The groundbreaking on the massive Micron chip fab complex in Clay is delayed until November of 2025. Onondaga County Economic Development director Bob Petrovich updated county lawmakers about the project at a budget hearing Wednesday. He says required state and federal environmental reviews aren’t yet finished.
“We will have a draft for our review sometime around mid-December and then there will be a public comment period after that," Petrovich said. "Ultimately there'll be a groundbreaking and start of construction in earnest on or about November 1st.”
A groundbreaking was originally anticipated in June of this year, but that got pushed back to next spring, before getting delayed again. More approvals and permits are needed even after the environmental review because the complex is being built on sensitive wetlands.
Meanwhile, Petrovich says work continues in earnest on preparing water and utility services, as well as attracting supply chain partners.
“We're going to be going out to San Francisco in November at the request of Micron," Petrovich said. "[We'll] interface with a 300 to 400 supply person supply chain event that they're hosting that they're asking us to assist with so that they'll be colocation of critical materials: What chemicals and gases that are needed for their production and operations.”
While construction of the chip fab is delayed, Petrovich says Micron is reaching other milestones. The company recently hired an engineering firm to begin design work on the Clay plant, and announced its opening an office and recruitment center at One Lincoln Center in downtown Syracuse.
