Port Washington data center: contractors, jobs and permits

Research checked October 16, 2026. Part of Echelon’s data center construction reports.

Port Washington’s Lighthouse data center is under construction, with Vantage targeting completion in 2028.[4][6] A September 21, 2026 TMJ4 report described a tour inside Building 12 and attributed an onsite workforce of 2,800 to 3,000 to Vantage. That was a reported headcount at the time, not a count of jobs available today.[37]

Contractors can introduce their services through the project’s subcontractor and supplier database. The form accepts electrical, mechanical, concrete, utility and other scopes. Registration starts a business inquiry; it does not provide an open bid package or a contract award.[19]

For workers, the useful distinction is between an announced workforce and a job you can apply for. Vantage forecasts a peak construction workforce of more than 4,000 over a three-year period. The employer listings below distinguish work explicitly tied to Lighthouse, roles based in Port Washington and a broader position that lists Port Washington among several locations. Union contacts provide a separate route for craft-work inquiries. The forecast is not a count of vacancies, and a hall contact is not a dispatch.[10][18]

The campus and its power connection also have different schedules. Wisconsin has issued permits for some campus work. ATC says its revised grid connection still needs state approval. Vantage targets completion in 2028, but that forecast does not set the start date for your trade package.[4][5][6]

Start with the route that fits your work

Your purpose	Direct route	What to ask or prepare
Introduce a contracting or supply business	Lighthouse subcontractor and supplier database	Company capabilities, relevant scopes, NAICS codes, certifications and union affiliation. Ask which general contractor controls your package.[19]
Qualify for Whiting-Turner work	Trade partner prequalification and project-specific inquiries	Check whether your company already has a BuildingConnected account. Identify Lighthouse in your project inquiry.[15][16]
Prepare for Turner qualification	Turner subcontractor application guidance	Gather licenses, references, safety history, financial information, insurance and surety documentation.[17]
Ask about McCarthy or joint-venture procurement	McCarthy trade-partner routes	Company-wide prequalification and plan-room links. Confirm the process for your Lighthouse package.[38]
Reach Weitz about your scope	Weitz contact form	Request the Lighthouse procurement contact. This is a general inquiry route, not a verified bid portal.[39]
Apply for a professional role	Use the individual employer listings below	Match the requisition, location and experience requirements. Do not use the supplier form to apply for employment.[19][20][21]
Find craft work or apprenticeship entry	Contact the relevant union or training organization below	Ask about current Lighthouse calls, eligibility, referral procedures and training intake. A listed hall is not a confirmed dispatch.[10][22]

What Lighthouse is, and where it is being built

Lighthouse is Vantage Data Centers’ campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin. It is in Ozaukee County and forms part of the Oracle and OpenAI Stargate expansion. Vantage plans four single-story data centers with 2.5 million square feet of space and 902 megawatts of critical IT load. That term describes power for computing equipment, not all the electricity the campus will use.[6][7]

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) places the 672-acre campus about one mile inland from Lake Michigan. Its project page says Vantage owns 1,644 acres in total. The campus is only part of that land. Neither figure tells a contractor how much land a single building or work package occupies.[4]

Project item	Verified description and source boundary
Campus name	Lighthouse, Port Washington, Wisconsin.[6]
Developer	Vantage Data Centers.[4][6]
Announced partners	Oracle and OpenAI through the Stargate expansion.[7]
Announced investment	More than $15 billion, according to Vantage’s labor-partnership announcement.[18]
Campus scale	Four buildings, 672 acres, 2.5 million square feet and 902 MW of critical IT load.[6]
Completion target	2028, according to Vantage. This is a planned completion date.[6]
Current construction evidence	DNR describes the campus as being constructed. The owner publishes construction updates.[1][4]

The city’s data center page retains local and archived documents. It directs readers to Port Data Center for current updates. Obtain the assigned gate, delivery instructions and site contact from your employer or contracting counterparty before traveling. Neither information site authorizes a delivery.[3]

The DNR location map below comes from its December 2025 environmental analysis. It places the proposed campus near Port Washington and Lake Michigan, but its transmission-line depiction predates ATC’s September 2026 revised application. Use it for geographic context, not current routing, property ownership or gate instructions.[5][33]

Historical Wisconsin DNR location map of the Lighthouse campus near Port Washington and Lake Michigan, December 2025. Proposed transmission lines are not current routing or delivery instructions. — Historical location map: Wisconsin DNR, December 2025, Figure 1, page 5 [33]. The transmission-line depiction predates the revised application [5]. This is not a current route, boundary survey or delivery plan. View full-size graphic

Who is building the Port Washington data center?

