Residents press Kenilworth officials over CoreWeave data center as council says approvals limit local authority

Summary

Dozens of residents and visiting experts pressed Kenilworth officials about an approved data-center conversion at the former Merck site, raising concerns about water use, noise, health risks and lack of local notice. Borough officials said the planning board's May 2025 approvals vest rights and that a redevelopment agreement has not yet been signed.

Dozens of residents and outside experts packed Kenilworth Borough Hall and told the governing body on May 5 that an approved data center at the former Merck/Onyx site would threaten local health, property values and water supplies.

Mayor Karlovich defended the redevelopment, saying the project was being built on a site with existing infrastructure and that the company planned a closed cooling loop and its own power source. "There will be no contaminated water, no burnout, and no air cost," the mayor said, adding that the project would be "an $1.8 billion investment" that could create construction and permanent jobs and boost the borough's tax base.

But residents and experts disputed the mayor's assurances and pushed elected officials to act. Kaylee Henry, who identified herself as an ecology director with Climate Revolution Action Network, asked why state incentives were being given to a multinational company while the community might receive "0 benefit," and…

Residents press Kenilworth officials over CoreWeave data center as council says approvals limit local authority

Summary

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