Syracuse is the Best Place for Micron to Invest, Expand and Create Opportunity

The following appears as a Letter to the Editor in the July 24,2025 edition of The Post-Standard and on syracuse.com:

After decades of disinvestment, manufacturing losses and economic stagnation, Central New York is at a moment of unprecedented investment, growth and opportunity. A moment of growing optimism and hope for the future, one where competitive industries can thrive, attract new residents, and where our kids don’t have to look elsewhere to find opportunity. 

That moment was sparked when Micron Technology announced in October 2022 it would invest $100 billion to construct four fabs in the Town of Clay. The company’s decision was made possible because leaders in Onondaga County realized they had something special in Clay’s White Pine Commerce Park. It offered a unique set of infrastructure assets, with requisite power, water and geology. Combined with strategic property acquisition over the past few years, it is one of a handful of sites in the nation large enough to attract such a semiconductor megaproject, an increasingly important industry for consumers, businesses and U.S. national security. Micron, one of the world’s leading computer chip manufacturers, was attracted by the site’s amenities, and saw promise in the region’s workforce and commitment to further building a skilled talent pipeline. 

After more than two years of expert review and significant public input, including several open houses and public hearings, our community’s extensive planning was validated by one of the most exhaustive environmental analyses ever considered for a project in New York, the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Study. 

When viewed in its totality, the DEIS shows that Central New York is one of, if not the, best places in the world for critical, leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing. 

Through this project, Micron is setting new standards for megaprojects in wildlife conservation and habitat protection, wetlands restoration and water recycling systems, to name a few. Perhaps most importantly, Micron’s project in Clay will avoid approximately 77% of potential greenhouse gas emissions by adhering to New York’s climate protection laws. In addition, more than 86% of the electricity used at the site will be generated from carbon-free energy sources.  

At the same time, Central New York will benefit from sorely needed investments in regional infrastructure including water and wastewater systems, the electric grid and much-needed road and highway investments in Onondaga County’s northern suburbs. We are already seeing commitments to expand and improve our civic infrastructure with needed investments in child care and health care across the region. Building permits for new housing are up by more than 50%, which will help address both current and future housing needs. These investments are in addition to the $500 million Community Investment Fund established as part of Micron’s commitment to New York State through the Green CHIPS Excelsior Jobs program.  

These benefits precede the project’s 4,200 construction jobs, 9,000 permanent jobs and up to 40,000 follow-on jobs expected to drive meaningful population growth to the Syracuse area for the first time in generations, delivering $16.7 billion in annual real economic output in New York.  

In 2041, when its fourth fab is complete, Micron employees in Clay, along with other fabs in the Northeast, will produce one in every four chips made in America. The DEIS notes that the scale of production at all four fabs is crucial to the financial viability of this project and U.S. economic and national security needs. 

The Micron Project DEIS confirms what we have long believed—that Central New York is the best region in the nation for semiconductor development—environmentally, socially and economically. We look forward to our continued close partnership with Micron as it builds the most environmentally sustainable chip facility in the world. 

Ben Sio
Acting President, CenterState CEO

Michael Rost
President, ACC Technical Services
 
Michael Wetzel
President & CEO, Air Innovations, Inc.
 
Margaret O'Connell
Executive Director, Allyn Family Foundation
 
Vaughn Crawford
Director of Operations, Altius Aviation
 
Joe Anthony
CEO, AnCor, Inc.
 
Jeff Knauss
Serial Entrepreneur, Arcovo AI
 
Somak Chattopadhyay
General Fund Manager, Armory Square Ventures
 
Matthew Broderick
President & CEO, Ashley McGraw Architects, DPC
 
Christian Roderick
SVP Operations, Atlantic Testing Laboratories Limited
 
Atom Avery
Business Manager, Avery Rental properties
 
Richard Dausman
President, Bluefors Cryocooler Technologies, Inc.
 
Todd Klaben
Partner & Syracuse Lead, The Bonadio Group
 
Brian Butler
Managing Member - Syracuse, Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC
 
Vicki Brackens
President & Financial Planner, Brackens Financial Solutions Network, LLC
 
Shane Broadwell
Partner, Broadwell Hospitality Group
 
Nicholas Dereszynski
President, Brown & Brown Empire State
 
John T. Camp
President & COO, C&S Companies
 
Joseph Convertino Jr.
President, C.H. Insurance Brokerage Services Co., Inc.
 
Joanne Rauch
President, C.R. Fletcher Associates, Inc.
 
Melanie Littlejohn
President & CEO, Central New York Community Foundation, Inc.
 
Casey White
President, Chimera Integrations
 
Dimitar Karaivanov
President & CEO, Community Bank, NA
 
Mike Fay
President & CEO, ComSource, Inc.
 
Rich Barlette
Director of State Government Affairs, Constellation
 
Steven L. Aiello
Vice President of Finance & Development, COR Development Company LLC
 
Gail Cowley
President & CEO, Cowley Associates
 
Dr. Seth Kronenberg
President & CEO, Crouse Health
 
Dr. Lorenzo Conti
Founder & CEO / Managing Director, Crover
 
John Clark
President & COO, Cushman and Wakefield Pyramid Brokerage
 
John Bartolotti
Partner, Dal Pos Architects, LLC
 
Christopher Didio
Managing Partner, Dannible & McKee, LLP
 
Merike Treier
Executive Director, Downtown Committee of Syracuse

Marc Jones
Founder & CEO, Dreissig Apparel
 
J. Kemper Matt Jr.
President, Dupli Envelope & Graphics

Michael Bower
Owned, Eagle Metal Craft
 
Cooper MacDonnell
President and Director of Public Relations, Eastern Security Services
 
Ralph Simone
Founding Partner, Emergent

Ryan McIntyre
President and CEO, Empower FCU
 
Eli Smith
CEO, E. Smith Contractors LLC
 
Bill Patrick
Head of Workplace Solutions and Results Delivery, Equitable
 
Stephen Chabot
Executive Leadership, Erie Materials, Inc.