The sources we reviewed name Weitz, Whiting-Turner and the Turner McCarthy Joint Venture. OSHA’s Lighthouse safety partnership lists those construction organizations, while Weitz directly identifies itself as one of the project’s general contractors.[9][10]

Organization	What the source establishes	What remains to confirm
The Weitz Company	Weitz identifies itself as a general contractor. Parent company Orascom describes a 200 MW hyperscale data center scope.[8][9]	The relevant procurement contact, trade-package boundaries and remaining buyout schedule.
Turner McCarthy Joint Venture	OSHA names the joint venture. The Daily Reporter attributes Buildings 13 and 14, with a combined 468 MW, to the team in its January 22, 2026 report.[10][12]	Confirm the current building and package assignment with the joint venture before pricing.
Whiting-Turner	OSHA names the company in the Lighthouse project partnership.[10]	The public sources reviewed do not establish a complete building-by-building allocation. Use its project inquiry route.[16]
Michels	Engineering News-Record includes Michels in its construction-team account.[13]	That account alone does not establish a current awarded scope or make Michels a separate campus general contractor.

These sources do not identify every subcontractor or provide a complete building and package map. The two reported scopes have not been reconciled with the campus IT load. Do not subtract them from 902 MW and assign the rest to another builder. Ask the team buying your work to confirm the building, phase and package.

An interest registration is not a bid or job offer. CONTRACTORS: Use the Lighthouse supplier database. Then confirm the package owner, qualification process and current procurement schedule. CRAFT WORKERS: Ask the relevant union or employer about current calls, eligibility, wages and travel terms. Hall participation is not a dispatch. PROFESSIONAL ROLES: Apply through the employer. Vantage R23022 names Lighthouse; Weitz R-100334 describes a Port Washington project. — Use the route that fits your purpose. Sources: project interest form [19], OSHA [10], Vantage [20] and Weitz [21]. Checked October 16, 2026. View full-size graphic

Contractor registration and bid preparation

The project interest form is more useful than a general press contact for introducing a local business. Its listed categories include building electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, concrete supply and placement, structural steel, underground piping, campus utility distribution, fiber testing, fencing and landscaping.[19]

The form asks about company experience, business certifications, union affiliation and support needs, including financing, insurance and bonding. It also allows supporting company information. Those fields show what the project team wants to learn about prospective suppliers; they do not establish that every listed scope remains available.[19]

Prepare a short capability statement that explains what you do, where you work and how much work you can take on. Include relevant past projects. Before spending time on an estimate, ask the package owner for current drawings, specifications, bid dates and contract terms.

Whiting-Turner’s qualification page warns against duplicate BuildingConnected accounts and provides a separate project inquiry route. Turner’s published preparation list includes three years of safety data, financial statements, insurance information and a surety letter showing project and aggregate limits. Treat these as qualification processes rather than invitations to price a particular Lighthouse package.[15][16][17]

McCarthy’s trade-partner page links to its prequalification portal and public online plan room. These are company-wide routes, not a verified Lighthouse bid invitation. Ask which process the Turner McCarthy Joint Venture requires for the package you want to price.[38]

For Weitz, use its official contact form to request the Lighthouse procurement contact and qualification instructions. Identify your trade and the Port Washington campus in the message. We verified the general inquiry form, not a public Weitz Lighthouse bidding portal.[39]

We did not find a verified open trade bid package or a full list of awarded subcontractors in the sources reviewed. Use these routes to identify the right buyer and confirm whether your scope is still being procured.

Port Washington jobs verified on employer sites

The listings below were visible on the employers’ websites on October 16, 2026. They are professional or technical roles, not union craft calls. Check that the employer is still taking applications before making plans around a listing. Location-specific and multi-location roles are labeled separately; the employer must confirm the actual assignment.

Employer and direct application route	Listing and location	Project connection and requirements
Vantage: IT Infrastructure Engineer, NA	R23022. Full time, onsite in Port Washington, Wisconsin.[20]	The description explicitly names Lighthouse. Work includes infrastructure deployment, vendor coordination, testing and commissioning support. It requests at least 2–4 years of relevant experience and a relevant degree or equivalent experience.[20]
Weitz: Assistant Project Manager, Data Center Construction	R-100334. The page displays Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[21]	The description assigns the position to a hyperscale project in Port Washington. It requests 2–5 years of construction project-management experience and an industry-related degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.[21]
Vantage: Senior Project Manager, Quality & Commissioning, NA	R22787. Port Washington listed; description says onsite Wisconsin.[40]	Oversees testing and turnover of mechanical, electrical and IT systems. Requires at least 5 years of MEP construction experience; 8 or more preferred. The description does not name Lighthouse. Travel is expected around 50%.[40]
Vantage: Project Controls Specialist, NA	R25076. Description explicitly says onsite in Port Washington.[41]	Cost control, budgets, forecasting, payment reviews and construction reporting. Requires 5 years of project-controls management experience. The description does not name Lighthouse.[41]
Vantage: Senior Automation Systems Engineer, Delivery, NA	R24924. Multi-location role that includes Port Washington, not a confirmed Lighthouse assignment.[42]	Controls integration, testing and turnover. Typically requires at least 7 years of relevant experience. The posting allows a hybrid base at any U.S. company location and expects North American travel up to about 25%.[42]

