A long-vacant enterprise data center in Connecticut is set to be demolished after securing funding from the state.
Governor Ned Lamont last week announced the release of $18.8 million in state grants for the assessment and remediation of 227 acres of contaminated land across Connecticut.
Via the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development’s (DECD) Brownfield Remediation and Development Program, the funding will support 23 properties in 19 towns and cities across the Constitution State, helping cover the costs of cleaning up the parcels so they can be redeveloped and returned to productive use.
One of the sites set to gain funding is a 2.95-acre data center site at 150 Windsor Street in Hartford, Hartford County. The town is set to be granted $4 million to demolish the existing structure and open the downtown site to future development opportunities.
Built around 1968, the five-story building was previously a Bank of America data center. It has reportedly been abandoned for decades, according to local press, including the Hartford Courant and Hartford Business.
The site seemingly closed around 2008, with the Courant previously reporting that the facility is in a state of decay and has been ransacked for copper piping and other building materials.
“Old, polluted, blighted properties that have sat vacant for decades do nothing to stimulate our economy, grow jobs, and support housing growth,” Governor Lamont said. “With these grants, we are partnering with towns and developers to take unused, lifeless properties and bring them back from the dead, rejuvenating land that can be used for so much more and can bring value back to these neighborhoods.”
Owned by the city since 2015, the Hartford data center site could be redeveloped by RMS Companies as part of the North Crossing residential development project. RMS completed the first, 270-unit complex, in 2022. However, the Courant notes the site could become an AI-focused center if there’s interest from companies. The total cost of demolition has previously been reported as much as $9.4 million.
“Our brownfield redevelopment efforts continue to produce great results, not only for the communities that can now capitalize on new opportunities for growth and vibrancy but also for the residents who directly benefit from the new end uses for these reclaimed properties, whether it be housing, parks, commercial space, or community centers,” DECD Commissioner Daniel O’Keefe said.
