Michigan is racing toward the data center boom that powers artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Lawmakers have approved generous tax breaks, and utilities are courting multi-billion-dollar projects, including a proposed $7 billion “hyperscale” campus in rural Saline Township, backed by tech giants OpenAI and Oracle.
Supporters promise investment and new tax revenue. But critics warn that these vast, windowless buildings could come with higher electric bills, heavy demands on local water supplies, and pressure to keep fossil fuel plants running long past Michigan’s clean energy deadlines.
So who really pays for Michigan’s data-center gold rush, and who gets to decide?
Brian Allnutt, a senior reporter and contributing editor at Planet Detroit, has been following Michigan’s data center deals from the state capitol to township board meetings and courtroom settlements. He joined Robyn Vincent to help make sense of the choices Michigan faces.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
Ford Motor Company announced Monday that its moving its headquarters for the first time in 70 years. The new headquarters will be located west of Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
The new Henry Ford II World Center is a 2.1 million square foot state-of-the-art building. It will serve as a global center to promote innovation, collaboration, and transformation. Among the changes are six Design Studios and a Design Showroom, which can hold 10 vehicle turntables with 64-ft micro LED screens for product review.
The new facility will have 4,000 employees and 12 acres of greenspace.
The building is a Net-Zero Energy Building, using a central energy plant for hot water and steam and DTE MI Green Power Program to have a net-zero carbon goal. There are also energy-efficient systems, including water saving measures and waste reduction strategies in place.
The headquarters is on a historic site—the 1953 Product Development Center, where the Mustang, F-Series and Ford GT were created. The former headquarters known as the ‘Glass House’ will be torn down over the next 18 months, with plans to repurpose it for community use.
A public grand opening of the new building is scheduled for November with some employees shifting to the new location.
The project is slated to be completed in 2027.
Additional headlines from Monday, September 15, 2025
Dearborn career fair
The Arab American Women’s Business Council and Dearborn Economic Development are hosting their annual career fair. Registration is required as spots are limited.
There will be on-site recruiting, scholarship opportunities, and expert career guidance. There is also resume writing assistance and prizes available.
Refreshments will be provided.
The career fair takes place at the University of Michigan – Dearborn Fairlane Center South in the Michigan Room East on September 24 from 6-8 p.m.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recognizes September 15 through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Michigan. The designation aims to celebrate the “rich history, vibrant culture and bright future of our Hispanic community,” Whitmer says in a release.
Whitmer has appointed 18 Hispanic and Latino people as judges and to various boards and commissions in the state.
Michigan’s Center for Data and Analysis estimated the Hispanic or Latino population is nearly 600,000 people in Michigan.
Parts of Southwest Detroit are designated as historic areas, commemorating decades of entrepreneurship in the city.
End of Summer Fiesta
La Jalisciense is hosting a patio party. The End of Summer Fiesta will host local vendors, a DJ, food and drinks.
The party will take place on September 27th from 2-8:30 PM at the La Jalisciense 3923 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI.
District 1 meeting this week
The City of Detroit District 1 is hosting a charter-mandated community meeting on Wednesday. There will be resource tables for Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental (BSEED), land bank, and public works, along with the water and sewage department.
The meeting will be held on September 17 from 7-8:30 p.m. in person at the New Saint Mark Baptist Church, located at 24331 Eight Mile West in Detroit or virtually on Zoom.
DDOT meeting this week
The Department of Transportation or DDOT is hosting a virtual community meeting this week. The meeting is to gather feedback about DDOT services, fares and routes.
The meeting takes place on Thursday, September 18, at 5 p.m. The Zoom call-in number is 1 (312) 626-6799.
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Dan Gilbert’s Hudson’s tower was sold as a symbol of comeback for Detroit — a shiny promise of jobs, growth, and a Woodward Avenue reborn.
But behind the glass, there is a more complicated story.
State officials approved over $600 million in tax breaks across several Bedrock projects, including Hudson’s. Locally, Gilbert also won a $60 million city tax abatement, with the Downtown Development Authority playing a key role in downtown financing.
But the returns are uncertain. A University of Michigan study projects the incentives could generate benefits through 2052.
Critics say many promised jobs are simply relocations from GM’s headquarters and other Gilbert buildings, rather than net new opportunities for Detroiters.
Meanwhile, the flow of public money remains murky.
To see if the subsidies are paying off, the Detroit Free Press is now suing the Michigan Department of Treasury to gain access to state records. Detroit Free Press reporter JC Reindel is helping lead the fight for information. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss how this story asks a deeper question about public subsidies and if they serve Detroiters or developers.
Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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