The location mismatch on the Weitz listing matters: its search label says Milwaukee, but its description names Port Washington. Read the complete posting rather than filtering only by the displayed city.[21]

Vantage’s campus careers page forecasts more than 300 permanent Vantage positions. The broader campus announcement forecasts more than 1,000 long-term jobs across Vantage and Oracle. Those numbers describe different employer populations and should not be added together or presented as current vacancies.[7][14]

Union contacts and apprenticeship routes

Vantage’s October 30, 2025 pledge with the Wisconsin Building Trades Council calls for local union labor to the fullest extent possible. OSHA’s project partnership names electrical, plumbing, steamfitting, laborer, operating-engineer, ironworker and sheet-metal organizations, among other trades.[10][18]

Use these contacts to ask about work or training. We did not verify a current Lighthouse call through these halls. Taking part in a safety partnership does not tell us how many workers a contractor needs today.

Trade or purpose	Direct contact route	Useful first question
Electrical	IBEW Local 494 referral information.[23]	Are there current Lighthouse calls, and what referral and credential requirements apply?
Plumbing	Plumbers Local 75, 414-359-1310. Apprenticeship office: 414-359-1318.[26]	Which current work or training route matches my experience?
Steamfitting	Steamfitters Local 601, 414-543-0601.[25]	Is the appropriate route a journeyperson inquiry, apprenticeship or another training program?
Laborers	LIUNA Local 113, 414-873-4520.[28]	What are the current referral procedures and project requirements?
Equipment operation	Operating Engineers Local 139 district contacts.[27]	Which representative handles this site and my equipment qualifications?
Ironwork	Ironworkers Local 8, Milwaukee office: 414-476-9370.[29]	Are there project calls matching my structural or reinforcing experience?
Sheet metal	SMART Local 18, 262-798-1818.[30]	Which referral or apprenticeship process should I follow?
Unsure which trade or program fits	Milwaukee Building-Construction Trades Council, 414-475-5580, and the Wisconsin training-center directory.[22][24]	Which training center serves my intended trade and location?

Before accepting traveling work, obtain the employer’s written terms for wages, overtime, shift pattern, expected duration, lodging and travel reimbursement. We did not verify a campus-wide per diem or housing guarantee. Electricians should also check Wisconsin’s journeyman credential requirements, rather than assuming an out-of-state license automatically authorizes the same work.[32]

Construction schedule and permit status

The owner’s construction page says that, beginning April 18, 2026, scheduled work runs Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The page carries a June 16 update date. This is a published construction window, not a promise that an individual employee will work those hours or receive overtime.[1]

Date or milestone	Published status	Contractor or worker implication
December 11, 2025	DNR issued specified nonfederal wetland exemptions and conveyed construction stormwater coverage.[4]	These permissions cover stated areas and activities, not every campus approval.
June 12, 2026	DNR issued air construction permit 25-MIN-094 and initial operating permit 24618528A-F01 for 45 diesel emergency generators.[4]	Generator permits do not establish that equipment is installed or commissioned.
August 6 and September 10, 2026	The PSC first voted to revoke the original application’s completeness finding, then issued a final order closing docket 137-CE-221.[34][35]	The old proceeding ended without a decision on the project’s merits.
September 2026	ATC says it submitted a revised application; the PSC lists replacement docket 137-CE-229 as active.[5][36]	The proposed grid work remains subject to approval.
After a PSC written order	ATC anticipates construction beginning 31 days after the order and service approximately 17 months after construction begins.[5]	These are conditional forecasts, not fixed calendar dates or a notice to proceed.
2028	Vantage’s stated campus completion target.[6]	Confirm each building’s actual mobilization and turnover milestones separately.

The DNR record covers specific permits and approvals. We have not verified every city building permit or utility approval. Before sending crews to the site, confirm the permits for your scope and obtain the notice to proceed.

