IBEW Local 252’s October 21 call sheet lists 89 electrical craft positions and 10 test-technician positions explicitly assigned to The Barn data center in Saline Township, Michigan.[11] These are dated dispatch notices, not a confirmed count of vacancies remaining today. For workers, they provide named employers and referral instructions. For contractors, Walbridge publishes a general prequalification route, although we have not verified an open Barn bid package.[4]
The Barn is under construction in Washtenaw County, on the north side of Michigan Avenue near Bridgewater Township.[9] Related Digital is the developer, Walbridge is the general contractor, and Oracle and OpenAI are the intended users.[9][3] The campus belongs to OpenAI’s Stargate program.[1] This report covers the Michigan project; Echelon’s Abilene Stargate report covers the separate Texas campus.
What is being built, and when?
The Barn is an announced $16 billion campus. On April 24, Related Digital and Blackstone announced that financing had been secured, with equity from Related Digital and Blackstone-affiliated funds and debt anchored by PIMCO-managed funds and accounts.[18] The announcement said closing remained subject to customary conditions; it did not confirm a completed financing close or final construction cost.[18]
Walbridge describes three single-story data halls of 550,000 square feet each, totaling 1.65 million square feet.[3] On June 1, Related Digital said all three buildings were under construction and the first was nearing completion.[7] Its ceremonial groundbreaking that day was not the start of construction: Walbridge had already reported more than 200,000 union trade hours by May 5.[3][7]
The project website says construction continues through 2027 with phased delivery.[2] That is a project schedule, not a verified date for each hall’s opening or energization.[2] OpenAI calls the campus a 1-gigawatt project.[1] The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) separately describes a 1,383-megawatt contracted electrical load.[6] Those figures have different meanings and should not be used interchangeably.[1][6]
Land figures also use different boundaries.[9][3][2] The township’s January 28 FAQ describes an approximately 575-acre project site on eight properties.[9] Walbridge refers to the 250-acre construction campus, while the project website describes more than 1,000 acres in its wider land assemblage, with about 250 developed.[3][2] Neither the smaller nor the larger number is a substitute for the other.[9][2]
Which contractors are named?
Walbridge’s May 5 release identifies Kais-Air as responsible for mechanical and electrical skid assemblies and hot aisle containment.[3] It also names Motor City Electric, Progressive Mechanical Inc. (PMI), John E. Green, Shaw / E-J Electric, Superior Electric Great Lakes (SEGLC), Triangle Electric and Universal Piping Industries (UPI) as trade partners.[3] The release names partners, not a list of every subcontractor or every open scope.[3] These firms do not all perform electrical work.[3]
ENR separately reports that Blaze Contracting handles earthwork, attributing that assignment to Related Digital.[19] This is a reported contractor assignment, not an open bid or hiring notice.[19]
The later Local 252 call sheet names employers on specific electrical and testing calls, including Motor City Electric, Shaw, Superior Electric Tri County, Triangle, VEC and RESA Power.[11] A hall call names an employer seeking dispatch on that date; it does not establish the employer’s full contract scope or revise Walbridge’s May partner list.[11][3] In particular, the hall’s Superior Electric Tri County is not the Superior Electric Great Lakes (SEGLC) name in Walbridge’s release.[11][3]
How can a subcontractor pursue work?
Walbridge’s subcontractor portal describes vendor prequalification for subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals.[4] It says the review considers experience, safety, bonding, insurance, licensing and financial resources.[4] Vendors must renew their profiles annually.[4] Walbridge advises firms to check its Bid Agenda and use the EPR link for a specific project, then contact the appropriate estimator.[4]
Prequalification puts a company into Walbridge’s evaluation process; it does not award work or establish that a Barn package is open.[4] Check the current Bid Agenda for a named project and ask its estimator about scope, deadlines and eligibility before preparing a proposal. We have not verified a Barn-specific bid entry. Related Digital’s careers page serves job applicants, not subcontractor bids.[2]
What do the dated union calls say?
