Kalamazoo’s Cannabis Facility May Transform Into An AI Hub

The CEO of Harbor Farmz wants to turn his facility into an AI data center in Kalamazoo.

AI data centers have been in the throes of controversy ever since they started infesting our estate, and now there is heavy backlash after CEO Michael Ward announced in a statement that he would like to offer up his facility, which is currently used for cannabis processing, to become an AI data center.

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However, the city says there are no plans currently for the facility to become a data center. Ward made a statement recently explaining how the cannabis industry has become oversaturated and why his facility would be optimal for an AI data center:

What makes this property unique is that the core infrastructure already exists. The building was designed from the beginning for continuous, power-intensive operations requiring environmental precision, redundancy, and security. As the market evolves, we believe this creates an opportunity to reposition the facility for the next generation of industrial and digital infrastructure investment.

One report shows Kalamazoo vice mayor Drew Duncan announced that no data center project had been approved or presented; however, he left the door open for the possibility by not immediately speaking out against the concept:

We are aware of the concerns regarding data centers among residents and communities throughout the nation and the city, including several communities here in Southwest Michigan. If a proposal for a data center moves forward, it will be reviewed through the city of Kalamazoo’s established planning, zoning and environmental utility and public engagement processes.

Most recently, Governor Gretchen Whitmer faced heavy backlash after her endorsement of an AI data center that would be going up in Saline, even though the community voted against it.