Ypsilanti Township Opposes U-M's $1.2B Supercomputer Center

Proposed facility would include nuclear weapons research, raising community concerns about safety and environmental justice.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 9:29pm

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A bold, abstract painting in soft earth tones of green, brown, and blue, featuring sweeping geometric arcs, concentric circles, and precise spirals, conveying the structural power and conceptual complexity of a scientific endeavor without using any text or symbols.As a community grapples with the implications of a major university research project, a conceptual visualization captures the complex forces at play.Ypsilanti Today

Ypsilanti Township officials are set to vote on a resolution to 'unequivocally oppose' the University of Michigan's planned $1.2 billion supercomputer center, which would include nuclear weapons research. The township says the facility could make the area a target for 'foreign adversaries, terrorist organizations and other hostile actors.' U-M maintains the center would not involve the storage or handling of nuclear materials, but the township argues it would transform the community into a 'potential target zone.'

Why it matters

The proposed supercomputer center has sparked concerns about public safety and environmental justice in the lower-income eastern Washtenaw County area where U-M is considering locating the facility. The township's opposition highlights growing tensions between universities and local communities over the siting of large-scale research projects.

The details

U-M is collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory on the project, which would include a high-performance computing innovation center with facilities for both U-M and Los Alamos. The township's proposed resolution states that the nuclear weapons research work at the facility could make it a target for 'foreign adversaries, terrorist organizations and other 'home grown' hostile actors.' The resolution also argues that environmental justice needs to be considered as the university looks to locate the data center in a lower-income area.

  • The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on the resolution at a special meeting on Tuesday, March 30, 2026.
  • U-M unveiled the supercomputer center project in December 2024 and the state approved a $100 million grant to fund it.
  • U-M finalized the purchase of 124 acres in the township in mid-March 2026, bringing its total owned property to 144 acres for a potential site.

The players

Ypsilanti Township

A local government entity in southeast Michigan that is opposing the University of Michigan's planned $1.2 billion supercomputer center due to concerns about nuclear weapons research and environmental justice.

University of Michigan (U-M)

A public research university that is planning to build a high-performance computing innovation center in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which would include nuclear weapons research.

Los Alamos National Laboratory

A U.S. Department of Energy research laboratory that specializes in nuclear weapons research and is collaborating with the University of Michigan on the planned supercomputer center.

Brenda Stumbo

The Ypsilanti Township supervisor who has said the 'power of the people banding together … is our best option' against the university's project.

Doug Winters

The Ypsilanti Township attorney who criticized the university for finalizing the land purchase without communicating with the township, calling it 'arrogance.'

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What they’re saying

“Setting up the nuclear research there 'would immediately and deliberately transform Ypsilanti Township from being a civilian community into a potential target zone.'”

— Ypsilanti Township, In proposed resolution

“'We are disappointed by this potential change in position,' Corliss said of the proposed resolution by the township, which previously suggested the university consider a different site.”

— Paul Corliss, University of Michigan spokesperson

“'The power of the people banding together … is our best option,'”

— Brenda Stumbo, Ypsilanti Township supervisor

“'This failure to communicate with the township continues to demonstrate the arrogance of the university,'”

— Doug Winters, Ypsilanti Township attorney

What’s next

The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote on the resolution opposing the supercomputer center on Tuesday, March 30, 2026.

The takeaway

This dispute highlights the tensions that can arise when major research universities pursue large-scale projects without adequate community engagement. The township's concerns about public safety, environmental justice, and the university's 'arrogance' in the process underscore the need for more collaborative approaches between higher ed institutions and local communities.