A Nano Dose of Reality . . .

Another recycled story on the Marcy Chip-Fab (now called "Nanotech") Site appeared today that served as a platform to reprise what has become typical Oneida County double-talk:

"The Marcy site is still considered shovel-ready, even though between $18 and $20 million in sewer, water and road infrastructure improvements are needed."

--- and even though the money for them has yet to be found, and even though a Federal wetlands permit is required before improvements can be started.

Only in Oneida County's world of suspended reality can the site even remotely be considered "shovel ready" (which used to mean ready to start construction within 90 days). [This is reminiscent of Mr. Picente's response last month to the question of whether there was raw sewage floating in the Mohawk: "No, not in the least. I think over the last two years what they call 92 occurrences possibly." The cognitive dissonance will give you a headache!]

EDGE's Mr. DiMeo seems to think that coming in second place in the AMD Chip Fabrication sweepstakes bodes well for our future -- but is he being realistic? Buried in the article is a word of caution:

"Still, without a nearby cluster of similar companies with which to collaborate, it will be a challenge to attract the nanotechnology industry, said Kathryn R. Harrigan, a Henry R. Kravis Professor of Business Leadership at Columbia University who has worked as a consultant to semiconductor firms."

"New York has a growing base of standout nanotechnology firms and college research centers — Albany NanoTech at the University of Albany, Cornell NanoScale Science & Technology Facility in Ithaca, SEMATECH North in Albany, IBM in East Fishkill."

"But with the closest more than 90 miles away from Marcy, they aren't close enough to form a cluster with the town, she said."

With AMD ready to "play" in Luther Forest at a site that can host 4 chip-fabs, there is now less incentive for a company to look here. The center for nano-activity has been established 90 miles to the east. Furthermore, AMD is being given $1 Billion in state subsidies plus another $300 million in site improvements. Is it realistic to expect the people of New York State to make a similar investment a second time in Marcy? Can Marcy still be considered a "world-class" site without a subsidy?

In the early 2000s timing was what Oneida County had to offer above everyone else. Our competition was still in the design stage and had significant hurdles (water supply and public acceptance) to overcome. But Oneida County EDGE's performance was significantly less than flawless . . . They were less than aggressive. Permitting was allowed to go unfinished. The lack of the federal wetland permit would have held any project up for months. In spite of the promise of being "shovel ready," it was not. Now our competition has surpassed us.

When timing was everything, the County may have missed the boat - forever.