Michigan township rejected an OpenAI-Oracle data center in September, but the $16 billion Stargate project began construction in November after the developer sued and the town settled.

Related Digital and landowners sued Saline Township on September 12, alleging 'exclusionary zoning' after the township board voted 4–1 to deny rezoning 575 acres of farmland for the data center. The township settled within weeks, and construction began soon after.

In exchange for allowing the project, the township secured roughly $14 million in community benefits—including funding for farmland preservation, fire departments, and local projects, plus environmental and operational limits such as restrictions on water use and noise caps.

The facility is expected to create 2,500 union construction jobs, 450 permanent on-site jobs, and 1,500 more jobs in the community, according to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has been actively courting hyperscalers since late 2024.