Cromwell Residents Oppose Proposed Data Center Near Schools
Residents in Cromwell are organizing against Global Common's proposed 1.2-million-square-foot data center campus on Geer Street, near schools and parks. The project has not yet entered formal review, while the Planning & Zoning Commission rejected a proposed one-year moratorium on new data-center applications and residents continue to raise concerns about power, water, environmental impacts and property values.
Global Common is considering a roughly 159-acre data center campus on Geer Street in Cromwell, with up to 1.2 million square feet of space and power capacity potentially exceeding 300 megawatts at full build-out. The developer says the site would use on-site fuel cells supplied by natural gas pipelines crossing the property, preserve open space and replace a former sand-and-gravel trucking operation. No application has been filed, although the company has indicated it could seek site-plan approval in early 2027.
Residents have formed the Stop Cromwell CT Data Center group, circulated petitions and expressed concerns about the project's proximity to schools and parks, as well as noise, water demand, environmental effects, health and property values. The Cromwell Planning & Zoning Commission voted 5-2 in September to reject a proposed one-year moratorium on new data-center applications. The debate is also tied to broader Connecticut disputes over tax incentives, grid costs and requirements for dedicated power sources for large data centers.