MARCY, N.Y. (WKTV) - A new state data center was supposed to be Oneida County's consolation prize for losing out on an Advanced Micro Devices Inc. chip fab plant that instead went to Saratoga County. Over 200 jobs were supposed to come to the area with the new data center following an announcement in 2006. However, new reports have surfaced claiming the data center, like the chip fab plant, may not be coming after all.

The Albany Times Union is reporting that the state data center that was promised in Oneida County over three years ago will now most likely end up in the Capital Region. Although nothing has been finalized, the Times Union article states that this past July the state Office of General Services sought proposals from developers to build the facility somewhere in the Capital Region.

Three years ago, then Lieutenant Governor Mary Donohue, serving under Governor George Pataki, came to SUNYIT to say the rumors of a data center to Marcy were true.

"For months, the rumors have been flying that the Utica area was on a short list as the future site for New York's records and data center," Donohue said on October 20th, 2006.

The center, we were told, was going to be the end result of a five year project consolidating four smaller data centers in the Albany region into one large center on a piece of the Marcy campus. The state legislature at the time budgeted $99 million to develop the center.
    
Now, three years and two governors later, the center is reportedly going, not coming.
    
New York State Senator Joseph Griffo, (R) 47th District, says he was blind-sided by the news. Griffo says he is in the process of writing a letter to Governor Paterson letting him know his displeasure.

"It should cause concern that the Governor is reneging on a commitment made to this area," Griffo said.  "If he is going to do that, then I want to know what else he can do to commit state resources here in addition to what else is being done from an economic development stand point.  That should be done anyway. This is an area that needs special attention and focus."

The initial announcement the data center was coming to Marcy was just before Governor Pataki left office. When Governor Eliot Spitzer took over office, Griffo says he was told by his staff they were reviewing the project. Griffo says the same response was given to him by the current administration.