The Central New York Community Engagement Committee Presents Community Priorities Document

The Community Priorities Document, Powered by Over 12,000 Regional Voices, Will Ensure Residents Benefit from Micron’s Presence in Central New York

Read the Community Priorities Document Here

The Central New York Community Engagement Committee (CEC) today released the Community Priorities Document (CPD) – which represents a community-driven and collaborative approach to guiding the $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund, a requirement of the historic agreement made in 2022 between Micron and New York State, secured by Governor Kathy Hochul. The document, which represents more than 13 months of community-driven engagement across over 300 community organizations and contains input from more than 12,700 Central New Yorkers, is intended to serve as a guiding strategy to amplify the benefits of Micron and New York State’s investments in Central New York.

The release of the document marks an exciting new chapter for the community and comes at a critical juncture for Central New York. Micron's planned investment of up to $100 billion in New York, the largest private investment in state history, is expected to create over 50,000 new jobs as a four-fab memory manufacturing complex in Clay is built over the next twenty-plus years. The project has the potential to fundamentally change the economic trajectory of Central New York, and the CPD will help secure ground-up community participation in the coming changes.

Melanie Littlejohn, President & CEO, the Central New York Community Foundation, CEC Co-Chair & Tim Penix, Vice President of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, CEC Co-Chair said, "The Community Engagement Committee set out with a clear mission to ensure our region's future benefits everyone, especially those historically left behind. Through extensive outreach and thousands of community members’ input, we've crafted the Community Priorities Document. This is a roadmap for equitable growth in the wake of Micron's transformative investment. This document represents more than just a plan, it's a testament to our community's collective voice and a model for inclusive development. As we move forward, we're committed to turning these priorities into tangible progress, creating opportunities that reach every corner of Central New York. Our work proves that when a community comes together, we can shape our destiny in ways that lift us all."

Key Highlights from the Community Priorities Document:

1. Prioritizing Ground-Up Participation: The CPD is the result of extensive engagement with over 12,700 Central New Yorkers, and more than 300 local businesses, non-profit organizations, and other key stakeholders – ensuring a wide range of voices and perspectives informed the final document.
2. Strategic Priority Areas: The document identifies six Priority Areas: education; workforce development; minority-, women-, veteran-owned business (MWVBE) and small business supports; housing; healthcare and family supports; and sustainable infrastructure.
3. Identifying Immediate Priorities: While all priorities identified in the document are critical, the CPD spotlights certain Immediate Priorities that require resources in the short term. The Immediate Priorities include K-12 education, workforce development, MWVBE and small business support, housing and childcare.
4. A Living Document with a Long-Term Vision: The CPD sets forth a strategic vision for sustainable and inclusive growth stemming from Micron’s investment in the region over the next twenty-plus years. To ensure that the CPD continues to reflect the changing dynamics and needs of the community, the CEC will continue to engage local stakeholders to revisit and update the document as needed.
5. A Guiding Strategy for Community Investments: The priorities, principles, and core considerations detailed in the document will be used to help guide the $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund towards the communities’ most pressing needs and aspirations.

Kevin Younis, Empire State Development Chief Operating Officer and Executive Deputy Commissioner said: "Since Governor Hochul first announced Micron's decision to build and grow in Central New York, there has been a strategic and coordinated effort to ensure that this once in a generation project creates a positive and lasting community impact for all residents in the region equitably. This document represents ground-up insights from Central New Yorkers into their expectations for the future and will help guide the Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund towards the community’s most pressing needs and aspirations. As a native of Syracuse, I am honored to serve on this body and excited for the transformational changes that this project will bring.”

April Arnzen, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Micron and President of the Micron Foundation said: “On behalf of Micron, I want to thank the Community Engagement Committee, Empire State Development, CenterState CEO, and every Central New Yorker who shared their voices to help produce the CPD. Our journey together in Central New York is just beginning. With the guidance of the CPD, we will build on Micron’s early investments already underway in the region and focus on impactful collaborations to support the community moving forward.”

Access the Community Priorities Document here. If prompted for one, please use this code: CNY_CEC.

About the Central New York Community Engagement Committee:

The CEC was appointed by Governor Hochul to identify community priorities and create a framework for directing investments in areas such as education, community assets, housing, workforce development with an emphasis on underrepresented communities (women, people of color, rural communities, and veterans), child care, transportation, infrastructure, and more. The CEC is a critical component of the community and workforce commitments required by New York’s Green CHIPS semiconductor industry incentive program and was formed to ensure ground-up participation in Micron’s transformative investment in Central New York. To learn more about the Central New York Community Engagement Committee (CEC), visit https://www.cnycec.org/

About the Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund:

As a requirement of Micron’s participation in New York State’s Green CHIPS incentive program, the company established with Empire State Development, New York’s chief economic development agency, a $500 million Green CHIPS Community Investment Fund. Over twenty years, Micron will invest $250 million, New York State will contribute $100 million, and the remaining funding will be raised from local, state, and national partners. Funding will be provided to the Central New York community in four categories of spending: Workforce Development, Education, Community Investments, and Housing. A process for organizations to submit proposals for consideration of funding from the Community Investment Fund is expected to open in the coming months and the contents of the CPD will help guide funding decisions