- Related Companies will develop a 250-acre, multi-billion-dollar data center campus in Saline Township, MI, to support OpenAI and Oracle’s Stargate initiative.
- The site will deliver over 1 gigawatt of computing power, one of the largest AI infrastructure builds to date, surpassing power needs for 750K homes.
- Securing energy from DTE Energy and overcoming local opposition were critical milestones for the project’s approval.
- The Saline campus is one of four announced Stargate sites and underscores the data center boom tied to AI’s rapid growth.
AI-Fueled Real Estate Expansion
Related Companies is building a $7B+ data center campus in Saline Township, Michigan, backing AI’s future, reports WSJ. The deal, tied to Oracle and OpenAI’s Stargate project, represents the largest economic development in Michigan’s history, eclipsing even General Motors’ 2022 $7B investment.
The 250-acre site is located 13 miles from Ann Arbor. It will deliver over 1 gigawatt of computing capacity. This power will support AI workloads that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sees as key to achieving 10–100x compute growth.
Fourth Site In $300B Plan
Saline is the fourth new location announced under Oracle and OpenAI’s $300B infrastructure partnership. Oracle will lease the site and invest heavily in GPUs and computing hardware, while Related will build the facilities and power infrastructure.
The project shows how developers like Related are shifting into data centers, commercial real estate’s fastest-growing asset class.
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Local Resistance, Legal Battles & Community Buy-In
Despite the site’s proximity to high-voltage power lines, the project initially faced community opposition over zoning, water use, and preservation of farmland. After the township board denied rezoning in September, Related filed suit and launched a PR campaign.
Ultimately, the board reversed its decision. Related’s use of recycled liquid cooling systems, financial support for farmland preservation, and commitment to minimal strain on local utilities helped win over residents. The project—now called “The Barn”—will preserve a historic red barn on the property.
Why It Matters
The Saline data center is a flagship example of the AI data infrastructure boom. According to JLL, global data center investment topped $60B in 2024 and continues to rise in 2025.
OpenAI expects $13B in revenue but owes $60B yearly to Oracle, highlighting the high-stakes bet on AI’s future.
What’s Next
Related has pledged $500M to support a $45B pipeline of North American data center developments. In addition to Saline, it is advancing projects in Ontario, Wyoming, and St. Louis.
With AI demanding exponentially more computing power, developers and cloud providers are racing to build out capacity, even as some warn of an overheated infrastructure market.
Expect more mega-scale data centers—and more local fights—on the horizon.
