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Data center project · Washtenaw County, Michigan

The Barn (Oracle / OpenAI Stargate campus)

Under construction · Three 550,000-square-foot buildings for Oracle and OpenAI on farmland in Saline Township, the state's first hyperscale campus, proceeding under a court settlement after the township board denied rezoning. Also known as: Stargate Michigan, Green Chile Ventures.

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Status
Under construction · as of Aug. 2, 2026
Location
North of West Michigan Avenue, Saline Township, west of Saline · Washtenaw County
Status note
Under construction; a ceremonial groundbreaking was held June 1, 2026, and the Attorney General's appeal of the utility contracts is pending in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Power
1,383 MW
1,383 MW contracted demand in the MPSC order; announced as more than 1 gigawatt and widely reported as 1.4 GW.
Floor area
1,650,000 sq ft
Land
250 acres
Investment
Range by source: about $7 billion (early reporting), $16 billion (Related Digital at the June 2026 groundbreaking and its April 2026 financing), $43 billion (current valuation used in the township tax-break vote).
Developer and team
Related Digital (through Green Chile Ventures LLC (Oracle subsidiary, utility customer))
End user
Oracle, for OpenAI
Utility
DTE Electric; special contracts approved by the MPSC (Case No. U-21990): a roughly 19-year power supply agreement and a 15-year agreement under which the customer pays for 1,383 MW of battery storage owned by DTE
Water
Closed-loop cooling; on-site well and wastewater system under the consent judgment, no water for cooling
Incentives
12-year, 50% Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption approved by the Saline Township Board under the consent judgment; on July 14, 2026 the board based it on $4.8 billion, then on July 17 unanimously approved it on the $43 billion valuation on legal advice. Expected to use the state enterprise data center sales and use tax exemption (not confirmed in a state record reviewed). Consent judgment requires $4 million for farmland preservation, $2 million for a community fund and $8 million for fire services.
Evidence
Primary public records
Size class
50 MW or more (tracker scope)
Map position approximate, from the reported address or area. Updated Oct. 17, 2026.

Updates, newest first

  1. July 30, 2026 Frames of a second large building were visible from West Michigan Avenue. (Spectrum News, Aug. 2, 2026)
  2. July 17, 2026 Township board approved the full 12-year, 50% tax abatement on a $43 billion valuation, reversing a July 14 vote that used $4.8 billion. (Bridge Michigan, July 15, 2026; WEMU, July 18, 2026)
  3. June 1, 2026 Ceremonial groundbreaking with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (FOX 2 Detroit, June 1, 2026)
  4. April 24, 2026 Related Digital and Blackstone-affiliated funds announced equity and debt financing; the price was reported at $16 billion. (WLNS 6 News (via Yahoo), April 25, 2026)
  5. April 17, 2026 Nessel took the MPSC approval to the Michigan Court of Appeals, after the commission turned down both her motion to reopen the case and her petition for rehearing. (Michigan Department of Attorney General, April 17, 2026)
  6. Dec. 18, 2025 MPSC approved the contracts ex parte with added conditions, including that DTE absorb any unrecovered costs and curtail the data center first in an emergency load shed; it denied requests for a contested case. (Michigan Public Service Commission, Dec. 18, 2025; Planet Detroit, Dec. 18, 2025)
  7. Oct. 30, 2025 OpenAI, Oracle and Related Digital announced the campus; DTE filed for approval of the power contracts the next day (MPSC Case No. U-21990). (Related Digital (company announcement), Oct. 30, 2025; Michigan Public Service Commission, Nov. 18, 2025)
  8. Oct. 15, 2025 Consent judgment filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court lets the project proceed with conditions including a 55-decibel noise limit, no expansion and community payments. (Planet Detroit, Oct. 21, 2025)
  9. Sept. 10, 2025 Saline Township Board voted 4-1 to deny rezoning of the farmland; landowners and a Related Digital affiliate sued, alleging exclusionary zoning. (Planet Detroit, Oct. 21, 2025; WLNS 6 News (via Yahoo), April 25, 2026)

Conflicts and open questions

  • Investment figures differ widely between sources ($4.8 billion to $43 billion); the higher figures appear to include equipment.
  • A resident's motion to undo the consent judgment was denied in February 2026, as reported by WLNS citing the Sun-Times News; the court record was not opened.
  • The utility contracts are filed in MPSC Case No. U-21990 with redactions.

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