Reported milestones, not a guaranteed construction schedule. CAMPUS PERMITS: June 12, 2026: DNR issued air permits for 45 emergency generators. This does not establish every campus permit. GRID PROPOSAL: September 2026: ATC revised its application. Forecast: start 31 days after an order; service about 17 months after start. CAMPUS TARGET: Vantage states 2028 completion. Confirm your building and trade-package dates separately. Grid approval remains pending. — Campus permissions and grid review have different milestones. All future dates are forecasts. Sources: DNR [4], ATC [5] and Vantage [6]. View full-size graphic

The power connection is a separate construction program

The grid review restarted after a specific regulatory decision. On August 6, 2026, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin unanimously revoked its finding that ATC’s original application was complete.[34] The September 10 final order declared that application incomplete and closed docket 137-CE-221. It allowed a new application in a new docket and did not decide whether the project itself should be approved.[35]

ATC says it filed a revised application in September. The PSC lists the replacement proceeding, 137-CE-229, as active. This explains why older project references lead to a closed case while the transmission proposal remains under review.[5][36]

ATC proposes new and rebuilt 345-kilovolt transmission lines, upgrades to existing facilities and up to five new substations. Its project page says some additional 138-kilovolt lines depend on the route selected by the Public Service Commission. The commission can approve, modify or deny the proposal.[5]

Utility contractors can use the revised application and maps to study the proposed work. Those documents do not prove that a line-building package has been awarded. The grid review matters to campus contractors, too, but it does not by itself show that Vantage has changed its 2028 target.[5][6]

We Energies also announced an Oracle-related Point Beach agreement on October 2, 2026, with approximately $300 million in forecast customer fuel-cost savings. The utility said full details would be submitted to the commission in the coming months. This announcement is distinct from approval of ATC’s transmission proposal and does not establish realized savings.[11]

Water, noise and local infrastructure

The city describes a closed-loop cooling design and a peak water-use estimate of up to 22,000 gallons per day. That is the city’s published planning figure, not a measured operating total for a completed campus.[43] DNR’s permit page separately records air permits for 45 diesel emergency generators. A cooling design does not remove the need to check generator, stormwater and other permit conditions.[4]

For contractors, local impacts also affect how work gets done. Check current work-hour rules, delivery instructions and noise requirements with the team managing your package. The city FAQ explains its position on water, taxes and power costs; the DNR and PSC records show the separate environmental and transmission reviews. Those sources answer different questions and should not be treated as one blanket project approval.[1][4][35]

What to do before committing people or money

Start with the project interest database and the relevant builder’s qualification route. Ask who holds your package, whether bidding is still open and which documents control the price. Get those answers before you reserve crews or equipment.

For a worker, use a named employer listing or the appropriate craft referral process. Confirm the actual site, credentials, pay and travel terms before making a housing commitment. The professional listings above and the union contacts serve different purposes; neither turns a forecast of more than 4,000 peak workers into an offer of employment.[18]

For other projects, see Echelon’s data center construction report index, which separates contractor routes from worker opportunities.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns and develops the Port Washington data center?

Vantage Data Centers is developing the Lighthouse campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin. DNR says Vantage owns 1,644 acres in total, with the campus under construction occupying 672 acres. Oracle and OpenAI are announced partners in the Stargate expansion.[4][7]

Who are the general contractors for Lighthouse?

Weitz identifies itself as one of Lighthouse’s general contractors. OSHA’s project partnership also names Whiting-Turner and the Turner McCarthy Joint Venture. These sources do not provide a complete subcontractor roster or every building’s current package allocation.[9][10]

How can contractors register for the project?

Use the Lighthouse subcontractor and supplier database to introduce your company and relevant scopes. Whiting-Turner and Turner also publish qualification routes. Registration is not an open bid, acceptance onto a project team or a contract award.[15][17][19]

Are there 4,000 open construction jobs?

No. Vantage’s labor-partnership announcement forecasts a peak workforce of more than 4,000 skilled construction workers over a three-year period. It is not a vacancy count. Check individual employers or the appropriate union for current hiring and referral information.[18]

When will the Port Washington data center be finished?

Vantage targets completion in 2028. ATC has a separate grid schedule that depends on a state order. Neither source sets a firm start date for your trade package. The grid review alone does not prove that the campus completion date has changed.[5][6]

Has the project received all its permits?

DNR records specific wetland exemptions, stormwater coverage and air permits, including June 12, 2026 permits for 45 emergency generators. ATC still describes its revised transmission proposal as subject to approval. This report has not verified every municipal or package-specific permit.[4][5]

Sources and research method

Echelon checked owner and builder statements, Wisconsin permit records, utility updates, OSHA’s project partnership, job listings and union contacts on October 16, 2026. The date of each announcement remains separate from our research date. Planned dates and workforce counts are forecasts where noted. We did not submit a supplier form, job application or inquiry during this review.