Kirkland Advises Related Digital on Lease and Financing for $16 Billion Hyperscale Data Center Campus in Michigan
Kirkland & Ellis advised Related Digital, a vertically integrated data center development and investment platform, in connection with the lease and financing arrangements supporting the development of a $16 billion hyperscale data center campus in Saline Township, Michigan. The financing, which closed today, includes equity investments from Related Digital and funds affiliated with Blackstone, together with fixed-rate, long-term debt financing anchored by PIMCO-managed funds and accounts.
The Saline Township campus, known as “The Barn” — a reference to the historic red barn preserved at the project’s entrance along Michigan Avenue — will comprise three single‑story data center buildings with more than 1 GW of total capacity, positioning the development among the largest data center projects in North America. The project is being developed for Oracle as part of its partnership with OpenAI to expand AI compute capacity across the U.S.
This project marks a significant milestone in the continued buildout of large-scale digital infrastructure required to support rapidly growing AI and cloud compute demand and underscores Kirkland’s ability to deliver fully integrated legal advice across disciplines in connection with complex, large-scale digital infrastructure developments. Kirkland’s multidisciplinary team is uniquely positioned to advise on the coordinated leasing and financing considerations underpinning landmark projects like this one, bringing together deep experience in hyperscale data center leasing and development, institutional capital formation, and long-term, asset-backed financings.
Read Related Digital's press release
The Kirkland team advising on the lease included real estate lawyers Michael Shultz, Kim McGrath, Robin Basu, Max Baird and Katie Roddy.
The Kirkland team advising on the financing included capital markets lawyers Julian Seiguer and Ieuan List; real estate lawyers Kim McGrath, Max Baird and Katie Roddy; and debt finance lawyers Mary Kogut and Will Zakhary.
