Pawtucket, RI Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted zone
- Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) only
- Minimum CMU parcel size
- 45,000 sq ft, Newport Avenue frontage
- Office parking minimum
- 4 spaces per 1,000 sq ft
- Max impervious coverage in CMU
- 90%
- Fine for unauthorized siting
- Up to $500 per day
Summary
Pawtucket's zoning code names 'data processing facility' as a permitted use only in the Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) district along Newport Avenue, defined in § 410-43.7 as a facility where employees handle electronic data entry, storage, conversion, or transaction processing. The code has no separate large-scale data center category or siting standard outside that zone.
Uses permitted by right in the Commercial General (CG) Zone are permitted in the CMU Zone. ... The following uses, not listed in the Table of Use Regulations, are also permitted in the CMU Zone: ... Data processing facility. ... DATA PROCESSING FACILITY: Facilities where electronic data is processed by employees, including, without limitation, data entry, storage, conversion or analysis, subscription and credit card transaction processing, telephone sales and order collection, mail order and catalog sales, and mailing list preparation.
Full Breakdown
6B(1)(a)[3] adds 'data processing facility' to the list of uses permitted by right in the Commercial Mixed Use (CMU) district, on top of every use already allowed by right in the Commercial General (CG) zone. 5, applies only to contiguous parcels of at least 45,000 square feet fronting Newport Avenue under common ownership or control. 7 defines 'DATA PROCESSING FACILITY' as 'facilities where electronic data is processed by employees, including, without limitation, data entry, storage, conversion or analysis, subscription and credit card transaction processing, telephone sales and order collection, mail order and catalog sales, and mailing list preparation,' a definition built around office-style back-office data operations rather than a server-farm or colocation building.
6E. Outside the CMU zone, the Table of Use Regulations referenced in § 410-12 does not list 'data processing facility' as a permitted, accessory, or special-permit use in any other zoning district, so a large-scale server or colocation facility proposing to locate elsewhere in the city would need a use-variance or a 'substantially similar use' finding under § 410-12H.
Violations & Fines
Operating a data processing facility, or any similar use, outside the CMU district without a variance or an approved substantially-similar-use finding under § 410-12H is a zoning violation. Under § 410-101, the Director of Zoning and Code Enforcement can fine the operator or property owner up to $500 for each day the unauthorized use continues, and the City Solicitor may seek an injunction in Superior Court to stop the use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Pawtucket is a data processing facility a permitted use?
How does Pawtucket's code define a data processing facility?
What parking and coverage standards apply to a data processing facility in the CMU zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pawtucket
Compare Pawtucket to another location·View the Rhode Island data centers & crypto mining overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.