Arizona-based Amkor is planning to invest $2 billion in Northwest Valley by building state-of-the-art facilities.
Residents of Northwest Peoria’s upscale Bistancia district have expressed concern about the construction of a semiconductor packaging facility near their home. Despite support from the city of Peoria, residents are seeking more public opinion before work begins.
Amkor, a company specializing in semiconductor packaging and testing, plans to invest $2 billion in Northwest Valley, including the construction of major facilities in the Vistancia region. Since 1998, Amkor brokered a contract with the City of Peoria to build on 55 acres of land zoned for mixed use and industrial development.
Vistancia resident Larry Boress said he and some of his neighbors felt the facility would significantly change the nature of the community.
“This Vistancia community was developed with a vision for the future and how it will connect to the landscape, quality of life and aesthetics here.
Amkor recently announced that the facility will expand from 500,000 square feet to 2 million square feet and be built to a height of 118 feet. Residents argue that the expansion could make the facility visible from the home.
“We have a home just a quarter of a mile away. This is not where Amkor should have been,” Boress said.
At a community meeting last month, Amkor officials addressed some of the concerns. David McCann, senior vice president of Amkor’s business unit, explained that expansion is necessary to meet customer demand.
“Looking both at the demand for customers and the reality that we have to have a large, competitive facility in the US, we decided to have a second manufacturing floor in the building. McCann said .
The facility works in conjunction with TSMC, a semiconductor manufacturing facility near Phoenix, providing packaging and testing of chips produced there. Although TSMC is far from residential areas, Vistancia residents are worried that the Amkor facility will increase the traffic and environmental impacts of the neighborhood.
“We don’t want this. If we can’t move plants, we want to make sure we meet all environmental requirements, especially with regard to noise and air quality,” Boress said.
Amkor said at the community meeting that he had hired a traffic consultant to find out how adding facilities would affect nearby travel. They also said air pollution prevention systems are in place to ensure that air quality is not affected.
“We’re a clean factory. We’re a low noise facility and hopefully it makes us a good neighbor in the overall Bistancia development,” McCann said.
Many residents acknowledge that the project could bring economic benefits to the area. Once completed, the facility is expected to create up to 2,000 jobs. While they support Peoria’s efforts to become a hub for economic activity, these residents want to ensure that growth occurs in a way that aligns with the values and vision of the community.
“We have over 1,000 residents in Vistancia. Some people want to talk about this, learn what we can do and how Amkor will be a better neighbor,” Boress said. Masu. “We want to support the development of Peoria, but in a more responsible way.”
In a statement to 12News, Amor said:
Amkor is filling a key gap in the US semiconductor supply chain at the facility, adding a second level, allowing businesses to more efficiently meet industry demand and not expand their building footprint. You can fill that gap in the The size, height and use of the facility has been in place for about 25 years and has always been envisaged for a large employment centre for this property, a large employment centre for mixed, commercial or industrial use. Fully compliant with zoning guidelines. Amkor has finalized the site plan and is working closely with the city and five North at Vistancia to develop a project that is a true asset from the community and beyond.
The packaging facility has already been approved by the Peoria City Council. Amkor told the community meeting that he expects it to operate by 2027.
