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Feb 17, 2026<\/p>\n
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OU examining feasibility of hosting data center on campus<\/p>\n
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Following the February 13 Board of Trustees meeting, Oakland University Senior Vice President for Finance & Administration Stephen W. Mackey is sharing information with the public and clarifying OU\u2019s interest in learning more about the feasibility of building a data center site on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have seen and heard so many news stories bearing a wide range of accurate facts, inaccuracies, perceptions and misconceptions regarding data centers of late,\u201d Mackey said. \u201cTherefore, I want to make our position very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, it is very important for everyone to know that we have not made any decisions regarding the potential housing of a data center at OU and that decision is likely months away,\u201d Mackey added. \u201cThe university is in what we call the initial due diligence, or feasibility phase of exploring the option of housing a data center on campus. We have executed an agreement with Fairmount Properties<\/a> where we can collaboratively assess the feasibility of the project over the next 120 days. Before any final decision is made, there would be three additional phases prior to a data center becoming a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n This early phase will include identifying OU academic and research programming for the project, identifying industry partners for the project, engineering and preliminary design for the project and business planning.<\/p>\n Mackey further clarified that a central driver for this project is the modernization of campus infrastructure and the optimization of existing academic space.<\/p>\n \u201dA new data center would allow us to move our existing data center from Dodge Hall, which would create more academic laboratory space in that building,\u201d he said. \u201cThis has been a core objective of the project from the beginning \u2014 updating our current computing capabilities while simultaneously expanding laboratory space as part of the broader Dodge Hall renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n