The Ypsilanti Township Data Center
The university is has purchased 124 acres in Ypsilanti Township as a possible site for a planned high-performance computational research facility in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory (who were responsible for the Manhattan Project). The Board of Regents approved the purchase last year. The proposed facility would supposedly support advanced computing and research efforts.
However, (un)surprisingly, nobody asked the actual residents about this. For reference, Ypsilanti is over 7 miles from the university. Many local residenta have voiced concerns about the development and its impact on the surrounding community. Additionally, many residents were not even aware this was happening in their community. So, questions remain about land use and who even benefits from these investments, because as it stands now it is not the residents of Ypsilanti. The university presents the project as an opportunity to expand research capabilities yet many residents are left wondering how much influence local communities have over decisions that could reshape their neighborhoods.