WEST LAFAYETTE, IN — The estimated $4 billion SK hynix chip manufacturing plant is moving forward with plans for construction, after permits for foundation work were filed on Jan. 26 totaling $98 million.
Permits filed by the Purdue Research Foundation for the chip plant’s site at 3800 Yeager Road included foundation plans for SK hynix’s main office for $11 million, a central utility building for $19 million, and the chip factory for $68 million.
In September, city and Tippecanoe County officials granted a mass grading permit, which authorizes a large scale development. According to SK hynix’s website, environmental permits are underway with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
“To date, no material issues have been identified in coordination with the Authority Having Jurisdiction — the local regulatory body responsible for ensuring that buildings and structures comply with safety standards and meet all applicable laws and regulations,” SK hynix said in a statement on its website. “All engagements remain on track and in compliance with regulatory expectations.”
The move forward on the chip manufacturing site follows several months of contentious West Lafayette City Council meetings, where members of the public have voiced frustration over unanswered questions surrounding the South Korean manufacturer after rezoning for the chip factory site was approved by the council in May.
In June, two lawsuits were filed, and later combined, in an effort to overturn the rezoning. In late December, plaintiff Lora Williams filed for disclosure documents from West Lafayette, Purdue Research Foundation, Purdue University, SK hynix Semiconductors, Tippecanoe County Emergency Management and the county’s Area Plan Commission.
On Feb. 1, Williams and fellow plaintiffs Karl Janich and Sean Sasser filed a lengthy memo in the case. A status conference is scheduled for March 9.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: SK hynix files build permits for West Lafayette chip plant totaling $98M
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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