Data center profile · 248-364 George Washington Highway (historic Hanton City site), Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island

Hanton City business complex (Smithfield)

Six-building, roughly 900,000 sq ft complex with possible data-center use in Smithfield, Rhode Island, filed a day before the town banned data centers; application incomplete.

Stalled, in court. The town certified the application incomplete twice, most recently on June 11, 2026, and the developers' appeal was pushed to January 2027 because they are suing the Town Council. The council banned data centers in all zoning districts the day after the filing.
235 acres
site enrolled in the state's RI Ready program
April 2024
903,487 sq ft
six buildings in the water and sewer request
whole complex; data centers are one of several proposed uses
4-1
Town Council vote banning data centers in all zoning districts
May 5, 2026, the day after the filing
$2.5M
invested so far, the applicants say
per their court complaint (press)
OperatorHanton City Investments LLC (a Revity Energy partnership), with ROK LLC as co-applicant and owner
CustomerNone named
Next deadlineJan. 2027: Zoning appeal of the incompleteness certificate, postponed from Oct. 7 to January
Permits

Permits checklist

1 restricted · 1 pending · 2 granted

Town and state actions on record. No approval exists.

Risks

Why it stopped, what could revive it

Lawsuits

1 case on record

Power

Power and the grid

Getting on the grid

Money

Money on record

$59M town revenue over 30 years the applicants project (about $42M net; applicant claim). News report · May 2026

Not on record: town tax agreement: the developers are lobbying for a state sales-tax break News report · May 2026

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. April 16, 2024
    Site State development corporation enrolls the 235-acre site in its RI Ready program State agency · April 2024
  2. March 19, 2026
    Permits Planning Board recommends a town data center ordinance News report · March 2026
  3. April 20, 2026
    Money Developers approach the town while lobbying the legislature for a sales-tax break (press) News report · April 2026
  4. April 22, 2026
    Permits Applicants request water and sewer availability for six buildings News report · Sept. 2026
  5. May 4, 2026
    Permits Major land development application filed News report · May 2026
  6. May 5, 2026
    Permits Town Council bans data centers in all zoning districts, 4-1, before a packed room Local government · May 2026
  7. June 11, 2026
    Permits Town certifies the application incomplete a second time News report · June 2026
  8. July 4, 2026
    Legal Applicants sue the five council members and the planning director in Superior Court News report · Sept. 2026
  9. Sept. 1, 2026
    Permits Town issues water and sewer availability letters News report · Sept. 2026
  10. Jan. 2027
    Permits Rescheduled zoning appeal of the incompleteness certificate News report · Sept. 2026
The buildings

Specs

180,697 gal/day
estimated water use in the availability request
News report · Sept. 2026
890,000 sq ft
industrial yield in the state program's updated concept plan
State agency · May 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners
  • Hanton City Investments LLC: applicant, a partnership including Revity Energy's Ryan Polumbo and John Branca (press)
  • ROK LLC: co-applicant and property owner
Decision-makers
  • Smithfield Town Council
  • Planning Director Gregory Guertin
  • Smithfield Zoning Board (appeal)
  • Quonset Development Corporation (RI Ready)
Opponents
  • Smithfield residents who packed the May 5 hearing
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

