repeal of rent control ordinances to potentially lower homeowner property taxes?
