Project Cannoli

Timeline from the record

Newest first. Record entries come from the filings and reports the registry cites. Coverage entries are headlines from publisher feeds we monitor daily, linked to the outlet; last checked September 14, 2026.

1. October 24, 2026

   Under construction
   The Van Buren Township Planning Commission approved the final site plan 5-1 on Oct. 14, 2026. Early construction is underway: residents have reported crews and dust since August, and phased underground utility work runs through early 2027. Google expects to draw power by late 2027. Source: Planet Detroit

Opposition and litigation at this site

Yes. Project Cannoli in Van Buren Township, Wayne County, Michigan is contested. Hearings, public comment, petitions, or organized opposition are on record, and no lawsuit has been filed so far. The planning commission voted 5-2 in February 2026 to grant preliminary site plan approval for the data center and approved the final site plan 5-1 on October 14, 2026.

How the community has taken it

Reception is a sourced signal, not an editorial judgment: contested means active public debate is on record, with hearings, petitions, or organized opposition, without litigation.

The planning commission voted 5-2 in February 2026 to grant preliminary site plan approval for the data center and approved the final site plan 5-1 on October 14, 2026. As of February 2026, Planet Detroit reported that 1,400 people had signed a petition opposing the project; as of October 2026, Gander Newsroom reports that more than 2,700 residents have signed a petition against it.

Source: Planet Detroit

Power and water

~1GW need per a DTE utility deal (450MW storage + 1.6GW renewables). $125M in local tax reduction in exchange for $15.4M developer-funded infrastructure + 51 jobs.

Planet Detroit (February 2026), citing the township's frequently asked questions, reports around 2 million to 3.6 million gallons of water a day; Bridge Michigan (via The Manchester Mirror) reports the facility will draw up to 3.6 million gallons per day from the Great Lakes Water Authority. These are projected maximums, not reported actual use, so no water-use figure is recorded.

Public money on the record

Notes on the record

Google confirmed evaluating the site. Coordinates are approximate. Developer: Panattoni Development Co. The township planning commission granted preliminary site plan approval in February 2026 and approved the final site plan 5-1 on October 14, 2026. As of October 2026, early construction was reported underway, and Google expects the facility to begin drawing power by late 2027. The record is listed as under construction.

Other sites within 30 miles

Distances are between recorded coordinates, many of which are a city or county centroid, so treat them as approximate. Cumulative load on one utility and one aquifer is the question a planning commission rarely asks.

• U-M / Los Alamos Research Computing Center · Ypsilanti · University of Michigan (with Los Alamos National Laboratory)6 mi · Proposed · Opposed
• Otava Metro Detroit Data Center · Westland · Otava7 mi · Operating · 1.2 MW
• Klever Technology Center Data Center Proposal (27181 Southern Street, Inkster) · Inkster · Klever Technology Center LLC8 mi · Cancelled · Opposed
• Allen Park Data Center · Allen Park · Solstice Data13 mi · Cancelled · 26 MW · Opposed
• Thor Equities Augusta Township Data Center (Form8tion) · Augusta Township · Thor Equities15 mi · Cancelled · Opposed
• Gibraltar Data Center (former McLouth Steel site) · Gibraltar · Raeden (with Cal Realty / Ferragon Corp.)15 mi · Proposed · 100 MW · In litigation
• York Township Data Center (Platt Road / former Toyota land) · York Township · Sansone Group16 mi · Cancelled
• Otava Ann Arbor Data Center · Ann Arbor · Otava16 mi · Operating

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