Groundbreaking for Micron’s massive semiconductor chip fabrication campus is still anticipated to take place by the end of this year in the Town of Clay. But the timetable for building a four-fab complex has been pushed back at least two years.
That’s according to the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) approved Friday by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency. The revised construction schedule, buried in a more than 700 page report, pushes back the start construction of the first fab from the end of this year to mid-2026, with its anticipated completion in 2030, two years later than Micron’s original plans.
In addition to the delay, Micron says the construction would also take longer than originally anticipated.
"I think it's a coordination issue," OCIDA Executive Director Robert Petrovich said Friday. “Look, these are massive projects that require lots of coordination, lots of design review, lots of moving parts. And so schedules, like in any project, are fluid. They can be accelerated, they can be delayed, or they can be right on track."
Other portions of the project would also be pushed back according to the FEIS, including a childcare center opening that would be delayed from 2030 to 2032. In all, the construction of all four fabrication plants would be complete in 2041 with full production by 2045.
Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon downplayed the delays during a conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, saying these numbers are not set in stone. He said the first fab will be completed in 2029.
“I believe that might be the worst-case scenario timeline, right?” McMahon said. “So, it really isn't a reflection on anything other than the construction schedule of what it takes to build this.”
McMahon emphasized groundbreaking will still take place in December. The first portion of the project will be removing trees that have to be taken from the site before the endangered Indiana bat returns to roost in April.
McMahon said the construction mentioned in the FEIS refers to pouring concrete.
In 2022, Micron announced it would spend $100 billion to build four fabrication plans in the Town of Clay, employing 9,000 people, along with 20,000 jobs connected to the chip-making business.
