Micron Semiconductor Project Faces Eviction Controversy in Syracuse

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon announced that the county has submitted a comprehensive offer to 91-year-old Azalia King, whom they are trying to evict from her home to make space for a massive semiconductor fabrication plant by Micron Technology.

This eviction stems from a September 4 notice issued by the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency, providing King 90 days to vacate her residence at 8700 Caughdenoy Road. The county agency previously purchased the home and 21 acres of land from King and her late husband, Glenn, for three hundred thirty thousand seven hundred fifty dollars in 2005, with an agreement allowing the couple to live there for life.

Glenn passed away in 2015, leaving Azalia as the sole occupant. McMahon indicated that the county is prioritizing the development of the Micron facility, which is projected to be the largest in state history, expected to employ around 9,000 people and costing approximately one hundred billion dollars.

The land where King resides is on a three-acre portion of the larger fourteen hundred-acre site earmarked for the factory, with plans for site work to commence in December. In a concerning move, the agency has initiated eminent domain proceedings to strip King of her rights under the original agreement.

This week, King filed a lawsuit against the agency, asserting that the eviction notice breaches the terms of their 2005 agreement. McMahon conveyed empathy for King’s situation, highlighting the difficulty of displacing a widow from her long-time home, but reiterated that the house cannot coexist with the planned megacampus.

He noted that negotiations for financial compensation for King have intensified recently, with the county eager to resolve the matter before site work begins. McMahon stated he would disclose the county's offer publicly if King and her family choose to reject it.

Micron has not established a definitive date for the onset of construction, although McMahon anticipates initial site work will begin around the third week of December, with the plant aiming to produce its first memory chips by late 2030, according to Syracuse.com.