TEST Land Use Transitions in Washington Township, Michigan:
Potential Data Center Site and the 32 Mile Logistics Campus
By [Jennifer Wright], Staff Writer – Next Press
Abstract
A large tract of land in Washington Township, Michigan, is being marketed as a potential data center site next to the former Romeo Golf & Country Club. At the same time, the township is reviewing plans for the 32 Mile Logistics Campus, a major logistics and industrial project. This article lays out what is actually on file with the township, what appears only in real-estate marketing, and how residents can weigh in. References are numbered for easy verification.
Overview of the Site
A sizable piece of vacant land in Washington Township is quietly being framed as a future high-tech location.
The parcel is roughly 82.56 acres near 31 Mile Road and Powell Road, north of 32 Mile Road and just off the Van Dyke/M-53 corridor. Commercial real-estate materials describe the site as suitable for industrial or technology-focused development and highlight several key features:
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Access to upgraded water and sewer infrastructure
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Proximity to 120 kV and 345 kV transmission lines
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An electrical substation across Van Dyke/M-53
Those details are used to promote the property as “ideal for possible data center use” in brokerage materials, not in township zoning documents [1].
In practical terms, the land is being marketed as if a data center would be a logical fit, but no formal data center plan has been filed with the township at this time.
Adjacent Land and the Former Romeo Golf Course
The 82.56-acre parcel sits next to land many residents know as the old Romeo golf course. The former Romeo Golf & Country Club property and surrounding acreage along 32 Mile Road have been the focus of various development concepts over the years, including logistics and warehousing, retail, and multi-family housing.
Brokerage documents for the vacant parcel indicate that it:
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Can potentially be combined with adjacent acreage, creating a larger development footprint, and
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Is located next to the former golf course and a proposed commercial site [1].
In township planning documents, this broader area is now discussed under the banner of the “32 Mile Logistics Campus.”
For local residents, that means the vacant parcel and the old golf course are part of a single, larger development story, even though they are technically separate pieces of property.
The 32 Mile Logistics Campus Proposal
From the township’s perspective, the most concrete and advanced project in this corridor is the 32 Mile Logistics Campus.
According to township planning documents, the proposal covers about 226 acres on the south side of 32 Mile Road, west of Powell Road. It calls for a multi-building logistics and industrial complex totaling nearly 3 million square feet of building space. The project is structured as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and tied to Industrial Research Technology (IRT) zoning [2].
The township’s project page for the 32 Mile Logistics Campus includes:
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Owner and applicant PUD applications
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Conceptual site plans showing three large logistics buildings
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An explanatory letter outlining proposed uses, traffic circulation, and buffering
Those documents stress that:
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There would be no access from Powell Road, and
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A green buffer is intended to remain along Powell to soften the impact on neighboring homes [2].
In short, the logistics campus is not just a concept in a brochure. It is a formal proposal that is actively moving through the Planning Commission process.
Stellantis and Regional Logistics
Overlaying all of this is the regional logistics story involving Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler.
As part of a broader agreement with the UAW, Stellantis has been evaluating locations for new logistics hubs. Business coverage has connected the 32 Mile area to the idea of a possible Mopar parts distribution “mega hub”, reflecting the corridor’s size and positioning as attractive for large-scale auto logistics [3].
However, in public statements, Stellantis has also indicated that it is not in active negotiations on a specific site in Washington Township at this time.
From a reporting standpoint:
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The logistics campus is a real, filed planning proposal.
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The Stellantis angle is more of a potential future user scenario than a confirmed tenant.
The Previously Proposed Meijer Store
Many longtime residents also remember an earlier controversy in the same area: a proposed Meijer store at or near 32 Mile Road and M-53/Van Dyke.
Prior concepts referenced:
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A Meijer supercenter
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A gas station
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A housing component as part of a broader Planned Unit Development
In various summaries and marketing blurbs, that idea never fully disappeared. The current listing for the 82.56-acre parcel still mentions a “proposed Meijer site” to the west [1], and other descriptions have noted a grocery store and hundreds of apartments as part of a larger mixed-use vision [3].
But when you look at the current Planning Commission agendas and township postings, a different reality appears:
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There is no active, stand-alone Meijer site plan scheduled for an upcoming meeting.
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There is no recent public statement from Meijer explaining whether the project is ongoing, paused, or abandoned.
At this point, “proposed Meijer” seems to function primarily as a historical and marketing reference, not as a live development pushing through the approval process.
Is a Data Center Actually Proposed?
