Residents Plead With Kenilworth Officials To Reconsider Approved $1.8 Billion Data Center Project

KENILWORTH, NJ — The June 16 council meeting stretched for nearly five hours as residents filled the room and lined the hallway, returning to an already-approved $1.8 billion AI data center project and urging local officials to take another look as it moves forward.

The CoreWeave facility is planned for the former Merck property at 2000 Galloping Hill Road. The project has already received key local approvals, including Planning Board sign-off in May 2025. In 2024, the borough designated the site for redevelopment and adopted a formal redevelopment plan, laying the groundwork for the approvals that followed.

Despite that, residents used the meeting to speak about what the project could mean for Kenilworth and surrounding communities.

Union resident Toni Johnson, who said she relies on an oxygen tank, spoke about how she believes the project could affect her health.

“If they put any air pollution more than what we have into the air, I’m gonna be dead by Christmas,” Johnson said.

Others focused on what they described as the project’s reach beyond borough borders.

“There is not some invisible line that will stop this data center from affecting Cranford or Springfield or Roselle Park,” said Cranford resident Riley Kuklo.

Several speakers pointed to the scale of the development and what it could mean for energy demand, infrastructure, and nearby neighborhoods. Some said they felt there is still confusion about key details of the project, while others said the approvals already in place leave little room for change.

Fifteen-year-old Union resident Jimena Rocoya said the location of the project near her home is what brought her to speak.

“I am a child, and I’m a teenager who can’t even vote yet, but I’m forced to stand here at this microphone because I feel as if the adults in this room aren’t protecting my future,” she said.

Former Union County Councilman Sean Keehan-Foley urged officials to consider the longer-term effects as the project continues moving forward.

“Progress is not measured by how quickly we move. Progress is measured by how responsibly we act,” he said.

Borough officials pointed back to the approval process that has unfolded over the past several years. The former Merck site was identified for redevelopment in 2024 after sitting unused since 2023. The CoreWeave proposal later moved through local review and received Planning Board approval in 2025.

Officials said the borough’s role at this stage is largely focused on ensuring the project follows approved plans and applicable regulations as it moves toward construction and operation.

Mayor Linda Karlovitch previously said the borough has reviewed environmental and operational aspects of similar facilities and indicated that independent reviews and inspections would continue as the project develops.

Council members also noted that additional agreements and conditions remain part of the ongoing process.

Some residents at the meeting spoke in support of the project, pointing to the long-vacant status of the property.

“This is a positive for the town, for the town and the town people,” said Kenilworth resident Timmy McConway.

The meeting ended without any vote or action to change the project’s approval status, and the project will continue to move forward under the existing approvals and review process.