A large-scale data center campus planned in Michigan is set to serve ChatGPT maker OpenAI as part of its Stargate digital infrastructure build-out.

OpenAI, Oracle, and Related Digital this week announced plans to develop a data center campus with more than a gigawatt of capacity in Saline Township.

It will be part of Stargate, OpenAI's sprawling project to invest $500bn in digital infrastructure over the next four years to support the firm's compute needs.

“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.”

The 250-acre site – known as The Barn – will consist of three 550,000 sq ft (51,097 sqm) single-story buildings, and reportedly use a closed-loop cooling system to reduce water use.

Pending approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission, construction is set to start in early 2026. Walbridge is to serve as the general contractor on the project.

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.

Related first pitched plans for a large-scale data center campus in Saline Township back in August. At the time, the company was pitching a 575-acre project totaling 2.2 million sq ft (204,385 sqm) floorspace across five buildings. The company filed a lawsuit against the township after a rezoning request for the project was refused, which was settled earlier this month.

“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. We’re proud to work with Oracle, Related Digital, DTE Energy, and other partners to bring this project to life in a way that benefits the local community.”

The companies noted the project is part of OpenAI and Oracle’s previously announced partnership to deliver 4.5GW of additional Stargate capacity.

“Oracle is excited for Michigan to be the next site for our Stargate project with OpenAI. 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,” said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. “Oracle’s highly performant, secure, and cost-effective AI infrastructure is powering advanced AI systems to help ensure the US maintains its leadership in technology innovation for generations to come.”

Stargate was launched by OpenAI in January, in partnership with SoftBank, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi's MGX. As well as the now-live project in Abilene, Texas, Stargate campuses are in development across the US in Shackelford County, Texas; Doña Ana County, New Mexico; and Port Washington, Wisconsin. Internationally, OpenAI has projects in the works across South Korea, Canada, the UK, Germany, Norway, and Argentina – with rumored projects possibly coming to Canada and India.

Founded in 1972, privately-owned Related Companies has more than $70 billion in assets owned or under development. Its investments include mixed-use, residential, retail, office, and hospitality developments. The company launched its data center arm, Related Digital, earlier this year.

As well as a 64MW project in Ontario, Canada, the company said its pipeline includes a 1GW 400-acre campus in Chicago, Illinois; a 500-acre, 1GW campus in Illinois; a 600-acre, 1.2GW site in Missouri; and a 115-acre, 250MW campus in Wyoming.

Saline Township, located outside Saline city, is located some 45 miles (72km) west of downtown Detroit. Despite not being a traditional data center hotspot, demand for data centers has pushed operators into the area. This includes Thor Equities, which has faced pushback from local officials after seeking to develop an 800-acre campus in Washtenaw County’s Augusta Township. Operators around Detroit include EdgeConneX, US Signal, Cogent, 365, Lumen, Verizon, and several local providers.

"Today, we won the largest economic project in Michigan history," said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “I’m grateful to these cutting-edge companies for betting on Michigan, building on our work to compete for and win big projects in next-generation industries from cars and clean energy to semiconductors and batteries. This investment from Oracle and Related Digital sends a simple message to anyone who wants to build the future—you can build it in Michigan.”