Data center profile · Inkster Road near 11 Mile Road, Southfield, Oakland County, Michigan

Metrobloks Southfield

100 MW (utility demand) data center on 12 acres in Southfield, Michigan; site plan approved 5-2, but construction awaits DTE power in 2027 or 2028.

Site plan approved. Southfield City Council approved the site plan 5-2 on Dec. 15, 2025, over objections from more than two dozen residents. The developer says construction starts when DTE can deliver power, in 2027 or 2028, and full funding depends on signing a tenant.
100 MW
electric demand, per the developer (press)
a utility load figure; a resident claimed it could reach 150 MW, which the developer has not stated
$1.5B
project cost (press)
as reported by local press; funding is not in place
12 acres
vacant site, two-story building of about 218,000 sq ft
one press report gives 109,683 sq ft on 12.19 acres
2027 or 2028
when DTE could deliver power, developer says
construction to begin once power can be delivered
OperatorMetrobloks (developer, California-based)
CustomerNot signed; full financing to follow a tenant contract
Planned IT capacity80 MW at full build-out (our estimate from the company or utility power figure)
First building in serviceOur estimate: 2028 (range 2027 to 2030); company says 2027.
Next deadline2027: DTE power delivery, 2027 or 2028 per the developer, before construction begins
Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet

DTE Energy grid servicePlanned, delivery date unconfirmed
100 MW
utility demand per the developer; delivery 2027 or 2028 by the developer's account; no service agreement published News report · Dec. 2025
Proposed

Getting on the grid

Permits

Permits checklist

1 pending · 1 granted · 1 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs, and what we found.

Risks

What could slow it down

Money

Money on record

$1.5B project cost (press) (funds for land, utility upgrades and plans exist; full capital to be borrowed against a tenant contract). News report · Dec. 2025

Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. Oct. 2025
    Permits Five public meetings on the proposal begin Local government · Dec. 2025
  2. Dec. 9, 2025
    Legal Southfield Community for Growth petitions the city to reject the project (press) News report · Dec. 2025
  3. Dec. 2025
    Permits Planning commission recommends approval of the plan, before the council vote (press; date and tally not found) News report · Dec. 2025
  4. Dec. 15, 2025
    Permits City council approves the site plan 5-2 after nearly six hours of comment News report · Dec. 2025
  5. Dec. 15, 2025
    Power City statement says Metrobloks is working with DTE on a new substation at its own expense Local government · Dec. 2025
  6. 2027
    Power Earliest year DTE could deliver power, per the developer; construction follows News report · Dec. 2025
The buildings

Specs

218,000 sq ft two-story building (city documents). Local government · Dec. 2025

Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Developer
  • Metrobloks: developer
  • Jeff Mandel: chief investment officer
Decision-makers
  • Southfield City Council: approved 5-2; Charles Hicks and Ashanti Bland voted no
  • DTE Energy: serving utility and substation partner
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

