Oakland University AI Data Center (Fairmount Properties)

Oakland University (filed as Fairmount Properties). Approved, 20 MW

Oakland University's Board of Trustees voted 7 to 0, with one abstention, in June 2026 to tentatively advance a 20 megawatt, 15 acre data center and AI institute with developer Fairmount Properties on a campus parking lot. The site was moved after concerns about a nearby Native American heritage area, and the board still has about a year of due diligence ahead before any final approval. Students and some community members have protested the process, saying the board voted before public comment was fully heard.

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Status: Approved
Operator: Oakland University
Applicant on record: Fairmount Properties
Location: 2200 North Squirrel Road, Rochester, MI, Oakland County, MI
Size: 20 MW, 15 acres
Cooling: Not reported
Utility: DTE Electric
Last updated: August 29, 2026

What happens next

Still to come: permits and construction. Builders do not always announce a construction start date in advance.

Sources

Oakland University Tentatively Approves Data Center, Government Technology
New AI data center coming to Oakland University?, ClickOnDetroit, 2026-06-26
Oakland University bets on AI data center to give students a competitive edge, ClickOnDetroit, 2026-06-26

What it would mean nearby

The cooling design has not been reported. If it uses evaporative cooling, a 20 MW facility would draw roughly 63,000 to 228,000 gallons of water a day, about what 700 households use.

DTE Electric is asking the commission for a 9.7% residential increase (2027 electric rate case (docket U-22046)). On a $160 monthly bill that is about $13 to $18 a month. 2026 electric distribution rate case (docket U-21860) raised residential rates 4.1% from March 2026: about $6 to $8 a month on a $160 bill. The order is meant to keep this one data center's power costs off the bills of regular DTE residential customers, but critics argue the fast, largely ex parte approval process did not fully test that promise.

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