A $100 Billion Semiconductor Initiative Displaced a 91-Year-Old Woman from Her Residence

In 1965, Azalia King moved into a home in upstate New York, nestled among vast cattle pastures, coinciding with the dawn of mass microchip production. Now, six decades later, the 91-year-old faces the potential loss of her residence as plans unfold for what could be the largest chip manufacturing facility in the United States.

Local officials have threatened to utilize eminent domain, allowing them to seize land for public use, in order to displace King and initiate the construction of a $100 billion campus where tech giant Micron intends to produce memory chips for various electronic devices. King’s home stands as the last remaining residence on the 1,400-acre site, once populated with numerous other homes.

On Friday, following a week filled with intense discussions, competing legal warnings, and community protests, King’s family reached a preliminary agreement with local authorities regarding her relocation, as stated by Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. The specifics of the agreement will be disclosed following a vote by the county’s Industrial Development Agency, anticipated in mid-December. Earlier this year, the agency proposed $100,000, while the family sought $10 million, according to the Syracuse Post-Standard.

“Both sides recognized that action was essential,” McMahon remarked during a livestreamed press conference on Friday. “This initiative is spurred by a national security project that will transform this community for generations. Such situations are challenging, and nobody intended to find themselves in this position.”

Scott Lickstein, King’s lawyer, informed WIRED that her lawsuit against the county authorities last week catalyzed discussions and that a settlement was advantageous for all involved. “She will continue to reside in the community,” Lickstein confirmed. Some of King’s family members did not reply to requests for comment regarding the agreement.

Micron aims to commence construction in Clay, located north of Syracuse, next month. However, the project cannot advance until King vacates her property. Currently, the initiative is two to three years behind schedule, with full chip production not anticipated until 2045.

This construction project is part of a federal initiative, launched under the Biden administration, to boost domestic chip production and diminish the nation’s dependence on Asian manufacturers. Subsidies from federal, state, and local governments for this initiative could total around $25 billion, according to activists opposing certain tax incentives. “It’s impossible to achieve such a historic investment while retaining that single house,” McMahon expressed last week. “Those two objectives cannot coexist.”