(Intel’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler. Photo via Intel)
By Sasha Hupka | Arizona Republic
Once a small agricultural community, Chandler has worked in recent decades to cement itself as a booming technology hub.
Increasingly diverse and with a trendy downtown, it’s become a desirable — and pricey — place to live in the Valley. Going into 2023, the city of 275,000 people faces questions about how it will define its identity, ensure adequate housing supply and continue to shape its economy. Development hasn’t stopped, so one thing that’s guaranteed is lots of new growth.
Here’s a few projects to keep an eye on in the new year.
Intel continues work on expansion
Intel made news when it broke ground in 2021 on two new semiconductor fabrication facilities, or fabs, at its 700-acre Ocotillo campus in Chandler.
A year and a half later, the project has an even bigger budget after the company agreed to jointly fund up to $30 billion for its chip factories with Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management. The deal came on the heels of the CHIPS and Science Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in August. Construction on the fabs continues even after Intel cut jobs across the board in November, including some in Chandler.
The two factories, which will be known as Fab 52 and Fab 62, will be complete in 2024 and produce advanced computer chips used in vehicles, smartphones and other electronics. They will add to four other fabs already operating on Intel’s Ocotillo campus.