55 records from 8 documents

Drawn from news reports and local government records, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 6Local government 2
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (10)
  • County code: 26125
    “City of Southfield proposed Metrobloks data center (Oakland County -> 26125; facility and substation on the one site).”
    Local government · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility: DTE Energy; new electrical substation to be constructed with DTE at the developer's own expense
    “Metrobloks is working with DTE to construct a new electrical substation at its own expense”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Utility service: 100 MW
    “The building will require 100 megawatts of power, said Jeff Mandel, chief investment officer at Metrobloks”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • The binding constraint on this approved campus is DTE deliverability, not permits: Metrobloks concedes it has never built a data center, financing/permitting remain incomplete, and its own CIO pegs construction start to
    “Mandel told the Free Press that they hope to begin construction of the data center once DTE is able to “deliver the power,” which he said could happen in 2027 or 2028”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Developer hopes to begin construction once DTE can deliver the power, said to be possible in 2027 or 2028 - no construction start as of this pass
    “they hope to begin construction of the data center once DTE is able to “deliver the power,” which he said could happen in 2027 or 2028”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Queue lead of 100 MW is corroborated by the developer's own statements at the approval hearing as reported in two independent outlets: the building will require 100 megawatts of power (Planet Detroit, quoting Metrobloks
    “The building will require 100 megawatts of power, said Jeff Mandel, chief investment officer at Metrobloks”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • More than two dozen residents spoke against the project during the hourslong meeting and no resident voiced support; concerns were electricity usage, grid demand, higher electric rates, pollution and noise
    “Council members voted 5-2 late Monday night, Dec. 15, to approve a site plan for the two-story facility over objections from more than two dozen residents”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • After the vote the developer said construction would begin once DTE can deliver the power, which could happen in 2027 or 2028; the utility told Metrobloks it must absorb the costs of upgrading infrastructure
    “they hope to begin construction of the data center once DTE is able to deliver the power, which he said could happen in 2027 or 2028”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • More than two dozen residents spoke against the project at the Dec 15 meeting and none spoke in support; concerns were grid load, rates, pollution and noise, and the sponsor having yet to build a data center
    “No resident at the meeting voiced support for the data center.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Closed-loop cooling (minimal long-term water use); construction to start once DTE can deliver power, expected 2027 or 2028; 35 full-time and 150-200 construction jobs; $1.5B project
    “Mandel told the Free Press that they hope to begin construction of the data center once DTE is able to deliver the power, which he said could happen in 2027 or 2028.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Money and contracts (5)
  • Campus size: Two-story building totaling approximately 218,000 sq ft on approximately 12 acres of vacant land
    “The proposed facility would be developed on approximately 12 acres of vacant land and consist of a two-story building totaling approximately 218,000 square feet”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • utility infrastructure commitment (as represented): developer-funded substation / no residential rate impact representation
    “Metrobloks is working with DTE to construct a new electrical substation at its own expense, and representatives have stated the project is not expected to impact residential electric rates.”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Planned investment: Roughly $1.5 billion across two phases
    “The project is expected to cost roughly $1.5 billion, split between two phases required to bring the data center up to 100 megawatts of power”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Developer told the council funding is not yet in place: money exists for land, utility upgrades and plans, with full capitalization to be borrowed against a tenant contract once a tenant is confirmed
    “We have the money for the land, we have the money for the utility upgrades, and we have the money which we've already been spending to develop all the plans”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Southfield Community for Growth petition (Dec 9 2025) asks the city to reject all proposals, agreements or zoning changes for Metrobloks and to complete a full environmental, economic and infrastructure impact analysis b
    “We strongly oppose the construction of a MetroBloks data center in the City of Southfield”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (13)
  • building / environmental permitting: Still subject to permitting - not yet issued
    “The project remains subject to permitting, environmental regulations, performance standards, and ongoing compliance and enforcement by the City”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Two-story facility on ~12 acres on Inkster Road between 11 Mile and I-696; use p: site plan approved 5-2
    “The proposal was reviewed through a public process that included five public meetings beginning in October”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Metrobloks' 100 MW Southfield facility (Inkster Road north of 11 Mile, ~12 acres: DTE service with a developer-funded new substation; power delivery expected 2027-2028
    “Metrobloks is working with DTE to construct a new electrical substation at its own expense”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Southfield City Council:
    “PSP25-0009, the Site Plan Review request of Metrobloks, LLC, to construct a data center on a vacant lot on Inkster Road, Southfield, Michigan (Parcel 24-18-351-011)”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • How DTE large-load service is regulated, and why this campus has no docket: Mich: Framework context - MPSC approved DTE's GW-scale data center special contracts ex parte (Saline/Oracle, Dec 2025, Docket U-21990 as report
    “Michigan regulators voted Thursday to approve DTE Energy’s application for quick approval of its contracts for the OpenAI and Oracle data center project in Saline Township”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • In Case U-21990 the MPSC gave ex parte approval to DTE Electric's special contra: precedent: DTE/Green Chile Ventures (Saline) special contracts approved ex parte Dec. 18, 2025 - the terms framework for DTE mega-loads
    “Additional protections included a minimum contract duration of 19 years, a minimum billing demand of 80% that requires the data center to pay a minimum of 80% of its contracted electric use”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • site plan: Planning Commission and Council voted in favor
    “The Southfield City Council and Planning Commission voted in favor of the site plan for the Metrobloks data center project.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Project status: entitled only - site plan approved 5-2 on Dec 15, 2025; no construction start found
    “Council members voted 5-2 late Monday night, Dec. 15, to approve a site plan for the two-story facility”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • site plan review: Approved 5-2
    “Council members voted 5-2 late Monday night, Dec. 15, to approve a site plan for the two-story facility”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • The Planning Commission approved the plan before the council vote (reported via the Southfield Sun in Planet Detroit's pre-vote roundup); the commission meeting date, vote tally and staff report were not retrieved in thi
    “The Planning Commission approved the plan, but final council approval is pending at the Dec. 15 meeting.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • A resident speaker claimed at the hearing that the project is really 150 megawatts by groundbreaking
    “Right now they're saying 100 megawatts … it's 150 megawatts that they're really actually looking at by the time they break ground going forward.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Southfield City Council approved the site plan 5-2 on Dec 15, 2025 (Hicks and Bland against) after five public meetings beginning in October; use is permitted in the Regional Center district
    “Council members voted 5-2 late Monday night, Dec. 15, to approve a site plan for the two-story facility”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Southfield City Council:
    “After nearly six hours of public comments and discussion, the Southfield City Council voted 5-2 Monday to approve the site plan submitted by developer Metrobloks”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
Site and other (5)
  • Cooling: Closed-loop cooling system, minimal long-term water use
    “will utilize a closed-loop cooling system, resulting in minimal long-term water use”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Site location: Vacant lot on Inkster Road, Southfield, MI (Parcel 24-18-351-011); east side of Inkster Road between 11 Mile Road and I-696
    “PSP25-0009, the Site Plan Review request of Metrobloks, LLC, to construct a data center on a vacant lot on Inkster Road, Southfield, Michigan (Parcel 24-18-351-011)”
    Local government · Dec. 2025 · grade B
  • Jobs: 35 full-time jobs and 150 to 200 construction jobs expected
    “The facility is expected to create 35 full-time jobs and 150 to 200 construction jobs.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • Metrobloks representative conceded the company is relatively new and has yet to build a data center
    “He did concede that Metrobloks is a relatively new company and has yet to build a data center”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C
  • More than two dozen residents spoke against the project and no resident at the meeting voiced support
    “No resident at the meeting voiced support for the data center.”
    News report · Dec. 2025 · grade C