Debbie Dingell
12/11/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/12/2025 09:55
Dingell Requests U-M Hold Public Meeting to Answer Questions About Ypsilanti Data Center
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to the University of Michigan demanding they hold an urgent community forum in Ypsilanti Township in response to questions and concerns from residents about its planned $1.25 billion joint high-performance computing and AI research center in partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Since the announcement of the new development, Dingell has worked with all stakeholders to encourage community engagement, public input, and transparency. The University of Michigan has a responsibility to directly engage with the Ypsilanti Township community. The lack of information has caused significant stress and anguish for residents, who are dealing with daily anxiety and growing mistrust because their questions remain unanswered.
"For months, there has been anxiety and distress in the Ypsilanti Township community about this proposed joint project with Los Alamos for a data center. I first learned of the project from Ypsilanti Township, and still have very little background information from U-M," Dingell wrote. "When Ypsilanti Township asked if I would host a town hall, I attempted to coordinate with U-M but was told officials were unable to answer questions or provide information. Therefore, without the ability to share facts, I could not hold the town hall I requested."
"Despite repeated requests, U-M has still not met with residents in Ypsilanti Township. I participated in a meeting with Township officials, who expressed strong feelings that they did not want this data center at the designated site. I also attended a meeting with several senior U-M officials and the Ypsilanti Township supervisor, clerk, and trustees, where concerns about the site of the project were discussed and asked that alternative sites be considered," Dingell continued. "At that meeting, the request for U-M to engage directly with the community was reaffirmed. Yet instead of meeting in Ypsilanti Township, U-M hosted an open house in Ann Arbor. Holding a meeting miles away from the affected community, which sent the message that Ypsilanti Township's concerns are secondary and further undermines trust in the process. This week, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees passed a resolution to immediately claw back the funding previously awarded for the proposed data center project."
"There are too many unanswered questions, and Ypsilanti residents deserve clarity and to be part of this process. It is long past time for U-M to hold a public meeting in Ypsilanti Township to explain its vision, present any plans under consideration, and answer the outstanding questions from residents," Dingell concluded. "I urge U-M to immediately host a public forum in Ypsilanti and take these unresolved concerns seriously. If U-M wants to gain the trust of the community, there must be real public input in the process, this must be an open, transparent dialogue, and it must occur before any further decisions or commitments are made."
View the full text of the letter here.
Since the announcement of the new development, Dingell has worked with all stakeholders to encourage community engagement, public input, and transparency. The University of Michigan has a responsibility to directly engage with the Ypsilanti Township community. The lack of information has caused significant stress and anguish for residents, who are dealing with daily anxiety and growing mistrust because their questions remain unanswered.
"For months, there has been anxiety and distress in the Ypsilanti Township community about this proposed joint project with Los Alamos for a data center. I first learned of the project from Ypsilanti Township, and still have very little background information from U-M," Dingell wrote. "When Ypsilanti Township asked if I would host a town hall, I attempted to coordinate with U-M but was told officials were unable to answer questions or provide information. Therefore, without the ability to share facts, I could not hold the town hall I requested."
"Despite repeated requests, U-M has still not met with residents in Ypsilanti Township. I participated in a meeting with Township officials, who expressed strong feelings that they did not want this data center at the designated site. I also attended a meeting with several senior U-M officials and the Ypsilanti Township supervisor, clerk, and trustees, where concerns about the site of the project were discussed and asked that alternative sites be considered," Dingell continued. "At that meeting, the request for U-M to engage directly with the community was reaffirmed. Yet instead of meeting in Ypsilanti Township, U-M hosted an open house in Ann Arbor. Holding a meeting miles away from the affected community, which sent the message that Ypsilanti Township's concerns are secondary and further undermines trust in the process. This week, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees passed a resolution to immediately claw back the funding previously awarded for the proposed data center project."
"There are too many unanswered questions, and Ypsilanti residents deserve clarity and to be part of this process. It is long past time for U-M to hold a public meeting in Ypsilanti Township to explain its vision, present any plans under consideration, and answer the outstanding questions from residents," Dingell concluded. "I urge U-M to immediately host a public forum in Ypsilanti and take these unresolved concerns seriously. If U-M wants to gain the trust of the community, there must be real public input in the process, this must be an open, transparent dialogue, and it must occur before any further decisions or commitments are made."
View the full text of the letter here.
Debbie Dingell published this content on December 11, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 12, 2025 at 15:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]