SALINE, MI — OpenAI, Oracle, and Related Digital, a vertically integrated data center development and investment platform, announces plans to develop a data center campus with more than a gigawatt of capacity in Saline Township, Michigan. The multi-billion-dollar investment in the project, which is expected to begin construction in early 2026, is part of OpenAI and Oracle's previously announced partnership to deliver 4.5 gigawatts of additional Stargate capacity.
"We are proud to be developing this critical project exclusively for Oracle and contributing to keeping our nation competitive in the global AI race," said Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related Companies and Chairman of Related Digital. "This historic, multi-billion-dollar investment will ensure that Michigan plays a leading role in developing the digital infrastructure American companies need."
"This project will help ensure Michigan is a key part of building the AI infrastructure that will power the next generation of American innovation," said Peter Hoeschele, OpenAI's Vice President of Industrial Compute. "By expanding Stargate to Michigan, we can strengthen domestic supply chains, create good jobs, and help more communities share in the economic opportunities AI is creating."
"Oracle is excited for Michigan to be the next site for our Stargate project with OpenAI," said Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. "Historically, Michigan has been at the forefront of innovation and industry in America, and this strong legacy will continue as we work with Related Digital to rapidly expand our cloud capacity to meet the unprecedented demand for AI."
The Saline Township project, which is being funded by a consortium of leading private investors and financial institutions, is projected to create more than 2,500 union construction jobs. Ongoing, Related Digital and Oracle expect to collectively create more than 450 jobs on site, and 1,500 jobs county-wide to support the project, as well as thousands more indirect jobs across Michigan and the U.S.
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The data center campus, which is being developed on 250 acres in Saline Township, will utilize a closed-loop cooling system, which limits daily water use to levels comparable to an office building. DTE Energy is supplying 100 percent of the power to the project using existing resources augmented by a new battery storage investment — financed entirely by the project — in a way that ensures there is no impact on DTE's existing customers' energy supply or rates. In fact, DTE's customers will benefit from the project contributing its share to the fixed costs of maintaining and improving the grid.
The Saline Township project — dubbed 'The Barn' for the historic red barn being preserved by the entrance to the site off Michigan Avenue — consists of three 550,000-square-foot single-story buildings. The project will be LEED certified, includes minimum setbacks of 75 feet from the road, and substantial screening.
Pending approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission, the project is expected to begin construction in early 2026. Walbridge, the more than 100-year-old construction firm founded in Detroit, Michigan, will serve as general contractor on the project.
