Overview:
- University of Michigan buys 124 acres on Textile Road for potential data center site.
- Township attorney criticizes university for notifying supervisor of the major purchase with a text message.
- The project faces opposition from township officials and others due to environmental justice concerns and nuclear weapons research connections.
The University of Michigan alerted Ypsilanti Township officials Wednesday that it purchased 124 acres of land on the Huron River as a possible site for its planned $1.2-billion data center project with Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Chris Kolb, U of M’s vice president for government relations, informed Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo of the purchase by text message, and said the deal does not represent a final decision on the facility’s location.
The university is still considering both the Textile Road site and a property at the Willow Run complex, Kolb said.
Ypsilanti Township attorney Doug Winters shared the content of the text with Planet Detroit. Kay Jarvis, the university’s director of public affairs, confirmed that Kolb informed elected officials about the purchase.
Ypsilanti Township officials have objected to the project, including with a resolution passed by the township board in August that opposes the construction of the data center at the Huron River site.
A township memorandum said the Textile Road site raises “environmental concerns, health concerns, safety concerns and noise concerns,” and proposed an alternate location near Willow Run Airport previously occupied by General Motors.
As a public university, U of M is exempt from local zoning requirements — meaning the project does not require township approval.
Elected officials have said U of M misled the township about key project details and failed to involve them in discussions on the alternate site, known as the American Center for Mobility (ACM).
U of M treats officials with ‘utter disdain and contempt’: Township lawyer
The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the purchase of the 124 acres at 10455 and 10635 Textile Rd. on June 12, 2025 for a price of $65,000 per developable acre, meaning the purchase could total more than $8 million.
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Why it matters
A University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory data center proposed in Ypsilanti Township is exempt from local zoning regulations and is tax exempt due to its development by a public university.
Who's making public decisions
The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the college’s purchase of 124 acres on the Huron River as a possible data center location. State Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) introduced legislation to rescind a $100-million grant for the project from the Michigan Strategic Fund and Michigan Economic Development Corp.
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What to watch for next
Whether state lawmakers move to rescind the $100 million state grant for the data center project; and an announcement by the University of Michigan on the selection of a site for its data center.
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U of M did not disclose the final purchase price for the 124 acres when contacted by Planet Detroit Wednesday.
The university previously acquired an adjacent 19.82-acre parcel, said spokesperson Paul Corliss.
The purchase of the 124-acre site is part of the university’s “ongoing process to select a site for a proposed high-performance computational research facility,” Corliss said in a statement, adding there is no timeline for a site selection decision.
In December, state Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (D-Ypsilanti) introduced legislation to rescind a $100-million grant from Michigan Strategic Fund and Michigan Economic Development Corp. for the U of M and Los Alamos project.
Township attorney Winters said U of M’s notification of the purchase via text is “in keeping with its standard way of treating public officials with utter disdain and contempt.”
The land deal shows the university isn’t seriously considering the ACM site, the attorney said.
He expressed concern that a facility associated with Los Alamos could become a target for terrorism, calling attention to the laboratory’s work on nuclear weapons research and Iran’s recent attacks on data centers in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
A Los Alamos official told The Michigan Daily in January the Ypsilanti Township facility will be used in nuclear weapons research.
U of M, Los Alamos project draws environmental justice concerns
The proposed industrialized site for the data center project near Willow Run has also elicited concern because of its proximity to the township’s West Willow neighborhood, which is encircled by an expressway and other major roads and located near Willow Run Airport and the Wayne Disposal landfill.
According to MiEJScreen, Michigan’s environmental justice screening tool, the West Willow neighborhood is in the 85th percentile, while areas to its north are in the 88th percentile. The scores indicate pollution exposure and sensitive populations that are well above average.
A petition signed by nearly 900 University of Michigan employees, faculty, and students urges the school to cancel the data center, arguing the project will harm the environment, negatively impact low-income communities, and help advance harmful nuclear weapon and artificial intelligence technologies.
Data centers’ large energy demands mean that costs could be passed on to other electric ratepayers, and the facilities could undermine the state’s climate goals, opponents say. Increased power demands could trigger an “off-ramp” provision in Michigan’s climate law, allowing fossil fuel generation to remain online in the event of a capacity shortfall.
Steven Ceccio, a U of M professor of engineering and lead on the project, told Planet Detroit in January the project’s maximum energy use would be 110 megawatts, phased in over 5 to 10 years, roughly equivalent to the power used by 80,000 homes.
Biofuel-powered backup generators would provide 20% of the project’s energy needs during shutdowns caused by power outages, Ceccio said. The project could use up to 500,000 gallons of water per day, supplied by the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority, he said.
Ypsilanti Township Trustee Karen Lovejoy Roe said in August that U of M is moving into one of Washtenaw County’s lower income communities, with a high proportion of Black and brown residents, but failing to assist with municipal services because of its tax exempt status.
“We’re struggling and, U of M, they have to know that,” she said.
U of M spokesperson Corliss said the university remains in communication with Ypsilanti Township officials about its plans.
MORE ON THE U OF M DATA CENTER
U of M data center event fails the transparency test, residents say
Residents of Ypsilanti Township voiced concerns over the University of Michigan’s $1.2 million data center project, fearing increased power bills, environmental impacts, and lack of community benefits.
Lawmakers introduce bill to cancel $100 million University of Michigan data center grant
The University of Michigan has failed to act transparently or coordinate with local officials on data center project, says state Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr.
Ypsilanti City Council calls for halt to University of Michigan data center project
Ypsilanti council opposes University of Michigan data center with resolution that draws attention to potential environmental impacts and Los Alamos’ nuclear weapons work.