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Kraft Group Floats $16 Billion Data Center Campus in Sutton, No Formal Plans Filed
The Kraft Group is exploring a massive data center development in Sutton that could bring over $16 billion in investment, but town officials say the proposal is preliminary and no applications have been submitted. The project, detailed in a memo to the Select Board, raises questions about energy use, land impact, and local oversight.
SUTTON â The Kraft Group, the holding company behind the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, is in the early stages of planning a sprawling data center campus in this central Massachusetts town that could represent more than $16 billion in investment, according to a memo from Town Manager Austin Cyganiewicz to the Select Board.
The proposal remains tentative and no formal applications have been filed with the town, Cyganiewicz said in the memo ahead of the boardâs Tuesday evening meeting. The disclosure offers residents a first glimpse of a project that, if realized, would rank among the largest private investments ever proposed in the region.
Details about the number of buildings, total square footage, water and electricity consumption, and the specific site location were not included in the memo. The Kraft Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Data centers have become a flashpoint in Massachusetts and across the country as demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence surges. Such facilities are notoriously power-hungry, often requiring hundreds of megawatts of electricity and millions of gallons of water for cooling. In communities from Western Massachusetts to the Merrimack Valley, residents and local officials have raised concerns about strain on the electric grid, noise from cooling systems, and the loss of open space.
The timing of the Sutton proposal is notable: Massachusetts has set ambitious climate goals, including a requirement that the state achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Large-scale data centers can complicate those targets unless they are paired with significant renewable energy generation or efficiency measures.
Sutton, a town of roughly 9,000 residents in Worcester County, is known for its rural character and working farms. A project of this magnitude would transform the local landscape and tax base, potentially generating substantial new revenue but also demanding new infrastructure and municipal services.
The Select Board meeting Tuesday evening is expected to include discussion of the memo, though no vote or public hearing on the project has been scheduled. Cyganiewiczâs memo described the proposal as âpreliminaryâ and emphasized that the town has not received any formal submission.
Residents seeking more information may attend the Select Board meeting or contact the town administratorâs office. As the project moves forward, questions about transparency, environmental impact, and community benefits are likely to dominate local debate.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.