The city of West Lafayette, Indiana, has granted final approval for the land use change requested by SK hynix. Expectations are rising that the construction of SK hynix's advanced packaging production facility will gain momentum.
On the 6th (local time), the West Lafayette city council passed the land use change proposal submitted by SK hynix with 6 votes in favor and 3 against. As a result, a semiconductor production facility worth $4 billion (approximately 5.5 trillion won) will be officially pursued.
SK hynix pushed to change the site from the original land owned by the Purdue Research Foundation under Purdue University to the intersection of Salisbury Street and Calvert Road, which is relatively convenient for transportation. However, the nearby residential development raised concerns among residents about the risks of chemical leaks, increased truck traffic, and deterioration of living conditions.
SK hynix has actively expressed that the B site is optimal for factory operations and the positive impact on the local economy as it sought to persuade officials. The company also submitted a revised plan to the city council to change the intended use of the adjacent 90-acre site from industrial to research and office facilities.
SK hynix has set a policy to establish advanced facilities in Indiana and start mass production of next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other AI memory products from the second half of 2028. Additionally, the company announced plans to create more than 1,000 jobs locally based on its production base and R&D facilities. The total investment in the Indiana advanced packaging plant amounts to $3.87 billion (approximately 5.4 trillion won).