'Intel is almost a secondary thing:' Licking County grows despite delays

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) -- Contrary to the reactions of state and city leaders upon hearing of Intel's "unfortunate" delay in the Ohio One plant construction, Monroe Township official Troy Hendren said folks in the small communities around the plant were hardly surprised.

"I'm kind of in the heavy haul construction business myself, and when they broke ground, most of the people around here looked at that like there's no way they're going to be able to get this project done," Hendren said.

Hendren said the company was certainly trying to meet deadlines, working 24/7 on the project. Intel announced its second delay in the Ohio project on Feb. 28, shifting the completion date for the $28 billion semiconductor manufacturing plant from 2027 to 2030 or 2031. View previous coverage of the delay in the video player above.

When the project was first announced, it was slated to open in 2025, a remarkably quick period for neighboring communities to adapt to growth. New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding and Ohio Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Steve Stivers said the new delays, although disappointing, were a "silver lining" giving communities more time to prepare.

Hendren and Jersey Township Administrator Rob Platte agreed with state leaders and said the new Intel timeline might give them more time to prepare for future growth. However, they acknowledged a lot of the area's development has already arrived, both from Intel and from other companies.

"There's so much construction around here, Intel is almost a secondary thing, believe it or not," Hendren said.

Licking County’s Monroe Township sits right above the Intel Ohio One site, with Jersey Township encompassing the area below. Both have had to cope quickly with rapid growth, and the state predicts Licking County will see an 18% population increase by 2050.

During the 2020 census, the townships had a combined population of around 10,000 residents. In May 2023, Jersey Township approved a community development plan in tandem with a community consultant who predicted Jersey Township's population could grow to more than 16,000 people by 2025 from its 2,500 population before Intel and other developments.

"We recognize that whether or not the buildings at the Intel site ultimately say 'Intel' on the side is irrelevant; rather, something will be built on that site and the surrounding areas will continue to develop," Platte said.

Platte said Jersey Township was lucky that the area had already begun updating its community plan when Intel announced it would come. Since the announcement in January 2022, Platte said the community has worked hard to ensure it maintains local control over projects by preventing land from being annexed out of the township. Jersey has implemented immense development plans with citizen input to try to maintain the area's rural character.

Hendren said Monroe Township was a little north of Intel's construction, so development manifests more so in land purchases and road development. He said local schools probably won't receive Intel's property tax money as quickly, but otherwise, the township is ready to adjust as development ebbs and flows.

"We are preparing for more traffic and more growth, but there are a lot of things that are out of our control, like the sewer and water, that sort of thing," Hendren said. "So in the meantime, we're still growing corn and soybeans."

Intel representatives told NBC4 in recent weeks that it had no updates regarding the Ohio One plant and declined to provide further comment. This does not mean the townships are in the dark, however. Hendren said Intel has been communicative with local communities, giving them a heads-up before news is announced and responding to their questions quickly.

Hendren said Intel told Monroe County of the delay the day before it was announced, adding it was fairly easy to assume it would not be complete in that time by looking at it. However, he said he believes the 2030 or 2031 timeline seems much more achievable.