Kraft Group proposes 10-building data center campus in Sutton

The proposed campus would be built on land near Boston and Providence roads in Sutton, about 10 miles south of Worcester. The Kraft Group, whose businesses include the New England Patriots, and its affiliate Unified Global Packaging Group are behind the plan, town manager Austin Cyganiewicz told the Select Board in a memo on November 9. No formal application has been filed.

Sutton’s proposed data center raises major power and water questions

A proposed 900-megawatt campus would put a substantial new demand for electricity and cooling resources at the center of Sutton’s planning debate. The Kraft Group and affiliate Unified Global Packaging Group are proposing 10 buildings near the roads linking Boston and Providence, with the first pair expected to open in 2029 and the rest coming online by 2033.

Town Manager Austin Cyganiewicz said no application has been filed and key information about electricity, water, machinery, and effects on the property remains outstanding. The developers are discussing power access with regional grid operator ISO New England and considering treated wastewater for cooling, but those details will matter as residents weigh the project’s local effects.

The financial promise is significant: the town estimates annual property-tax payments could reach $27.8 million when all buildings are assessed in fiscal 2035. But a large tax contribution does not answer questions about the energy and water required to operate the campus. Massachusetts has also required data center developers to enter community benefit agreements, and says new facilities must supply their own energy or pay a fee to return costs to taxpayers.

The proposal’s supporters can point to lower projected tax bills, but residents should not be asked to accept a massive power-consuming development before its resource demands and site impacts are clear.

Sutton data center plan could sharply cut residents’ tax bills

A proposed $16 billion investment could bring Sutton property-tax revenue approaching the town’s current annual levy. The Kraft Group and affiliate Unified Global Packaging Group want to build a 10-building campus near Boston and Providence roads, with construction phased from 2029 through 2033.

Town Manager Austin Cyganiewicz estimates the completed project could generate $27.8 million a year in property taxes by fiscal 2035, compared with Sutton’s $32 million levy for fiscal 2027. Because the town raises what its budget requires, the memo says the added revenue could lower the average single-family homeowner’s tax bill by about $5,800 in fiscal 2035.

That potential relief deserves serious consideration as officials examine the proposal. The first two buildings are projected to produce $10.4 million in annual taxes once fully assessed beginning in fiscal 2031. The plan remains tentative, however: no application has been submitted, and power, water, equipment and site impacts still require clarification.

The state’s new requirements that data center developers secure community benefit agreements and provide energy or pay a fee set conditions for development. Those rules should not obscure the town’s opportunity to evaluate an investment that could ease property-tax burdens while officials work through the outstanding details.