With federal, state and local officials on hand Friday, Micron marked the beginning of construction on its massive chipmaking facility in Clay.

Representatives from both sides of the political spectrum were both optimistic and celebratory in their tone when discussing the future of the plant, and effusive in their praise of Micron for choosing Central New York for what is expected to become the largest semiconductor facility in the United States.

“To be able to facilitate this dream come true, to launch the rebirth of manufacturing in the state of New York, I could not be prouder,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said to the audience at the site of the facility.

Micron has touted the project as the largest private investment in New York’s history, with an expected $100 billion investment over the next 20-plus years.

Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said Friday’s groundbreaking was the beginning of “a transformation” that began four years ago when he first visited the site of the future Clay facility.

“It will become a thriving technology hub, generating tens of thousands of jobs here,” Mehrotra said. “We are laying the groundwork for a future where Central New York will be the heartbeat of the AI economy.”

The groundbreaking ceremony attracted not only the governor and both New York’s U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, but also U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

The labor secretary lauded Micron for what she said was its support of U.S. manufacturers and labor.

“I’m proud to witness Micron’s commitment to the American worker through the largest construction project labor agreement in U.S. history,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

Mehrotra said he expects that production on the first chips at the Clay site will begin “in four years’ time.”

Schumer, who spearheaded the push for the CHIPS & Science Law funding that helped make the Clay facility a reality, said Friday’s groundbreaking was “the dawn of a new day.”

“You know what my dream was? To make I-90 our semiconductor superhighway,” the Senate minority leader said. “Within 10 years, 25% of the advanced semiconductor microchips will be made along the I-90 corridor in upstate New York. The linchpin of that was getting Micron.”