Westfield planning board kills $3 billion data center project
The Westfield Planning Board unanimously denied Servistar Realties’ request to extend the special permit for its proposed $3 billion hyperscale data center, effectively ending the project. Board members cited the developer’s lack of progress, failure to purchase the property and procedural oversights, while residents also criticized the project after the vote.
The Westfield Planning Board unanimously rejected Servistar Realties’ request to extend a special permit for a proposed $3 billion hyperscale data center spanning more than 150 acres. The permit was due to expire at the end of October, and board members said the developer had made insufficient progress since receiving approval in 2021, including failing to purchase the property and failing to record the permit with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
Servistar representative Paul Corey attributed the delays to financing conditions, state tax incentives, tariffs, chip supply disruptions and energy costs. The project had held discussions with Westfield Gas & Electric and begun wetland surveying, but the board concluded that the developer had not shown good cause for an extension. Servistar may appeal within 20 days. Westfield City Council separately approved a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers in July, although the project had been exempt because it was already underway.