Ypsilanti Township Residents Oppose University of Michigan Data Center at Town Hall
Ypsilanti Township residents voiced continued opposition to the University of Michigan’s planned data center at a town hall. Residents questioned the project’s environmental, safety, noise and transparency implications, while university officials defended the Textile Road site and proposed closed-loop cooling system.
Residents and local officials used a University of Michigan town hall to reiterate opposition to a planned data center in Ypsilanti Township. Attendees challenged the university’s selection of the Textile Road site, questioned why Willow Run was not chosen, and raised concerns about environmental impacts, noise, safety, taxation and the allocation of computing capacity to Los Alamos National Laboratory.
University project representatives, including Project Lead Steven Ceccio and Project Director Rob Green, defended the site and said alternative locations faced legal and financial constraints. Green said the facility’s environmental impact would be limited through evaporative and closed-loop cooling, potentially using reclaimed wastewater. Regent Paul Brown criticized the university’s community engagement, while Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said she planned to oppose the project more forcefully.