By Kyle Jackson
OpenAI broke ground for the construction of the $16 billion AI data center in Saline Township, named “The Barn,” on June 1.
Participants included OpenAI Founder and CEO Sam Altman, Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk, Global Head of Digital Infrastructure for Blackstone Real Estate, Mike Forman, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, Sean McGarvey, chairman of Walbridge, John Rakolta Jr., Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and many more company representatives with stakes in the center.
The 250-acre center is being developed by Related Companies, a Michigan-based company, and is going to be utilized by Oracle.
Saline residents first voted on the project in 2025, where it was voted 4-1 against the rezoning of farmland for the construction of The Barn. Upon the rejection, the developers sued the township, forcing them to settle, allowing for its construction despite public opinion.
The center is part of OpenAI’s Stargate project, which aims to expand AI data centers nationwide.
During the event, Altman spoke about his hopes for the project.
“My hope is that this becomes an example for the world where the world can benefit greatly from AI out of a data center like this,” Altman said. “And the local community can be thrilled with the decision. We know how complex a project this is, we know the current attitude towards data centers in the world is, and I’ll come back to this, but I think we can make this a great example for the future. But this is a huge bet, and this is something that is not an easy project.”
Altman also expressed how countless small businesses, students, and locals could benefit from the data center.
“This could very well turn into the site where cancer gets cured,” Altman said. Whitmer also spoke at the event.
“We are breaking ground on the largest economic deal in Michigan history,” Whitmer said. “The Barn will be one of the most advanced AI infrastructure projects in the United States.”
Whitmer’s support for AI data centers has been documented multiple times.
“Data centers are going to be built. They’re going to be built,” Whitmer said April 7 at the Michigan Chronicle’s Pancakes and Politics event. “Because we are all fulfilling the need for them every day with our devices, we are. We’re all a part of the reason that data centers are going to be built. And an economy that’s changing relies on that as well. The only question is where they’re going to be built and how they’re going to be built. I say that they should be built in a place that makes sure that we protect consumers and ensure that ratepayers still get good rates and have access to the energy that they need.”
Whitmer said that if the data centers are built somewhere else, they could be built “in a way that’s less smart,” using the state’s “consumer protection” policy as support for her argument, believing that it is “smarter” than other Michigan policies.
“…we can do it in a way that’s really smart when it comes to protecting our natural resources like water,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer has not posted about The Barn on any of her social media accounts.
Whitmer reiterated her stance on data centers in Michigan on June 2.
“I think one thing’s very clear, everyone has a cell phone in our pocket,” Whitmer said to reporters. “We are all, more and more, consuming technology and data, and these data centers are going to get built. So, my thought is if we can hold them to a high standard and do it in Michigan, that’s the best way to do it. Not watch them go everywhere else and do it in a really bad way.”
“It’s a shame what’s happening,” Ben Schaaf, a resident of Saline Township, said to WXYZ (Channel 7) on June 1, “They can call it whatever they want, it’s not going to fit in, and it’s not something this community wants. This is something that’s going to have a multi-generational impact on folks in this community, including our children.”
