Ilion's Remington Property: What Residents Need to Know Before September 28 Public Hearing

Turin Management, the current owner of the former Remington Arms property in Ilion, New York, is actively engaging with residents regarding the site's future, amidst discussions about a potential data center development. Kristen O'Neill, CEO of Turin, clarified in a letter to residents that while manufacturing is still being pursued for the challenging site, which is part of the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program with estimated cleanup costs between $40 million and $80 million, an independent study commissioned by Empire State Development identified a data center as the strongest viable option. However, no data center company is currently involved or committed to the project.

The Village of Ilion Board of Trustees has scheduled a public hearing for September 28 to discuss Local Law No. 3 of 2026, a proposed temporary moratorium on development projects requiring an electrical demand of two megawatts or greater, explicitly targeting facilities like data centers. The moratorium aims to allow the Village to study the impacts of such large-load facilities and determine necessary regulations, standards, and infrastructure planning. The Village Planning Board is tasked with preparing a preliminary report within six months with recommendations for zoning amendments and other policies.

Turin Management has expressed strong opposition to the proposed moratorium, arguing it would discourage all economic investment and send a negative message to potential manufacturers and investors, making it difficult to reverse. O'Neill emphasized that Turin is a small, women-owned business that invested in the property to help the community recover from the loss of Remington Arms, and that successful redevelopment requires outside investment and community cooperation. Turin also addressed concerns about water usage, stating that modern data center cooling uses minimal water and the site's wells would provide far less usage than Remington did.