Fight Over AI Data Center Intensifies In Union County

KENILWORTH, NJ — A proposed artificial intelligence data center in Kenilworth drew a heated response during a June 3 Borough Council meeting, as residents from Kenilworth and surrounding Union County towns packed the room to weigh in on the scale of the project, its environmental impact, and how much information has been made available to the public.

The meeting focused on a planned CoreWeave data center on the 103-acre former Merck property, which officials said has remained vacant since 2023 and has had a negative impact on the borough’s tax base.

For more than two hours, residents from Kenilworth and nearby communities including Union, Westfield, and Cranford took turns speaking before the council about the project, with many focused on energy use, water consumption, and the broader environmental impact of large-scale data centers.

“As these massive warehouses pop up in what is seemingly every corner of our country, I see now that this is an objective threat to our environment,” Kenilworth resident Tyler Rich said.

Another speaker, Sophia Payon, urged officials to reconsider the project’s potential impact on the community and natural resources.

“If you want to be remembered for something great, cease the construction of this data center that will harm the people and land that you were elected to protect and care for,” Payon said.

Some residents said they felt key information about the project has not been clearly shared with the public, particularly around environmental studies and long-term impacts.

“We are being asked to trust the process that has provided very little transparency and very few concrete answers,” Union Township resident Victor Gomez said.

Borough officials defended the project, pointing to the long-vacant status of the former Merck site and the need to return the property to the tax rolls.

Council President William Mauro said the site has remained idle for years and generates no tax revenue in its current state.

“We have a vacant industrial park that doesn't benefit the town being vacant,” Mauro said. “We don't have tax revenue coming in from vacant properties.”

Mayor Linda Karlovitch also responded to some of the public comments, saying there has been confusion surrounding the project’s environmental footprint.

“They have their own electric grid, they are not tapping into our electric grid at all,” Karlovitch said. “And they're not using water. I know we have said this over and over. They are not using water. There is also no burn off and no emissions.”

Karlovitch said the borough’s review process for the property began in early 2024, when officials studied redevelopment options for the former Merck site.

She said the borough later designated the property as an area in need of redevelopment in 2024, adopted a redevelopment framework later that year, and saw the CoreWeave proposal approved by the Planning Board in May 2025.

Karlovitch added that officials have continued to take public input since early 2026 as the project moves through the next stages of approval.

“While most key approvals have been completed, there’s still important steps ahead,” Karlovitch said. “Our council must consider the approval of a redevelopment with CoreWeave, and we are continuing to work through that process to ensure that our town and its residents are protected from any potential negative impacts this facility could introduce into our community.”

Officials also noted the site previously hosted data center operations for more than 20 years.

Not all speakers opposed the project. Some said they believe the redevelopment will help strengthen the town’s tax base and bring activity back to the long-vacant property.

“This is a positive for the town, for the town and the town people,” Kenilworth resident Timmy McConway said. “Good thing for the community, good thing for the restaurants, good thing for everybody.”

Borough officials said negotiations with CoreWeave are still ongoing, and final agreements have not yet been approved.

The project remains under continued review as debate over its size and impact continues in Kenilworth and across parts of Union County.