Salem weighs proposed 75-acre Oakline data center as city review advances

Verrus’ proposed Oakline at Mill Creek data center remains in the early stages of Salem’s review, with no city approval in place as the City Council is scheduled to discuss a possible moratorium on data centers Aug. 3.

The proposal would place a data-center operation at the Mill Creek Corporate Center. Local reporting describes the site as about 75 acres and plans as involving three buildings. The project is a proposal, not an operating facility or a confirmed construction project.

City review has focused on infrastructure and site issues

City staff have met with Verrus and its partners five times: an introductory meeting, a development-process consultation and three technical meetings. According to the city, those discussions addressed site design, transportation access, anticipated utility needs, environmental considerations and a possible conservation easement for heritage oak trees.

That review identifies the major areas Salem would need to evaluate if the proposal moves forward. Data centers are facilities that house computing equipment and supporting systems; for a project of this scale, questions about electricity, water, transportation and land use are part of the local review rather than proof that a facility will be built.

The city’s public project information does not provide final figures for electricity demand, water consumption or investment. It also does not identify a final approval or construction timetable. Those omissions are significant because the proposal’s potential infrastructure effects cannot be quantified from the information released so far.

Disclosure followed a nondisclosure agreement

Salem said it was released from its project nondisclosure agreement on July 8, 2026. The city publicly disclosed the Oakline proposal at its July 13 City Council meeting.

The Aug. 3 council meeting and public discussion on a possible data-center moratorium provide the next known civic step in the local debate. A moratorium would be a policy action under consideration, not an adopted restriction according to the available information.

Part of a wider Oregon demand discussion

The Oregon Department of Energy says the state is experiencing increased demand from large-scale energy users, including data centers and artificial intelligence. Its Data Center Advisory Committee is scheduled to discuss and deliberate on a draft report Aug. 4.

For Salem, the Oakline proposal places that statewide energy and technology discussion into a local planning process. What has been demonstrated so far is limited: Verrus is exploring the project, and city staff have begun consultation on its possible requirements and effects. Whether the project proceeds, and under what conditions, remains unresolved.