Region's third semiconductor supply chain campus to be developed at Griffiss. What to know

Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch
·3 min read

New York State is banking on the semiconductor supply chain becoming big business in Central New York.

Oneida County received a $23.6 million state grant to develop the “Triangle Site,” 332 acres at Griffiss International Airport in Rome into a semiconductor supply chain campus that will include 3.9 million square feet of developable space, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. announced Tuesday.

Last year, Mohawk Valley EDGE received $14 million to develop a supply chain campus on 20 acres of the Marcy Nanocenter campus. And the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency received $325,000 last year to create a supply chain campus at the 104-acre Caughdenoy Industrial Park.

This aerial view, taken two years ago, shows the Triangle Site, in the foreground, at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. Oneida County has received a $23.6 million FAST NY grant to prepare the site to become a supply chain campus for the semiconductor industry.
This aerial view, taken two years ago, shows the Triangle Site, in the foreground, at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. Oneida County has received a $23.6 million FAST NY grant to prepare the site to become a supply chain campus for the semiconductor industry.

All these campuses sit in proximity to the 200 mm silicon carbide wafer fabrication facility opened by Wolfspeed at the nanocenter in April 2022 and the chip fabrication facility Micron Technology, Inc. plans to build in Clay. The nanocenter has another 150 acres of developable space, enough for about 2.5 fabs.

And yes, Micron and Wolfspeed are, or will be, big enough to justify the three supply chain campuses, Picente said. Landing two such big companies changes the marketplace and the “dynamic of what the supply chain looks for in terms of where are they getting their chips from,” he said.

So, now that Oneida and Onondaga counties have this “hub of activity,” the goal is to talk to companies who can benefit from Micron and Wolfspeed’s manufacture of wafers and chips and attract them to one of these campuses, Picente said.

It’s on these supply chain campuses that the wafers or chips will get packaged into some kind of device, he said. And these companies could come from many different industries, including telecommunications, automotive, technology, televisions, etc., Picente noted.

The Triangle Site at Griffiss is positioned to become the state’s “premier” supply chain campus for the semiconductor industry with up to 50 megawatts of power, Picente said.

'Huge opportunity for our community'

“This largest shovel-ready site in the state will unlock up to 2.6 million square feet of new construction and the potential for 3,000 new jobs,” he said. “This is a huge opportunity for our community.”

The grants have all come from the Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready Tracts New York, or FAST NY, program. In this round, the program awarded grants to seven sites across the state with Oneida County receiving the largest grant.  A local match of $2.7 million will also go toward the project, which the county is undertaking along with partners Griffiss Local Development Corporation, Mohawk Valley EDGE, C&S Companies and the City of Rome.

The Triangle Site grant will pay for infrastructure and transportation improvements to the site, including electrical upgrade and extension; a doubling of the capacity to 50 megawatts; water and sewer extension; a force main and pump station; looping for increased pressure; transportation and access upgrades; construction of a roundabout; sound barrier construction; lighting and pedestrian infrastructure; a natural gas extension from State Route 825; general site work; perimeter fencing; site grading and green infrastructure; and duct bank and utility corridors.

News of the grant came just a day before the death of MV EDGE President Steven DiMeo, who was also the authorized representative of the Griffiss Local Development Corporation and a key engineer of the area’s development as a semiconductor corridor.

Before his death, DiMeo called the grant a big boost for the county’s status as a “premier destination for new businesses.”

“The development of the Griffiss Triangle Parcel will establish it as the foremost semiconductor supply chain campus in New York State,” he said in a statement. “Griffiss has witnessed substantial public and private investments since its inception. This award further underscores GLDC's mission by revitalizing the former Griffiss Air Force Base into an innovative, high-tech business park.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Griffiss Triangle Site in Rome to be semiconductor supply chain campus