On October 21, Local 252’s page still displayed JIW work calls for October 21, 2026, with the inside-call section last updated October 20 at 4:26 p.m.[11] It named these Barn assignments:[11]
| Employer on the hall page | Barn call in the October 21 listing |
|---|---|
| Motor City Electric | 6 journeyman inside wiremen (JIWs) and 6 JIW splicers; splicers require Ray Chem medium-voltage certification. Both calls say six 10-hour days. |
| Shaw | 14 JIWs, six 10-hour days. |
| Superior Electric Tri County | 33 JIWs on a day shift and 16 on a second shift, each listed as six 10-hour days. |
| Triangle | 8 JIWs, seven 10-hour days. |
| VEC | 6 JIWs for building and electrical power management systems, listed as five 10-hour days and one 8-hour day. |
| RESA Power | 5 low-voltage and 5 medium-voltage test technicians; NETA experience preferred. |
These are advertised calls, not a count of people hired, unfilled positions now, or separate net new jobs.[11] For the Barn JIW calls, the page requires a Michigan electrical license or Michigan apprentice registration and a drug test current within 90 days.[11] To seek a listed call, applicants sign the in-person day book from 8 to 8:30 a.m.; dispatch starts at 8:30 a.m.[11][12] The referral rules separately give 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 3 p.m. for an original in-person book registration. Registering on the book is not the same as signing in for that day’s calls.[12] The RESA technician calls instead appear under instructions to leave a voicemail or contact the hall.[11] Read the current Local 252 work calls and its referral rules before traveling or calling.[11][12] Nonmembers are directed to the job line.[11]
An entry path for a new electrician is the Ann Arbor Electrical JATC application process, which describes in-person applications by appointment on the third Monday of each month, eligibility requirements and an aptitude test.[15] Apprenticeship admission is separate from a Barn dispatch.[15][11]
Employer job leads beyond dispatch
Related Digital’s Construction PM/SPM, Data Centers, Saline listing describes a full-time Saline role covering budget, scheduling, permitting, contractor selection, construction and commissioning.[13] It lists 10 or more years of data-center or mission-critical construction experience and an anticipated base range of $175,000 to $225,000.[13] The description names Saline and Related Digital, but does not explicitly name The Barn. Confirm the campus assignment with the employer.[13]
Walbridge’s Construction Scheduler listing, ID 2026-2443 shows a Saline work location and asks for five or more years of scheduling experience, with substantial travel.[14] It likewise does not name The Barn and says the candidate may be based elsewhere in the United States.[14] Check the employer’s current listing for availability and site assignment before applying.[14]
Jobs forecast versus people on site
OpenAI forecast more than 2,500 union construction jobs and 450 permanent onsite jobs.[1] Those are projected job totals across different types and periods, not current vacancies.[1] Related Digital reported more than 700 tradespeople on site on June 1, then more than 1,800 building the project and one million craft hours logged in its August 27 announcement.[7][10] Those dated observations are not a current October headcount and should not be added to the forecast or to the hall calls.[1][10][11]
The labor agreement covers 14 signatory affiliated trades under the National Maintenance Agreement.[7] The electrical call sheet is one window into that workforce, not a directory of every craft’s hiring or apprenticeship route.[7][11]
Permits and power: what approval means here
The township’s January FAQ says the consent judgment governs site development, while county and state agencies retain their permitting roles. Its advisory notes say foundation permits for the Operations and Warehouse buildings had been issued by April 29. They do not establish a complete permit inventory for all three data halls. The township FAQ reports an EGLE permit to install generators and a pump; advisory notes also report wetlands permits.[9][5]
The project website says Related Digital applied for a treated domestic wastewater discharge permit, MI0060445.[2] EGLE scheduled a virtual public hearing for October 21 on the proposed new-use discharge permit for RD Michigan Property Owner I LLC and its Related Digital wastewater treatment plant.[16] The MiEnviro notice labels MI0060445 v1.0 a draft permit and lists a public notice period ending October 23.[17] This hearing and draft notice do not verify final issuance.[16][17]
The MPSC conditionally approved DTE Electric’s special power contracts in December 2025 for a 1,383 MW load contracted with Green Chile Ventures, an Oracle subsidiary. In March 2026, it approved the first 332 MW of DTE battery projects tied to the 1,383 MW storage arrangement. Contract and storage approvals do not show that batteries have been built or that the data halls are energized. The MPSC expressly says it does not issue construction permits or decide water use. Township notes on June 10 said substation equipment delivery would be delayed, but that dated note is not an October schedule update.[6][8][5]
Frequently asked questions
Is The Barn still hiring construction workers?
The October 20 capture of Local 252 showed Barn-specific calls for October 21. Calls can be filled or changed. Check the hall’s current page and referral instructions rather than using the dated table as today’s vacancy count.[11][12]
Can my firm bid on the project through Walbridge?
Walbridge offers company-wide prequalification and tells firms to monitor its Bid Agenda. We have not verified an open Barn bid. Check the current agenda and project EPR entry before preparing a proposal.[4]
Is the project complete because a building was nearly finished in June?
No. Related Digital described the first of three buildings as nearing completion on June 1, while the project website projected construction through 2027 and phased delivery. Neither statement verifies completion or power-up of a particular phase.[7][2]
Does the power approval cover building and water permits?
No. The MPSC decision concerns utility service terms.[6] The township describes separate county and state construction and environmental reviews.[9] EGLE’s October 21 hearing concerns a proposed wastewater discharge permit, and MiEnviro labels the permit draft, not finally issued.[16][17]
Are the advertised 2,500 construction jobs available right now?
The 2,500 figure is a forecast for construction employment, not current vacancies. The August 27 release reported more than 1,800 tradespeople then building the campus; the October 21 hall sheet lists dated dispatch calls from individual employers.[1][10][11]
More Echelon data-center construction reports
Sources
- Building the infrastructure for the Intelligence Age in Michigan
- The Barn Data Center | Related Digital – Saline, MI
- Walbridge Is Building the Largest Project in Its 110-Year History – Right Here in Michigan – Walbridge
- Subcontractor Portal – Walbridge
- Advisory Committee Meetings
- MPSC approves DTE Electric energy contracts for data center with conditions to strengthen protections for other customers
- Related Digital, Blackstone, Oracle, OpenAI, Walbridge and Governor Whitmer Celebrate Construction of Stargate Campus in Saline Township
- MPSC goes big on batteries, approving six energy storage contracts totaling 1,332 megawatts
- Saline Township Data Center Project Information and Frequently Asked Questions (January 28, 2026)
- Related Digital, Oracle, Walbridge, Blackstone and labor leaders celebrate one million (union) work hours at The Barn in Saline Township
- IBEW LOCAL 252 Work Calls
- IBEW Local 252 Daybook Referral Rules (effective September 11, 2026)
- Construction PM/SPM – Data Centers (Saline, MI) in Saline, Michigan | Related
- Construction Scheduler in Saline, Michigan | Careers at Saline, MI
- HOW TO APPLY | Aaejatc
- EGLE public hearing for proposed new-use NPDES permit MI0060445
- MiEnviro Public Hearing – Draft Permit, MI0060445 v1.0
- Related Digital announces financing for $16 billion Saline Township campus
- ENR: Oracle Michigan campus financing and reported contractor assignments