DETROIT — Walbridge announced it is serving as general contractor for the $16 billion Stargate Michigan data center campus in Saline Township, a project the company described as the largest in its 110-year history and the largest economic development investment ever made in Michigan.
.jpg)
The massive hyperscale data center development is being built by Related Digital exclusively for Oracle and OpenAI as part of the broader Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative.
Construction has already generated more than 200,000 union trade hours since work began earlier this year on the 250-acre campus. The project is operating under a project labor agreement that covers more than 2,500 union tradespeople and apprentices.
“This is the project of our lifetime,” said John Rakolta III, president of Walbridge. “Building the infrastructure that will power the next generation of American AI — in our home state, with our union partners, on a campus of this scale — is exactly the work this company was built to do.”
Founded in Detroit in 1916, Walbridge said the development represents a major shift toward advanced AI infrastructure projects that combine large-scale construction, energy systems and technology operations.
The campus, known as “The Barn” because of a preserved historic red barn at the entrance to the site, will include three 550,000-square-foot single-story data halls totaling more than 1.65 million square feet of LEED-certified data center space.
According to project officials, the campus will use closed-loop cooling systems intended to limit daily water use to levels comparable to a standard office building while protecting regional water resources and the Great Lakes.
Power for the development will be supplied through existing DTE Energy resources, supported by a new project-financed battery storage investment. Developers said infrastructure costs will be borne entirely by the project and are expected to generate an estimated $300 million annual affordability benefit for customers.
The project is also expected to create more than 2,500 union construction jobs during development and approximately 450 permanent operational jobs after completion.
“Walbridge’s understanding of what it takes to deliver a project of this scale and clear commitment to building to the highest standards of safety and craftsmanship made them the right partner from day one,” said Bruce A. Beal Jr., president of Related Companies.
Project leaders said the development is the first data center in the country to be built under the memorandum of understanding between OpenAI and the North America's Building Trades Unions.
Walbridge executives said collaboration with labor organizations was central to the project’s early planning and execution strategy.
“A project of this scale demands more than technical capability — it demands trust, partnership, and a shared commitment to the community where we are building,” said Mike Haller, CEO of Walbridge. “We are proud to help shape an agreement that creates good union jobs in Washtenaw County, expands apprenticeship pathways across Michigan, and sets a national standard for how this new generation of critical infrastructure should be built.”
.jpg)
Walbridge also announced plans to establish a modular Safety and Quality Center on the campus to support electrical apprentice training and expand the regional pipeline of skilled trades workers needed for future AI infrastructure projects.
The development’s economic impact extends beyond Michigan, according to the company. Project officials estimate the campus will generate more than $5 billion in direct and indirect labor investment nationwide, drawing contractors, manufacturers and tradespeople from 14 states.
Several Michigan-based trade contractors are participating in the development, including Motor City Electric, Progressive Mechanical Inc., John E. Green, Shaw/E-J Electric, Superior Electric Great Lakes, Triangle Electric and Universal Piping Industries.
Project officials also said hundreds of acres surrounding the site will remain preserved as farmland, wetlands and open space, alongside a $14 million investment in local fire services and community preservation initiatives.
Originally reported by Walbridge in PR News Wire.
