New York Construction Report staff writer
Site preparation and infrastructure work are underway at Oneida County’s Triangle Site as construction begins on Chobani’s planned $1.2 billion dairy processing facility in Rome.
Tree clearing by Chobani marks the official start of construction and the first visible step in preparing the 253-acre site. The county is also preparing to demolish the long-vacant Hush House. Demolition is scheduled to begin later this month and take about three months to complete.
“These are important and tangible milestones that show the Chobani project is moving from planning to action,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “The start of tree clearing and the demolition of the Hush House demonstrate our commitment to delivering a fully prepared, infrastructure-ready site that will support one of the largest and most transformative economic development projects in Oneida County’s history.”
The facility, located at Griffiss Business and Technology Park, is expected to be one of the largest natural food manufacturing investments in U.S. history. Chobani says the project will create more than 1,000 jobs and nearly double its New York workforce. Once operational, the plant will process more than 12 million pounds of milk per day and produce over 1 billion pounds of dairy products annually.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the project represents a major win for the Mohawk Valley and the state’s manufacturing sector.
“Through this partnership with Chobani, we’re revitalizing Upstate New York’s manufacturing sector,” Hochul said. “This massive new investment will bring more than 1,000 good-paying jobs to Oneida County.”
Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said the expansion builds on the company’s long history in New York, where it opened its first U.S. plant in 2005.
“With our new plant in Rome and our original home in South Edmeston, we’re entering a new dimension,” Ulukaya said. “When you invest in people and local communities, you’re not just building a business — you’re building a future.”
Oneida County is funding a significant portion of the site preparation and infrastructure work using state and county funds. The site received more than $23 million through the FAST NY program for infrastructure and transportation improvements.
Reconstruction of Perimeter Road off State Route 825, the facility’s primary access point, is about 50 percent complete. Work is expected to resume in the spring and finish by summer 2026.
Additional county-led work starting this spring includes a 12-inch steel natural gas main, a sanitary sewer pump station and force main, a new roundabout and sound barrier on Route 825, and installation of two transformers to provide an additional 50 megawatts of power to the site.
The Rome Planning Board approved a revised Chobani site plan Feb. 3. Officials said the changes were minor, considered neighboring properties, and did not alter the facility’s overall footprint.
Chobani is also working with the state to develop a workforce plan aimed at providing job opportunities to underserved populations.
