NYDIG, the financial services firm that provides Bitcoin-related services for institutional clients, has begun the local planning review process for the proposed expansion of its data center operations at the Reynolds industrial site in Massena, New York.The Massena Town Planning Board’s June 26 agenda included a “presubmission for NYDIG” for an applicant seeking to build a data center at the old Reynolds plant. The meeting was also set to cover the need for consultants and the question of which body will act as lead agency for the environmental review process.The proposal is being brought forward by North Country Colocation Services (NCCS), which describes itself as an affiliate of New York Digital Investment Group, better known as NYDIG. NCCS said it has operated in Massena since 2017 and is proposing to expand its existing operations on the legacy Reynolds industrial parcel, adjacent to its current data center site.According to the project website, the revised expansion would add two new data halls on around 355 developable acres next to NCCS’s existing 110-acre site. The company said the campus would use existing approved power capacity, sourced from hydroelectric power on the St. Lawrence River, and would not require new fossil fuel or nuclear generation.NCCS added that the project would support “modern computing and AI infrastructure,” replacing the existing on-site Bitcoin mining operations, which it says would be phased out. Construction would take around two years on a phased basis, with peak employment of 1,800 to 2,500 workers and around 200 permanent full-time positions once operational, it further noted.Earlier local reports said the original proposal involved three buildings totaling close to 1.5 million sq ft (139,355 sqm) and would require around 635MW of power. NCCS has since said it redesigned the project in response to community feedback, removing a third building and reducing the building footprint by approximately 400,000 sq ft (37,160 sqm).The development has drawn opposition from local residents and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, which said it had concerns about the site’s proximity to Akwesasne, the project’s energy and water demands, possible strain on local power systems, noise, emissions, and what it described as limited transparency and consultation.NCCS said the facility would use a closed-loop cooling system and would not withdraw from or discharge into local waterways for non-contact cooling. The company also said the number of planned backup generators had been cut by around 61 percent, from 316 to 124, and that generators would only be used for standby power during outages and periodic testing.The former Reynolds Metals facility was built in 1958 and later acquired by Alcoa, which closed the smelter in 2014. The site has access to hydropower from the New York Power Authority.DCD previously reported that Alcoa was in advanced talks to sell its former Massena East aluminum smelter site to NYDIG.