Jim Reed
President and CEO, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield 
 
Michael Szidat
CEO, Felix Schoeller North America, Inc.
 
Carrie Large
Executive Director, Friends of The Rosamond Gifford Zoo
 
Sheena Solomon
Executive Director, The Gifford Foundation / Upstate Minority Economic Alliance
 
Louis DeMent
CEO, Giovanni Food Co., Inc.
 
Gwen Webber-McLeod
President & CEO, Gwen, Inc. 

Matthew Gardner
CEO & Co-founder, Hiline

Mary M. Gohl-Thompson, CMP
Chief Executive Officer, Home Builders & Remodelers of Central New York

Andy Breuer
President, Hueber-Breuer Construction Co., Inc.
 
Hannah Henley
President, INFICON, Inc.
 
Laura Cueva
President & CEO, Interior Innovations
 
Stephen Fournier
Market President – Central New York, KeyBank N.A.
 
David Warner
President & CEO, Kinney Drugs, Inc.
 
Michael Nash
Principal, KS&R
 
Patrick Farnham
Associate, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services Inc.
 
George Joyce
CEO, Laser Transit
 
Linda LeMura
President, Le Moyne College
 
Max Chutinthranond
Owner, Lemon Grass
 
Robert Li
President, Liland Global

Rick Cordaro
Vice President Radar and Sensor Systems and Syracuse Site General Manager, Lockheed Martin
 
Kimberly Townsend
CEO & President, Loretto
 
Michael Hausladen
General Manager, LOTTE Biologics USA LLC
 
Ed Riley
General Manager, Marriott Syracuse Downtown

Stephen Gorczynski
CNY Regional President, M&T Bank

Mary Malone-McCarthy
Founder & CEO, M3 Placement & Partnership
 
Richard Engel
Managing Partner, Mackenzie Hughes LLP
 
Aric Shorey
VP Government Affairs, Menlo Microsystems Inc.

Stephanie Crockett
President & COO, Mower

Mary Kate Rolf
President & CEO, Nascentia Health, Inc.
 
Alberto Bianchetti
CNY Director, Customer and Corporate Affairs, National Grid
 
David Kavney
SVP & CNY Regional Executive, NBT Bank
 
James McCarthy
President, Northland Communications
 
Michael Doolittle
Managing Partner, Northwestern Mutual of Central Western NY and Northern PA
 
Ken Stewart
President & CEO, NUAIR
 
Sam Rowser
Executive Director, On Point for College
 
Pierre Morrisseau
CEO, ONEGROUP
 
Michael Backus
President & CEO, Oswego Health
 
James Dowd
President & CEO, Pathfinder Bank
 
Stephen Swift
Partner, Perigon Wealth Management, LLC
 
Eric Ridley
COO, Pioneer Companies
 
Ben Roberts
Associate, PMI Global Services, Inc.
 
Matt Cashatt
CEO, Polyrific

Luke Esposito
Partner & Co-founder, R.F. Esposito, Inc.
 
Franklin Fry
Executive Director, Redhouse Arts Center
 
Andrew Carter
Co-Founder & CEO, ResilienX
 
Darin Price
COO, Right Price Companies, Inc.
 
Erik Smith
President & CEO, Saab, Inc.
 
Susan Crossett
CEO, Sapphire Recruitment, Inc. 
 
Chedy Hampson
Founder & Board Chair, South Side Community Growth Foundation

Kevin Hair
President, SRC, Inc.
 
Dr. Mantosh Dewan
President, SUNY Upstate Medical University

Dr. Ofrona Reid
President & CEO, Syracuse Community Health
 
H. Jason Terreri
Executive Director, Syracuse Regional Airport Authority
 
Shannon Reedy
VP of Account Management, Terakeet, LLC
 
Jeremy Thurston
President, The Hayner Hoyt Corp.
 
Lauren Kochian
President, The MOST
 
Pam Murchison
Executive Director, The Syracuse Orchestra
 
David Schneckenburger
President, Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co. Inc.
 
Brian Bisaccio
Senior Vice President, Northern Region Manager, Tompkins Community Bank
 
David Kimmel
President, Two Plus Four Companies
 
Nancy Eaton
President, United Way of Central New York
 
John Sharkey III
President, Universal Metal Works, LLC
 
Jamar Clarke
Executive Director, Upstate Minority Economic Alliance
 
Meghan Tidd
CEO, VIP Structures, Inc.
 
Danny Liedka
President/CEO, Visit Syracuse
 
David Foor
President, Visual Technologies

Evelyn Ingram
Director Of Media & Community Relations, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
 
Joseph Scuderi
President, Widewaters Group, Inc.
 
Sam Serianni
Professional Mobility Consultant, Wireless Business Group
 
Tom Fernandez
President, Woodbine Group, Inc.
 
Josh Royce
President & CEO, YMCA of Central New York