By Megan Kernan
Publication Date: 2026-05-22 23:38:00
Pre-construction work is already underway in New Florence, where some residents worry the massive project could permanently change their rural community.
NEW FLORENCE, Mo. — In the quiet town of New Florence, Missouri, residents say they can already hear the future moving in.
“Listen, you can hear the bulldozers running down there right now,” longtime resident Wilbur Hartsell said Friday while standing outside his home.
Pre-construction work is already underway in Montgomery County, where Google plans to build a massive new data center campus as part of a $15 billion investment the company announced this week. Governor Mike Kehoe called it the largest single investment in Missouri history.
