A 91-year-old woman's home has been the last holdout preventing a $100 billion Micron chip project from advancing, with Onondaga County officials threatening to use eminent domain to take it by force. The property owner, Azalia King, moved into her current residence in upstate New York in 1965, around the time mass production of microchips began. Now, she is on the verge of losing her home to make way for what could become the largest chipmaking complex in the US.
As the Trump administration's pressure tactics and tariffs policies draw manufacturing back to the country, such land disputes are becoming more common. Onondaga officials had struggled to fill a 1,400-acre plot of forested land in upstate New York, reportedly losing out on automotive, pharmaceutical, and tech companies until Micron stepped in.
The company's megafab project, which plans to produce memory chips for use in various electronics, could employ 9,000 people at its peak. However, King's plight has frustrated many in the region, with some community members expressing concerns about increased traffic and possible environmental impacts. Displacing King has been a prerequisite for the project's progression.
King sued Onondaga County Development Agency last month, claiming that any forced move would upend her life and violate her lifetime contract. In response, county officials made a fair offer to the family, addressing King's concerns while still being responsible with taxpayer funds.
Bob McNamara, deputy litigation director at the Institute for Justice, notes that King had a chance of winning her case but likely wouldn't want to spend years in litigation against a well-heeled county government burning taxpayer dollars. The author suggests that governments don't need to resort to displacing residents, especially when history shows that numerous projects never delivered on their initial promises.
Despite the controversy surrounding the project, Onondaga officials maintain that it is necessary for national security and will create economic opportunities for years to come. With King's family agreeing to a deal with local officials, her home will be relocated, and construction on the megafab can proceed.
As the Trump administration's pressure tactics and tariffs policies draw manufacturing back to the country, such land disputes are becoming more common. Onondaga officials had struggled to fill a 1,400-acre plot of forested land in upstate New York, reportedly losing out on automotive, pharmaceutical, and tech companies until Micron stepped in.
The company's megafab project, which plans to produce memory chips for use in various electronics, could employ 9,000 people at its peak. However, King's plight has frustrated many in the region, with some community members expressing concerns about increased traffic and possible environmental impacts. Displacing King has been a prerequisite for the project's progression.
King sued Onondaga County Development Agency last month, claiming that any forced move would upend her life and violate her lifetime contract. In response, county officials made a fair offer to the family, addressing King's concerns while still being responsible with taxpayer funds.
Bob McNamara, deputy litigation director at the Institute for Justice, notes that King had a chance of winning her case but likely wouldn't want to spend years in litigation against a well-heeled county government burning taxpayer dollars. The author suggests that governments don't need to resort to displacing residents, especially when history shows that numerous projects never delivered on their initial promises.
Despite the controversy surrounding the project, Onondaga officials maintain that it is necessary for national security and will create economic opportunities for years to come. With King's family agreeing to a deal with local officials, her home will be relocated, and construction on the megafab can proceed.
. Can't Onondaga County officials see that displacing one person for 100 billion is kinda a lot? Like, what's next? Taking down the entire neighborhood to make way for a new development? It feels like they're more worried about getting their chips than the people who live there 
. And let's be real, what's the rush to get this factory up and running? Is it really that crucial for national security or is it just a fancy way of saying "we want our jobs back"? 
meanwhile we got people worried about the environmental impact and increased traffic. i get it, the economy needs a boost but at what cost? can't these devs just find another spot for their chip factory or whats the hurry here? this whole thing is so messed up 
like that... she's 91 years old, for crying out loud! 
What's the rush to get this Micron chip factory built? 
We've seen so many promises made and broken by these big corporations before. Like, what even is "national security" in this case? 
It just seems like a bunch of money grub to me...
. She's been living in that house since 1965! It's not just about her home, it's about her life and memories being torn away. I don't think anyone should have to go through that, especially when the government is trying to use eminent domain as a solution 
. The fact that they were able to offer her family a fair deal seems like a step in the right direction, but what about all the emotional distress this causes? It's just not worth it, you know? I mean, can't we find ways to make these megaprojects work without displacing people? 
I mean, I get it, $100billion is a lotta cash 
. And yeah, history shows that projects don't always deliver, but what choice does Onondaga County have? I guess they're trying to be responsible with taxpayer funds, but it's just so sad 
This is getting so out of hand! Can't we just treat people with respect? I mean, Azalia King has been living in that house for like 60 years already... she's not some random person who's gonna sell out for a buck 
. What about her lifetime contract? Doesn't that count for anything? 
. "This will create jobs" or "this is necessary for national security"... yeah, sure... when's the last time we saw a project actually deliver on its promises? 
. Can't we find a way to balance progress with compassion? 
. I just wish they could've found a way to make this work without kicking her out of her home. It's not like it's going to happen again or something. We need more compassion in these situations, you know?
like what even is progress if u dont have ur home 
. On the other hand, Micron is bringing in some major jobs and investment 
. I'm all for progress but not at the cost of one person's home 
I mean, who needs that much pressure? The fact that Micron is moving back to the US after all those years of losing out on big companies because of tariffs is actually kinda cool 
. And yeah, 9,000 jobs is a big deal for the community! 
But can't we just find another way to make it work without kicking her out? 
. I'd love to see more community input & transparent decision-making processes in place before we start displacing people 
. But can't they find a middle ground that benefits everyone? It's not like this is a hard issue 
whats next gonna happen to all these other ppl in the neighborhood? 
.