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Around 50 people gathered in the Cicero Firehouse Wednesday evening for a City Scripts forum to discuss the impacts of Micron Technology’s impending arrival in the Onondaga County community.

The panel, called “Good Company: Micron and the Shape of Growth,” fostered discussions surrounding the developments needed to accommodate the plant, which is projected to create around 50,000 new jobs in central New York.

The forum featured three presenters — Andrew Herod, a former Athens, Georgia, city official, Tod Rutherford, a Syracuse University geography professor and Frederick Harris, a former real estate developer. Following the presentations, Sen. Rachel May, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and State Assemblyman Al Stirpe responded to their points.

“For this project to be successful, I think that there are two really important takeaways. The first is clear communication … and the second is that the same thing can appear really different to different people,” Herod said. “That’s the nature of our democratic system.”

City Scripts was founded by SU faculty in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the School of Architecture. The group is dedicated to “the exploration of the intersection of politics and the design of the built environment,” according to its website.

Herod, the first presenter, provided a case study of a similar but smaller-scale project that occurred when he was District 8 commissioner in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. In 2013, the region saw the arrival of a new, $200 million Caterpillar manufacturing facility. The Micron project will require legislatures to consider the “interconnected” nature of community systems, Herod said, rather than viewing each as an individual entity.

The second speaker, Rutherford, explained the underlying geographical and policy implications behind the Micron investment and broader national efforts to decrease the offshoring.

Micron will receive $6.1 billion from the federal government via the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to promote domestic semiconductor production efforts.

Rutherford also discussed the recent workforce development initiatives throughout the community. He emphasized the efforts of local universities to invest more into STEM programs that will prepare skilled laborers to work for the plant. The Micron plant will employ around 1,000 technicians and 1,000 engineers, Rutherford said, citing a syracuse.com article.

Rutherford said he believes that community benefit agreements will be crucial in ensuring that central New York has a “two-way relationship” with Micron.

The final presentation included central New York’s plans to accommodate an influx of workers amid an ongoing housing crisis. Harris said the city needs to invest more in developing dense and affordable housing options.

Harris criticized what he called the country’s “obsession” with homeownership, citing the United States’ subsidies for mortgage payments.

One way central New York can introduce more affordable housing options is through “mixed-income developments,” Harris said, while still maintaining its “character.”

All presenters emphasized the importance of central New York cities continuing to invest in improving infrastructure proportionate to the economic growth Micron will bring.

City and state officials spoke about adding affordable housing opportunities, improving transit infrastructure and protecting the area’s resources — namely the region’s proximity to prominent bodies of water.

“This is the place on the planet with probably some of the most abundant freshwater … we have to be very vigilant to make sure that we are stewarding that resource … and not just handing it over to the highest bidder,” May said.

Following the politicians’ remarks, the floor opened to a question and answer session. Though panelists’ attitudes toward Micron were generally positive, the attendees were more critical of the project.

Community members expressed concerns about the plant’s environmental effects, impact on disadvantaged communities and the project’s “lack” of specific language surrounding how it plans to uphold its promises to the community.

“There’s been references to Micron being 100% renewable energy. At best, that’s imprecise language,” said Peter Wirth, the vice president of Climate Change Awareness & Action.

Most questions were met with brief silence before the speakers responded. While the politicians did not yet have answers to some of their concerns, Stirpe admitted, local leaders hope to continue collecting community feedback.

Local legislatures plan to introduce more public outreach efforts in the summer, Stirpe said.

“No project is entirely, 100% great … the way that you get trust with the public is that you’re upfront with it,” Herod said. “The easiest thing to tell people as an elected official is yes … that’s what a politician does. What a leader does is what’s best for the community.”

Published on April 25, 2024 at 1:43 am

Contact Julia: jmboehni@syr.edu