Residents Furious After Their Town Board Rejected an OpenAI Data Center, But a Billionaire Developer Forced It Through Anyway

Key Points:

• In Saline Township, Michigan, local officials initially rejected a massive 21 million square foot data center proposed by Related Digital, a subsidiary of billionaire Steven Roth’s real estate conglomerate, reflecting residents' opposition to the project.
• Related Digital sued the township for "exclusionary zoning," pressuring officials into a costly legal battle that risked depleting local resources and potentially losing control over zoning decisions due to partnerships with entities like the University of Michigan.
• The township ultimately settled, allowing the $16 billion data center to proceed, which will primarily serve OpenAI and Oracle as part of the Trump administration's $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative, "Stargate."
• This case highlights a broader national trend where tech billionaires and political allies impose AI infrastructure projects on communities, often overriding local opposition and raising concerns about environmental and social impacts.
• Residents like Kathryn Haushalter express frustration at the imbalance of power, feeling that their voices and concerns are sidelined in favor of corporate interests and capital expansion.