A new OpenAI Stargate facility is coming to Saline Township, which Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on Thursday is the "largest investment" in state history.

The multi-billion-dollar data center will be built by Oracle and Related Digital, creating more than 2,500 union construction jobs, over 450 on-site jobs and 1,500 jobs across Washtenaw County, according to a news release. 

According to OpenAI, the facility comes after the company announced six data center sites across the U.S. The facilities are part of a $500 billion investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure that was announced in January.

Construction on the Michigan facility is expected to begin in early 2026, pending approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission, according to Related Digital.

"Michigan has long been at the center of American engineering and manufacturing. We're proud to build here and to continue expanding the infrastructure needed to ensure the benefits of AI reach everyone," OpenAI said in a news release.

In a statement, Related Digital CEO Brent Behrman said, "The Related Digital team has decades of combined experience in site acquisition and development, partnering with utility providers, and delivering data centers for leading hyperscalers on time and on budget. We look forward to beginning construction in early 2026."

State officials say Michigan was selected because of the state's "strong construction and tech workforce, capable of both building and operating the facility," as well as bipartisan bills signed by Whitmer to lower the cost of building AI infrastructure.  

State officials say the project is expected to be one of the most advanced AI facilities in the nation and will not require additional power generation or additional water from the Great Lakes through a closed-loop water system. Officials say the facility will also preserve more than 700 acres of land that will be used as farmland, wetland and forest.

In addition to the large investment, state officials say Related Digital will invest $14 million in local fire departments, a community investment fund and a farmland preservation trust, as requested by the Saline Township Board.

"Today, we won the largest economic project in Michigan history," Whitmer said in a statement.

"I'm grateful to these cutting-edge companies for betting on Michigan, building on our work to compete for and win big projects in next-generation industries from cars and clean energy to semiconductors and batteries. We will continue working together at the state level to win more projects so we can create even more good-paying, local jobs for Michiganders and grow our economy. This investment from Oracle and Related Digital sends a simple message to anyone who wants to build the future—you can build it in Michigan." 

Talk of data centers has been at the forefront in recent months, with a proposed center in Howell Township. However, residents in Livingston County have opposed the proposed center, even calling for a moratorium on rezoning an area of land.

Howell Township Trustee Bob Wilson says a committee will be created to review the information about the potential data center.

This week, the Michigan Public Service Commission held a public meeting to discuss how the utility companies would meet the future demand of data centers in the future. Protestors rallied outside the meeting, and residents voiced concerns about how the state could reach its goal of being carbon-free by 2040.