40 records from 8 documents

Drawn from news reports, state agency records and local government records, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 6State agency 1Local government 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (2)
  • State framework in play: Senate Bill 2776 (2026 session) would subject data centers with electric demand of 50 MW or more to strict utility-impact rules (full cost of generation/transmission/distribution infrastructure;
    “Senate Bill 2776 targets data centers with an electric demand of 50 megawatts or greater, establishing strict rules for their utility impacts.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • No utility is named for this site in any source found and NO MW on any basis exists; a Providence Journal quote cites the area's transmission capacity without naming a utility
    “We think that that area of the state has a lot of important attributes that would make it a prime target for a data center, specifically the transmission capacity over in that area of the state,”
    News report · April 2026 · grade C
Money and contracts (7)
  • Project status: NOT APPROVED - application filed May 4, 2026, certified incomplete a second time on June 11, 2026; the applicants' appeal of the incompleteness certificate was postponed to January; the applicants are als
    “An Oct. 7 hearing on an appeal from Hanton City Investments has been postponed to sometime in January.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Water/sewer availability request Apr 22 (per complaint summary): six buildings, approx 903,487 sq ft, estimated daily water flow 180,697 gallons/day; town issued availability letters Sep 1
    “a major land development at the Property consisting of six buildings with a total floor area of approximately 903,487 square feet, with an estimated daily water flow of 180,697 gallons per day.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Plaintiffs state approx $2.5M invested to date in the property and project (complaint summary)
    “Plaintiffs have invested approximately $2.5 million to date for the Property and the Project.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • water sewer availability: availability letters issued
    “On September 1, the Town issued the water and sewer availability letters. Plaintiffs have invested approximately $2.5 million to date for the Property and the Project.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • No town tax treaty or stabilisation agreement exists; the applicants are lobbying the General Assembly for a STATE sales-tax break, and their application projects ~$59 million of revenue for Smithfield over 30 years (~$4
    “According to Hanton City's application, the company projects its business complex to generate about $59 million in revenue for Smithfield over a 30-year period, with a net gain of almost $42 million.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Applicant fiscal claim (not MW): business complex projected to generate about $59M revenue for Smithfield over 30 years, net gain almost $42M
    “the company projects its business complex to generate about $59 million in revenue for Smithfield over a 30-year period, with a net gain of almost $42 million.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Developer seeking state tax benefits / sales tax break at General Assembly to pursue the project
    “the company behind the proposed Smithfield data center is seeking tax benefits to pursue its project.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
Permits and government (9)
  • County code: 44007
    “Town Planner Gregory Guertin explains the following: The proposed amendment defines what a data center is and will be listed in the Table of Uses as not permitted in all zoning districts.”
    Local government · May 2026 · grade A
  • Smithfield Town Council:
    “Town Clerk Antonuccio takes a roll call, and the following votes were recorded: Member Winfield - nay Member Toppi - aye Member Iannotti - aye Vice President Bovis - aye President Tassoni - aye”
    Local government · May 2026 · grade A
  • Project identity: Hanton City Investments Smithfield Business Complex (data center component) - major land development at 248-364 George Washington Highway, Smithfield, RI, ~235 acres: six buildings totalling ~903,487 sq
    “248 - 364 George Washington Highway, Smithfield: The approximately 235-acre site off of George Washington Highway in Smithfield was enrolled by the QDC Board on April 16,2024.”
    State agency · April 2024 · grade A
  • Project status: stalled
    “An Oct. 7 hearing on an appeal from Hanton City Investments has been postponed to sometime in January.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Smithfield adopted a Data Center Ordinance adding 'data center' as a defined use and prohibiting it in all zoning districts for two years. Sequence per the applicants' complaint and taxpayer-group tracking: the project a
    “defined the use and prohibited the use in all zoning districts”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • The incompleteness certificate and the pending Superior Court suit frame the pro: SECOND certificate of incompleteness ISSUED; applicants' appeal to the Zoning Board postponed from Oct 7 to January
    “Hanton City Investments LLC and ROK LLC, as applicants and owners of the property, seek to appeal the town administrative officer's second certificate of incompleteness on the project, issued June 11.”
    News report · June 2026 · grade C
  • Broad resident opposition: residents packed May 5 2026 Town Council meeting urging officials to stop the data center; council voted 4-1 to ban data centers
    “Town residents packed the May 5 Smithfield Town Council meeting to urge local officials to stop a data center from being built on an undeveloped site”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Application filed one day before the Council adopted the Data Center Ordinance; : Major land development application FILED (review under the pre-DCO ordinance, per the Planning Director)
    “Smithfield Planning Director Gregory Guertin said the project will be reviewed under the zoning ordinance in effect prior to the data center change.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Smithfield Planning Board:
    “The Planning Board voted to recommend that the Town Council adopt the DCO.”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C
Legal (3)
  • Developer: Hanton City Investments LLC (applicant), with ROK LLC (co-applicant and property owner)
    “Hanton City Investments LLC and ROK LLC, as applicants and owners of the property, seek to appeal the town administrative officer's second certificate of incompleteness on the project, issued June 11.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Applicants sued all five Town Council members and the Planning Director in Rhode Island Superior Court (filed Jul 4, 2026, amended Sep 15, 2026), claiming the data center use was permitted under the pre-DCO ordinance - t
    “The complaint, filed in Rhode Island Superior Court on July 4 and amended on September 15, also names Gregory Guertin, the Town's Director of Planning and Economic Development.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Hanton City Investments, LLC and ROK, LLC sued all five Smithfield Town Council members and the town planning director in RI Superior Court (complaint filed Jul 4, 2026; amended Sep 15, 2026), seeking a declaration that
    “Hanton City Investments, LLC and ROK, LLC have filed a lawsuit against all five members of the Town Council for their opposition to a planned data center on the site of the historic Hanton City site.”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (2)
  • Concept yield: 890000 sq ft
    “An updated Concept Plan has been prepared illustrating approximately 890,000 SF of industrial building yield.”
    State agency · May 2026 · grade A
  • Announced: March 10, 2026
    “Revity, along with other partners, has secured a few hundred acres in the town of Smithfield.”
    News report · March 2026 · grade C