A data center project has been proposed in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Local real estate firm Charter Development LLC has applied to rezone land at 1181 Barnes Road, currently known as the Watershed Interchange District, for a data center development as reported by the Milford Mirror.
The zone currently protects the water supply of the Muddy River while also accommodating tech-based development.
Donald Gershman, principal with Charter Development argues that a data center is an ideal example of low-intensity tech-based development, and notes that Connecticut currently lacks digital infrastructure.
“At this time Connecticut has only a small number of older, relatively smaller data centers and needs to have the physical infrastructure to compete in the information age. Connecticut will benefit by attracting to our state the major players of the information age - Google, Meta, AWS, and Microsoft,” said Gershman.
Gershman estimates that the project could bring up to $1 million to Wallingford in taxable revenue.
Details about the campus are not yet shared as the project is in its preliminary stage. If the zoning change is approved, then the contracts will return with building plans.
Residents attended the meeting and raised concerns about noise from generators and cooling systems, as well as the environmental impact on Muddy River and the area surrounding it.
The board will make a decision next month regarding the zoning change.
As noted by Charter Development, few major data center developments have been made in Connecticut despite a tax exemption bill that was passed in 2021.
Gotspace Data Partners has previously sought to develop in Wallingford, as well as Groton and Bozrah but failed to follow through due to the company suffering "internal issues" which made the towns uneasy about pursuing the projects.
Former Gotspace CEO Thomas Quinn then started NE Edge which has gone on to propose several data centers in Connecticut. NE Edge's Groton proposal fell through, but in August 2023 NE Edge successfully acquired land in Killingly. Neither Gotspace nor NE Edge have yet to develop a data center in the state.
In 2022, O&G Industries received approval for a 32MW data center in Beacon Falls, Connecticut.
