Manufacturing
Foundation Work Begins on Micron's $100B New York Semiconductor Megafab
Milestone follows Bechtel's EPC mobilization and comes less than six months after groundbreaking
Construction equipment stands behind a commemorative concrete slab marking the July 2026 start of foundation construction at Micron Technology's semiconductor manufacturing campus in Clay, N.Y. Workers began placing the first foundations for the project's initial fabrication plant on July 9.
Workers have begun placing the foundation for the first fabrication plant at Micron Technology's planned $100-billion semiconductor manufacturing campus in Clay, N.Y., passing a key milestone for what is expected to become the nation's largest chipmaking complex.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the start of foundation work during a visit to the White Pine Commerce Park site July 9, saying construction reached the milestone less than six months after January's groundbreaking and more than one quarter ahead of the original plan.
"Today's milestone marks another major step for Micron in central New York, and what makes it even more remarkable is that we're here in July—months ahead of schedule—pouring the concrete foundation," Hochul said in a statement.
Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said reaching the milestone ahead of schedule reflects "the speed and determination behind this project," adding that the company aims to bring advanced memory manufacturing to central New York while strengthening the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.
In June, Micron announced it had selected Bechtel as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the project's first phase. At the time, the companies said Bechtel would immediately mobilize at the site and lead EPC delivery for the initial fabrication plant.
Bechtel said it would deploy an integrated EPC delivery model combining engineering, procurement, advanced digital construction technologies, modularization strategies and project controls to support schedule certainty, workforce coordination and operational readiness.
The firm added that semiconductor fabrication facilities rank among the most technically demanding industrial construction projects because of their specialized cleanrooms, ultra-high-purity process infrastructure, advanced electrical systems and vibration-sensitive foundations.
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Micron says it plans to invest up to $100 billion over the coming decades to develop a four-fab semiconductor manufacturing campus in central New York. State officials say the project is expected to generate about 50,000 jobs statewide, including more than 4,500 construction jobs at its peak.
Separately, on July 9, Micron announced plans to invest up to $3 billion to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply chain, including $500 million to support GlobalWafers' 300-mm silicon wafer manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, under a planned 10-year supply agreement.
During on-site coverage of the July 9 event, Micron Senior Director of Program Management Carson Henry told Spectrum News that each fabrication plant will require "about four Empire State Buildings' worth of concrete" and enough reinforcing steel that, if laid end to end, would circle the globe twice.
ENR previously reported that public environmental filings shifted construction of the first fabrication plant to 2026 after earlier schedule delays.
Neither Bechtel nor Micron immediately responded to ENR's request for comment.
Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.
email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591
