TOWN OF CLAY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — International technology company Micron announced plans to build the promised computer chip manufacturing campus at Onondaga County’s White Pine Commerce Park in the Town of Clay.
The company’s CEO joined Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon an announcement event Tuesday morning.
Micron will invest up to $100 billion to build the 7.2 million square foot complex over 20 years. It will include the nation’s largest “clean room” space at approximately 2.4 million square feet, the length of nearly 40 football fields.
The government leaders who were involved in the negotiations have high expectations for the project, primarily the creation of 45,000 jobs based in Central New York.
Watch the announcement:
9,000 new hires will work directly for Micron, with a promised average salary of $100,000. The other tens of thousands of employees will work for suppliers, contractors, and other supporting industries expected to develop as a result of Micron’s commitment.
People familiar with the plans bill it as the “largest investment in a manufacturing project” in the history of New York State and among the largest economic development projects in United States history, according to those familiar with the details.
Last week, Micron told its investors it would “soon” announce plans to build a second factory somewhere in the United States.
In a call, Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said, “Earlier this month, we announced that we have chosen Boise as one of two leading-edge DRAM manufacturing fab sites that we are planning in the U.S. and we expect to invest approximately $15 billion dollars at this site through the end of the decade… We will soon announce a second high-volume U.S. DRAM manufacturing site.”
For the last year, Onondaga County has been courting high-tech development at the 1,200+ acre White Pine Commerce Park near the intersection of Route 31 and Caughdenoy Road. Its proximity to a National Grid substation, water treatment facility and other infrastructure makes it a prime location, according to the Onondaga County Executive.
The efforts to attract technology companies were bolstered when both the state and federal governments signed individual legislation offering public support and tax incentives to build computer chips.