The Digester

New Brunswick council blocks data center, requires park on redevelopment site

Feb 22nd 2026

The city removed data centers as a permitted use for the 22-acre Jersey-Sandford redevelopment area and directed that a park be built instead after public opposition.

  • City Council voted this week to bar data centers and require a park on the 22-acre Jersey-Sandford redevelopment site.
  • Council members amended the proposal to remove language that would have allowed data centers as a permitted use.
  • A private plan had proposed a 27,000 sq ft data center for part of the site.
  • Climate Revolution NJ posted a video about the decision that has gathered more than 300,000 likes.
  • New Brunswick sits in the New York tri-state area, a region that is a prominent data center hotspot.