Related Digital and Funds Affiliated with Blackstone Commit Equity to Fund Project; Fixed Rate, Long-Term Debt Financing Anchored by PIMCO-Managed Funds and Accounts
Campus Creates Thousands of Union Construction Jobs and Significant Community Investment
DALLAS, April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Related Digital, a vertically integrated data center development and investment platform, and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) announced today that financing has been secured for Related Digital's $16 billion data center campus in Saline Township, Michigan, purpose-built for Oracle. The financing includes equity from Related Digital and funds affiliated with Blackstone, and fixed-rate, long term debt financing anchored by PIMCO-managed funds and accounts. Bank of America served as structuring agent and financial advisor, with Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo also serving as advisors to Related Digital.
This project will deliver significant community benefits, including:
- 2,500+ union construction jobs, 450+ jobs onsite, and 1,500+ jobs county-wide
- Millions in new, annual tax revenues to support the Township, Washtenaw County and Michigan schools
- $14 million in direct benefits for the local fire department and community investment
- Utilizing a closed-loop system that protects Michigan's water
- Preservation of 750+acres of open space, farmland and wetlands
"The strength of this financing is a powerful validation of what we have built at Related Digital and of the critical role this project will play in America's digital future," said Jeff T. Blau, CEO of Related Companies and Chairman of Related Digital. "We are grateful for the confidence of Blackstone, PIMCO, and our world class banking partners, institutions who understand the scale, complexity, and long-term value of what we are delivering for our partners at Oracle and OpenAI. I also want to extend my thanks to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose commitment to ensuring Michigan competes in the innovation economy in a responsible and forward-thinking way has made this possible. Major construction is well underway in Saline Township, momentum is strong, and we are laser focused on executing with the same discipline that has defined Related for more than 50 years."
Nadeem Meghji, Global Head of Blackstone Real Estate, said: "Demand for digital infrastructure continues at a breathtaking pace, driven by AI and the broader digitalization of the economy. This investment is another way we are capitalizing on this generational opportunity and helping provide much needed compute capacity. We're excited to back the largest ever investment in the state of Michigan and we look forward to supporting Related Digital as it delivers this critical AI infrastructure."
"Strong investor demand for high-quality digital infrastructure continues to drive significant capital formation, particularly for projects of this scale and complexity," said Jim DeMare, Co-President, Bank of America. "Our deep relationships with sponsor clients and investors, together with our expertise in structuring infrastructure finance transactions, positioned us well to help structure these transactions efficiently. We are proud to support Related Digital, Blackstone and Oracle on this landmark project in Michigan."
DTE Energy is supplying 100% of the project's power using existing resources augmented by a new battery storage investment financed entirely by Oracle. As a result, this project is expected to create $300 million in savings for DTE's existing customers thanks to the project's contribution towards the fixed costs of grid maintenance and improvements.
"The rapid progress at our Saline Township data center underscores the urgency and scale of building America's next-generation AI infrastructure," said Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. "Together with our partners, we are not just building a data center—we are creating high-quality jobs, investing in the communities in which we operate, and driving long-term economic growth. This project reflects our deep commitment to Michigan and to powering the future of AI in the United States."
The Saline Township campus — known as "The Barn" for the historic red barn preserved at the project's entrance along Michigan Avenue — comprises three single-story data center buildings with more than a gigawatt of capacity. The project is being developed for Oracle as part of its partnership with OpenAI to expand AI compute capacity across the country. The campus utilizes a closed-loop cooling system for cooling and will be LEED certified. Construction on the first data center buildings is underway and the project is on schedule for delivery to Oracle. The multi-billion-dollar investment positions Michigan as a cornerstone of America's AI infrastructure buildout.
The closing of the financing is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Construction images and renderings of the Saline Township site are available here.
About Related Digital
Founded by Related Companies, one of the most prominent privately-owned real estate development firms in the United States with more than $100B in assets owned or under development, Related Digital is a leading vertically integrated data center development and investment platform. Related Digital combines Related Companies' 50-year-plus history of executing complex real estate and infrastructure projects with its track record developing large-scale clean energy solutions. With a $45 billion development pipeline of more than five gigawatts of near-term power across the United States and Canada, Related Digital has the executive capabilities, depth of expertise, and national scale to bring differentiated solutions to global hyperscalers. Related Digital currently has data center projects underway in Ontario, Wyoming, Michigan, Missouri, Illinois and Texas.
About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager. Blackstone seeks to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which the firm invests. Blackstone's over $1.3 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, credit, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow @blackstone on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
About PIMCO
PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients' capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world's largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.
About Oracle
Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com [oracle.com].
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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