The Daily Dig
Related Digital has secured financing for its $16 billion data center campus in Saline Township, Michigan. The facility is purpose built for Oracle as part of their partnership with OpenAI to expand AI compute capacity nationally.
The capital stack combines equity from Related Digital and Blackstone-affiliated funds with fixed-rate, long-term debt anchored by PIMCO-managed funds and accounts. Bank of America served as structuring agent and financial advisor. Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo also advised Related Digital.
The campus, nicknamed "The Barn" after a historic red barn preserved at the entrance along Michigan Avenue, consists of three single-story data center buildings with more than a gigawatt of total capacity. Construction on the first buildings is underway and the project is on schedule.
DTE Energy is supplying 100% of the power from existing resources, supplemented by a new battery storage investment financed entirely by Oracle. That arrangement is projected to generate $300 million in savings for DTE's existing customers.
The project carries a significant labor commitment: 2,500-plus union construction jobs, 450-plus permanent onsite positions, and more than 1,500 jobs across Washtenaw County.
Community benefits include $14 million directed to the local fire department and broader community investment, new annual tax revenue for the township, county, and Michigan schools, and preservation of more than 750 acres of open space, farmland, and wetlands. The campus will use a closed-loop cooling system and is targeting LEED certification.
Snapshot:
Project Name: The Barn, Saline Township Data Center Campus
Developer: Related Digital
End User / Tenant: Oracle (purpose-built)
AI Partnership: Oracle / OpenAI
Location: Saline Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan
Project Value: $16 billion
Capacity: 1+ gigawatt
Scope: Three single-story data center buildings
Status: Under construction, on schedule
Equity Partners: Related Digital, Blackstone-affiliated funds
Debt Financing: PIMCO-managed funds and accounts (fixed-rate, long-term)
Structuring Agent / Financial Advisor: Bank of America
Additional Advisors: Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo
Power Provider: DTE Energy (100% from existing resources plus Oracle-financed battery storage)
Cooling System: Closed-loop
Certification: LEED (targeted)
Union Construction Jobs: 2,500+
Permanent Onsite Jobs: 450+
County-Wide Jobs: 1,500+
Community Investment: $14 million (fire department and community)
Open Space Preserved: 750+ acres (farmland and wetlands)
DTE Customer Savings (Projected): $300 million
TheJobWalk Thoughts
A gigawatt of capacity across three buildings means multiple major trade packages, and with the first structures already rising, procurement on subsequent phases will move faster than most subs expect. MEP and specialty cooling contractors not already engaged need to be making calls now.
More than 2,500 union construction jobs on a single campus will put real pressure on regional craft labor pipelines. GCs and subs in the Southeast Michigan market should be getting ahead of workforce planning well before peak installation phases hit.
The closed-loop cooling requirement and LEED target add real specification complexity. For MEP subs and suppliers with documented experience on both, that's a concrete differentiator worth leading with on any pursuit tied to this project.
Source: PR Newswire
Source: PR Newswire
Source: PR Newswire
