Ypsi Township pushes back against U-M data center project

Some residents of Ypsilanti Township are speaking out against a joint data center planned by the University of Michigan and the U.S. Defense Department. The data center would take up roughly 22-acres of the 144-acre site located along Textile Road near Bridge Road. WWJ's Jackie Paige spoke live with Doug Winters, General Counsel for the township. (Photo: Getty Images) The University of Michigan declined an interview with WWJ, but said in a statement that the proposed center will not be a military installation or weapons production facility as some speculate. U-M President Domenico Grasso said the project reflects the university's broader responsibility to invest today in the students, researchers and communities of the future. “Universities like Michigan are built by generations willing to invest in discoveries and opportunities they may never live to see,” Grasso said. “We have that same responsibility today — to build for the students, researchers and communities who will follow us. And as we move this project forward, we are equally committed to listening to our neighbors, answering their questions and working with the community to ensure we develop this site responsibly.”