CoreWeave AI data center at the former Merck campus (NEST)
Also called: NEST data center, Northeast Science & Technology Center
CoreWeave is turning a former Merck lab building in Kenilworth into a large AI data center, about 392,600 sq ft and up to 250 MW. The state gave it a $250 million tax credit. Some nearby residents worry about the power grid, safety and the environment.
Where things stand: Construction started in mid-September 2025; CoreWeave expects it to open in early 2027.
🕒 Latest update (Nov 2025): NJ Economic Development Authority approved a $250 million tax credit for the 250 MW project.
What we know
- 📍 Where2000 Galloping Hill Road (former Merck headquarters campus), Kenilworth, Union County
- 🏢 CompanyCoreWeave
- 👤 Built forCoreWeave
- 🌳 Size27 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs250 megawatts (about as much as 200,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromPower grid (PSE&G). The campus has its own 50 MW substation; upgrades include backup generators and a chiller field.
- 💵 Cost$1.8 billion
- 💸 Tax breaks$250 million state tax credit from the NJ Economic Development Authority (Next New Jersey Program - AI), approved November 2025: $50 million a year for 5 years.
- 👷 Jobs promised143
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much water will the data center use per day? 🙋 I'll find out
- How many backup diesel generators will it have, and does it have a state air permit? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Oct 2024CoreWeave leased the 280,000 sq ft building and said it would spend $1.2 billion to turn it into a data center.
- Aug 4, 2025CoreWeave bought the building plus 27 nearby acres for $322 million.
- Sept 2025Construction started.
- Nov 2025NJ Economic Development Authority approved a $250 million tax credit for the 250 MW project.
Local votes and rules
🚫 Ban
Roselle Park's mayor announced in May 2026 an ordinance to ban data center development in the borough, after residents worried about the CoreWeave data center being built next door in Kenilworth. Pinelands Alliance lists the borough among towns with a ban.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Amid Affordability Crisis, New Jersey Hands $250 Million Tax Break to Data Center · Inside Climate News · Feb 26, 2026
- Newmark arranges $322M sale of NEST to CoreWeave · ROI-NJ · Aug 4, 2025
- CoreWeave Buys $322M New Jersey Facility for Major Data Center Conversion · CommercialSearch · Aug 2025
- Resident concerns mount on proposed data center · The Westfield Leader · April 30, 2026
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