This is the central question quietly circulating in the community.
Based on publicly available information right now:
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The township has not posted a site plan, special land use request, or PUD amendment labeled “data center” for the 82.56-acre parcel.
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The data center language appears in brokerage marketing, which highlights the power infrastructure and utilities as selling points for that type of project [1].
So, the most accurate description of the situation is:
The idea of a data center is being sold by the landowner and broker, but there is no formal data center project currently on file with Washington Township.
In other words, the “data center-ready” framing is aspirational and speculative, not something the Planning Commission is presently evaluating as a specific, named project.
Upcoming Planning Commission Meeting
What is on the immediate horizon is a Planning Commission meeting that will shape at least part of this corridor—the logistics and “technical campus” portion.
Washington Township has scheduled Planning Commission hearings for:
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Date: December 11, 2025
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Time: 6:30 p.m.
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Location: Township Hall Boardroom, 57900 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48094 [4]
On the township’s “Upcoming PC Agenda Items” page, the following items are listed:
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32 Mile Technical Campus (the logistics/industrial proposal)
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Emerald Creek
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Yates View Estates [5]
The 32 Mile Technical Campus item is the main vehicle through which zoning changes, site design, buffers, traffic, and infrastructure questions for this particular area will be considered.
Residents who cannot attend in person can still participate. The Planning and Zoning Department accepts written comments by email and asks that residents include the development name and meeting date in the subject line so comments are properly routed to the correct project file [4][5].
Contact Information for Civic Engagement
Residents who want to ask questions or put their views on the record have several official channels:
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Planning and Zoning Department
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Email: [email protected]
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Best for: Comments on specific developments (such as the 32 Mile Technical/Logistics Campus), requests for application packets, and procedural questions.
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Board of Trustees / General Comments
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Email: As listed by the township for general or Board communication (for example, a general comments or board address, if provided).
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Best for: Broader policy concerns, questions about the township master plan, and overall growth direction.
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Committees and Boards Directory
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The township publishes a “Township Committees List” that includes the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, and other bodies, with member names and contact details [6].
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PDF:
https://www.washingtontownship.org/Township%20Committees%20List.pdf
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Through these channels, residents can request documents, submit comments, and ask how this corridor fits into Washington Township’s long-term planning strategy.
Implications for Local Land Use and Governance
Taken together, the 82.56-acre “data center-ready” parcel, the 32 Mile Logistics Campus proposal, the stalled Meijer concept, and the Stellantis logistics discussion point to a clear reality:
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The 32 Mile corridor is in play for very large, long-lasting projects.
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Real-estate marketing is moving ahead of what the township has formally approved.
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The decisions made now by the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees—on zoning designations, infrastructure investments, and buffering—will shape what ultimately lands there, whether that is logistics, retail, housing, a data center, or some combination of those uses.
For residents and readers, the key is to separate speculation from fact:
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When you see “ideal for data center” in a listing, that is a sales pitch, not a permit.
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When you see something on a Planning Commission agenda or project page, that is a real proposal you can support, oppose, or question.
By watching agendas, reading project packets, and sending comments, residents can help ensure that whatever is eventually built on the old golf course and nearby fields reflects not just outside investors’ plans, but also the priorities of the people who already live in Washington Township.
References
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Colliers. (n.d.). For sale – 82.56 acres vacant land, Washington, MI [Commercial real estate listing]. Colliers International.
https://www.colliers.com/en/properties/for-sale-%E2%80%93-8256-acres-vacant-land-washington-mi/usa-31-mile-rd-powell-rd-washington-township-mi-48095-usa/usa1146247 -
Washington Township. (n.d.). 32 Mile Logistics Campus [Planning project page]. Charter Township of Washington.
https://www.washingtontownship.org/doing_business/32_mile_logistics_campus.php -
Crain’s Detroit Business. (2024). Stellantis eyes new logistics hub tied to UAW deal [News article]. Crain Communications.
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Washington Township. (n.d.). Public hearing notices and Planning Commission agendas [Meeting information]. Charter Township of Washington.
(Accessible via the township’s official website under Planning Commission agendas and notices.) -
Washington Township. (n.d.). Upcoming Planning Commission agenda items [Webpage]. Charter Township of Washington.
https://www.washingtontownship.org/doing_business/upcoming_pc_agenda_items.php -
Washington Township. (n.d.). Township committees list [PDF directory]. Charter Township of Washington.
https://www.washingtontownship.org/Township%20Committees%20List.pdf
