Last night, a $2 billion proposal was presented in East St. Louis for a waterfront artificial intelligence center along the Mississippi River. The developer said the project could bring riverside jobs, ground-floor retail, and a renewables-powered campus to the city. The plan is still in its early public input stage and would require city approvals and community support before construction could begin.
Developer spells out name, scale and site
Illiyas Uthman (Eli) Karabell of Karabell Industries told attendees he plans to build the Fatih Mehmet Sultan II AI Center near the Mississippi River, north of the Eads Bridge. The proposed eight-story building would include commercial space on the lower floors. Karabell said the $2 billion project, expected to take about ten years, would be powered by renewable energy, including hydropower. First Alert 4 reported that the city had no comment on the proposal.
Karabell told attendees that the company is seeking public input and would only proceed with the project if it receives community and city approval. He noted that the East St. Louis site is one of four locations being considered nationwide and that construction would not begin before 2028 if approvals are granted.
Promises, numbers and the pitch materials
Materials shared at the informational symposium state that the center would use Mississippi River water for cooling, generate approximately 3,000 on-site and off-site jobs, and provide an estimated $1.2 billion annually in rebates to East St. Louis and its residents, while operating with lower energy use than typical data centers. These figures, listed on the symposium’s project overview page, are developer estimates and have not been independently verified. The materials are available on AllEvents.in.
Who is behind the pitch
Karabell Industries, with Eli Karabell listed as president, describes itself as a small St. Louis–area company working in politics, entertainment, and eco-friendly products. The company website provides a Blue Springs contact address and phone numbers, serving as the main public point of contact for inquiries. Additional background is available on the Karabell Industries website.
Local questions and regional precedent
At the meeting, residents questioned the developer on energy use, water sourcing, local hiring, and school partnerships, issues that have emerged with other Midwestern data projects. The region has seen how contentious these debates can be: in 2025, St. Charles imposed a one-year moratorium on data center projects following strong public opposition, according to GovTech.
What comes next
Karabell stated that the project will need community support and city approval to proceed and encouraged residents to remain involved as it moves toward formal city review. Even if approvals are granted, construction is not expected to begin before 2028, with the next year or more focused on studies, outreach, and permitting rather than actual building.
