Proposal for new data center at Kenwood Convent site in Albany
Guild Ventures has proposed converting the Kenwood Commons site in Albany, New York, into a mixed-use development that includes a tech center, which would function as a data center. The site is strategically located near major fiber optic highways. While developers have met with the Mayor's Office and local stakeholders, a formal application has not yet been submitted to the city.
Guild Ventures has unveiled a proposal to transform the Kenwood Commons site in Albany, New York, into a comprehensive mixed-use development. This plan, first reported by the Times Union, includes housing, retail, a grocery store, and a key component: a tech center intended to serve as a data center.
A spokesperson for Guild Ventures highlighted the site's strategic advantage, noting its proximity—300 feet—to the intersection of two major fiber optic highways connecting Montreal to New York and Buffalo to the Atlantic. This is considered Albany's most important hidden asset, located on South Pearl Street.
Local residents have begun to weigh in on the proposal. News10 spoke with people living near the site, one of whom suggested an alternative location nearby would be more suitable for such a development.
According to the Mayor's Office, a formal application for the project has not yet been submitted to the City of Albany. However, the developers have already engaged with local stakeholders, including the Mayor's Office, to discuss the plans.