Jehovah’s Witnesses purchase property near world headquarters in Warwick
News. Group will occupy space previously operated as a data center.
Warwick /
| 12 Aug 2026 | 11:30
Office buildings in the foreground sit on Jehovah’s Witnesses recently acquired property in Warwick. The group’s world headquarters can be seen on the far left. (
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Jehovah’s Witnesses purchased 69 acres across the lake from the world headquarters in the town of Warwick, the religious organization announced last month.
The property was purchased June 26 for an unknown price from Kyndryl, IBM’s former infrastructure services unit. It includes an existing 432,989-square foot office building and data center formerly used by IBM. Called Blue Lake, the purchase will support the organization’s global infrastructure.
“The Blue Lake facility will play a key role in support of Kingdom interests worldwide,” spokesman Jason Hohl said in a statement. “Along with the acquisition of this new facility, we are excited to see the construction of the nearby Ramapo Media Center progressing rapidly. As Jehovah ‘speeds up’ the work in our day, we pray for his continued blessing on these exciting projects.”
It is unclear whether Jehovah’s Witnesses intend to operate the data center.
The Times Union reported that in a 2023 permit application filed with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Kyndryl said it would need permission to withdraw up to 130,000 gallons of water a day as an emergency backup to keep the data center’s cooling system operating during interruptions to its normal water supply.
Supervisor addresses Jehovah’s Witnesses property acquisition
Warwick Town Supervisor Jesse Dwyer addressed the acquisition at a town board meeting last month. He said the parcel of land is Warwick’s third largest property taxpayer, and contributes roughly $100,000 annually in Warwick’s tax base. However, due to the property now being operated for religious purposes, it is eligible for full exemption from property taxes.
“We fully recognize the magnitude of this situation and we are committed to doing everything within our legal power to protect Warwick’s tax base. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are excellent neighbors who contribute to our local economy and consistently support our small businesses. However, the potential loss to our tax base is significant and we’re carefully weighing all available options to move forward,” said Dwyer.
Attempts to reach Town of Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer for further comment were unsuccessful.