Stargate data center campus ("The Barn"), Saline Township
Also called: The Barn, Stargate Michigan
OpenAI, Oracle and Related Digital are building a 1.4-gigawatt AI data center on about 250 acres of a 575-acre farm site in Saline Township. The township first said no, was sued, and then settled. The settlement bans water cooling, limits noise to 55 decibels and pays $14 million into local funds.
Where things stand: Under construction since late 2025 after a court settlement with the township and state approval of the power contracts.
🕒 Latest update (Dec 18, 2025): MPSC approved DTE's power contracts with conditions, without a full contested case.
What we know
- 📍 WhereFarmland north of Michigan Avenue in Saline Township, Saline, Washtenaw County
- 🏢 CompanyRelated Digital
- 🏛️ Owned byRelated Companies
- 👤 Built forOpenAI and Oracle
- 🌳 Size250 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs1,400 megawatts (about as much as 1,120,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromDTE Energy; Oracle must add 1.4 gigawatts of battery storage within 15 years
- 💧 Waterits own well and waste treatment, per the settlement
- ❄️ Coolingclosed-loop cooling; evaporative water cooling is not allowed under the court settlement
- 💵 Cost$16 billion
- 👷 Jobs promised450
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- How much water will the on-site well use per day? 🙋 I'll find out
- Will new power lines or substations be built for the site? 🙋 I'll find out
- Were any tax breaks given for the project? 🙋 I'll find out
- Fortune reported about 475 more acres in nearby Bridgewater Township are part of the campus. What is planned there? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Sept 10, 2025Township board voted 4-1 to deny the rezoning.
- Sept 12, 2025Related Digital sued the township, calling the denial exclusionary zoning.
- Oct 15, 2025A settlement (consent judgment) was filed in Washtenaw County court, allowing the data center with conditions.
- Nov 2025Site work began weeks after the township's rejection vote.
- Dec 3, 2025State utility regulators (MPSC) held a public hearing on DTE's power contracts.
- Dec 18, 2025MPSC approved DTE's power contracts with conditions, without a full contested case.
Local votes and rules
⚖️ Court case
A judge refused a nearby resident's request to join the case and undo the Saline Township settlement. The judge said the request came too late and the board did approve the deal in a public vote. The resident's lawyer said they were looking at next steps.
🤝 Agreement with the company
The township settled the lawsuit and the data center was allowed. Terms: a 55-decibel noise limit, no water-based cooling, no expansion, about 200 acres kept as open land, plus $4 million for farmland, $2 million for a community fund and $8 million for fire services. A resident later asked the court to throw it out, saying the vote was not public.
⚖️ Court case
Developer Related Digital and the landowners sued Saline Township, saying the denial was 'exclusionary zoning'. The case ended with a consent judgment (a court-approved settlement) in October 2025.
✋ Turned down
The township board voted 4-1 against rezoning farmland for a large data center. The developer sued two days later, and the township then settled (see the agreement record).
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Saline Township settles with data center developer: 'Lesser of two evils' · Planet Detroit · Oct 21, 2025
- Saline data center fight to arrive at Michigan Public Service Commission · Michigan Public · Dec 3, 2025
- MPSC approves DTE contracts to service Saline data center · WLNS · Dec 18, 2025
- How many AI data centers are planned in Michigan? We counted. · Gander Newsroom · March 2, 2026
- A Michigan farm town voted down plans for a giant OpenAI-Oracle data center. Weeks later, construction began · Fortune · May 6, 2026
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