One of the largest construction projects in southeast Michigan has its final local sign-off.
The Van Buren Township Planning Commission granted final site plan approval for a 1-gigawatt Google data center and an electrical substation on Wednesday, Oct. 14, Planet Detroit reported. The project, known as "Project Cannoli," is being developed by Panattoni.
The size of the job
The project covers 282 acres north of I-94, east of Haggerty Road, west of Hannan Road and south of Wayne County Community College, according to Planet Detroit.
Adam Kramer, Panattoni's president of data centers, said construction will require 9.8 million labor hours. He said developers have already awarded $2 billion in contracts to Wayne County businesses. Once built, the center will employ 50 to 200 people on site.
Kramer has also said the project is expected to be the largest taxpayer in Van Buren Township and one of the top five in Wayne County.
The data center is expected to begin service in December 2027 and reach full load by December 2028, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission, citing DTE Electric.
Why the commission said yes
Commissioner Jeffrey Jahr said the commission had to approve because a data center is a principal permitted use under the township's zoning rules.
"I feel that the applicant has met all of the objective specific requirements for us to grant the request," Jahr said, according to Planet Detroit. He added that he's leaning toward the township considering more restrictions on data centers in the future.
Noise, dust and construction traffic
Neighbors told the commission they are already dealing with noise and dust. Several played recordings of dump trucks on their phones. More than 2,700 people have signed an online petition against the project, Planet Detroit reported.
A Panattoni spokesperson said the company takes the concerns seriously and is working to reduce impacts, noting that utility providers and others are also working in the area. Panattoni said construction traffic will use the I-94 Service Drive, not Haggerty Road.
Modeling shows the center will meet the township's 67 dBA noise limit, said Paul Kammer, an engineer with Fishbeck. A Kimley-Horn noise study calls for two 40-foot-high noise walls. Buildings are also being used to block sound.
Water, wetlands and backup power
Two of the data center buildings will use closed-loop cooling, and one will use water-heavy open-loop cooling. Total water use is estimated at 2 million to 3.6 million gallons a day, purchased from the township, according to Planet Detroit. The site will have four storage tanks to hold cooling water discharge during a 500-year storm.
The project will permanently affect 13.55 acres of wetlands, require six culverts in regulated streams, and fill and abandon 573 linear feet of a stream, according to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Developers will buy wetland mitigation credits and create 1,174 feet of new stream channel on the property. About 45% of the site will stay undeveloped under a conservation easement.
Panattoni said the number of Tier 4 backup diesel generators has been cut from 200 to 22.
Power still under review
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved DTE Energy's contracts for the data center on Oct. 1. DTE has proposed new natural gas plants in Milan and Handy townships, which regulators are still reviewing.
Why it matters for contractors
Nearly 10 million labor hours is a huge amount of work for one site. Earthwork, concrete, steel, electrical, mechanical, noise walls, stream restoration, storm water storage and a substation all have to come together on a schedule aimed at December 2027. With $2 billion already awarded to Wayne County businesses, much of the work is spoken for, but projects this size usually keep adding subs as they go.
The neighbor complaints are a warning for crews on site. Dust and truck noise are already drawing attention, and the commission is talking about tighter rules on future data centers. Good housekeeping, dust control and following the designated truck route will matter.
Contractors in other Michigan towns should watch, too. Saline Township was sued by a data center developer after denying a rezoning in 2025, Planet Detroit noted. How local rules shake out will decide where the next big job lands.