On June 1, Oracle, OpenAI, and Walbridge officially broke ground on 'The Barn,' a $16 billion data center campus in Saline, Michigan. The $16 billion data center campus marks the single largest economic investment in Michigan's history, according to Construction Dive. The Walbridge Stargate data center construction is continuing toward its 2026 completion goal in Saline Township, also reported by Datacenterdynamics.
Michigan secured this record investment for a facility that will largely operate out of public view. Its extensive impact will nevertheless be felt across the state.
Michigan is poised to become a critical nexus for the future of artificial intelligence, attracting further technological development and solidifying its position in the global digital economy.
The Barn: A Gigawatt-Scale AI Hub
Known as 'The Barn,' the project will feature three data center buildings spanning 1.65 million square feet across 250 acres in Saline, Michigan. Designed for over 1 gigawatt of capacity, according to Construction Dive and MLQ Ai, its scale demands immense infrastructure for advanced AI. The design for over 1 gigawatt of capacity commits to housing substantial AI processing power.
Beyond Construction: A Multi-Billion Dollar Commitment
The Walbridge Stargate data center project's financial scope extends beyond initial construction. While Construction Dive cited a $16 billion investment for construction and development, a more comprehensive breakdown reveals a larger commitment. The project includes $16 billion for construction and development, with an additional $40 billion allocated for Oracle to outfit the buildings with compute infrastructure, according to MLQ Ai. The $16 billion for construction and development, with an additional $40 billion allocated for Oracle to outfit the buildings with compute infrastructure, brings the potential total investment to $56 billion, a figure supported by planetdetroit, which noted internal infrastructure costs could add $30 billion to $40 billion.
