PODCAST:
June 2, 2026 ~ WJR’s Director of Community Affairs and News Marie Osborne discusses the data center groundbreaking in Saline.
SALINE, MICH. ~ A $16 billion data center, nicknamed “the Barn,” broke ground Monday as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke about the potential of the site at the ceremony. Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk partnered with OpenAI in developing the gigawatt scale project which is expected to be the largest data center in the state.
This facility is the largest investment in Michigan history, and Altman noted that this could be the place where large medical breakthroughs are discovered, such as a cure for cancer.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also was in attendance, speaking about the developmental process of the campus as backlash from locals about the environmental effects have grown louder. Whitmer claimed that the Barn has upheld the strict environmental standards Michigan holds.
Whitmer highlighted that this project could create about 2,500 jobs for union-skilled workers, among other potential benefits like tax revenue.
