Vantage and Unions to Build Port Washington Data Centre

Vantage Data Centers and the Wisconsin Building Trades Council have agreed a joint pledge to build the previously announced Lighthouse data centre campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, relying on local union labour to the fullest extent possible.

The privately funded investment has been reported as US$15bn+, resulting in a peak workforce of more than 4,000 skilled construction workers over three years.

Emily Pritzkow, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council, says: “This pledge recognises the importance of building complex digital infrastructure with the best skilled professionals who deliver projects safely, on time and to the highest quality standards.

“We are excited to start working on this project, which represents a historic opportunity for Wisconsin workers to complete apprenticeships, support their families and invest in their communities.”

Vantage Data Centers outlines Lighthouse campus scope and timeline

Vantage’s Lighthouse campus is planned across 672 acres in Port Washington. Company materials indicate four single-storey data centres totalling 2.5m square feet and up to 902MW of IT capacity, with completion scheduled for 2028.

The Wisconsin site follows a period of rapid buildout by Vantage in North America and internationally. Recent reporting highlights its programme of large campuses designed for high-density AI workloads and liquid cooling, as well as parallel projects in Texas and Ohio. 

Simon Casey, Chief Delivery Officer, North America at Vantage Data Centers, says: “Vantage is proud to partner with Wisconsin’s union workers to build a once-in-a-generation, sustainable data centre campus in Port Washington. We look forward to collaborating with local officials, the community and the Governor to break ground on this project with union support.

“This is part of our ongoing commitment to the local economy and community, all while positioning Wisconsin as a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure.”

Wisconsin Building Trades Council and Milwaukee council set labour framework

As part of the pledge, Vantage commits to work with labour partners so contractors employ local union workers to the fullest extent possible. 

The Wisconsin Building Trades Council represents 15 member craft organisations and acts as a unified voice for more than 40,000 workers across the state.

Dan Bukiewicz, President of the Milwaukee Building-Construction Trades Council, says: “Wisconsin has one of the most skilled and highly trained workforces in the country and agreements like this prove it.

“Every job created here means another opportunity for our local tradespeople to showcase their expertise and build careers right at home. When we invest in Wisconsin workers, we invest in Wisconsin’s future.”

The Milwaukee Building-Construction Trades Council traces its origins to 1910 and works with local affiliates across crafts to coordinate labour on large projects. 

Lighthouse sits within wider OpenAI–Oracle ‘Stargate’ expansion

In parallel to the labour agreement, the Lighthouse programme features in public reporting on a broader OpenAI and Oracle effort to add US AI capacity under the Stargate initiative. 

Coverage indicates the Port Washington site is expected to deliver close to one gigawatt of AI IT capacity as part of a planned multi-gigawatt rollout across several locations. 

Vantage states that it serves AI and cloud providers across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. The company has disclosed partnerships to secure additional power generation capacity in constrained markets and has outlined further US campuses in development. 

Simon says: “This is part of our ongoing commitment to the local economy and community, all while positioning Wisconsin as a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure.”