Paula Gardner

The project would include nuclear weapons research, prompting Ypsilanti Township to say that could be a community danger.

Documents obtained by Bridge tell the story of one of the biggest gambles of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s tenure. The taxpayer-funded project to lure a major employer to mid-Michigan kept residents and some lawmakers in the dark, demolished neighborhoods and so far has come up empty.

Companies say they’ve created 1,846 of the 14,559 jobs they originally promised in exchange for Michigan SOAR subsidies. They still have several years to meet their targets.

Michigan is awash in data center proposals, in part because of tax incentives. Many residents say enough is enough, calling for tighter regulations and to non-disclosure agreements with local officials.

Amid a backlash against public subsidies, Michigan seeks repayment of loan for autonomous testing site. Activists say the nonprofit is doing vital work to keep Michigan competitive.

It’s not just water going into data centers that have foes concerned: It’s water going out. A utility in western Washtenaw wants to pump the brakes on two hyperscale centers until analysts study impact on sewage.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joins Sam Altman, tech leaders for a ceremonial groundbreaking of $56 billion data center. The project is ‘big in all ways’ — including controversy.

Local tax abatements were created for manufacturers that create tons of jobs. As Saline Township is set to approve a local break worth $147 million a year, some ask if local breaks are appropriate for data centers.

‘The Barn’ asked Saline Township for a $147M tax break, after boosting the data center’s value by 9 times from the original request. The township OK’d a cut — but dialed back the amount.

The Washtenaw County community wants a six-month pause on power updates before U-M moves forward with a $1.2 billion project to conduct nuclear weapons research.