A proposed distribution center in Clay has people across Onondaga County talking.
A developer wants to invest $280 million dollars to bring about 1,000 jobs to the region, and neighbors finally had a chance to weigh in at a public hearing.
The developer made a presentation too.
Trammel Crow representatives said they are speaking with three potential tenants. It says it hopes to have someone ready to move in by the time it breaks ground on the site. They are shooting for spring 2020 for that.
The developer wants to buy the Liverpool Public Golf and Country Club. It wants to make it a 3.7 million square foot warehouse.
Right now, the site is zoned recreational and the developer is asking the town to change it to industrial, which is why there was a public hearing.
About 50 people spoke at the hearing and it was split generally down the middle whether people are in favor or against the project.
Many neighbors were concerned about traffic. The developer said it would at most add 25 trucks per hour.
Others say Onondaga County has lost so many jobs over the past few decades that this project could be revolutionary.
"I'd just like to make a comment that this is a great thing for the Central New York area, since the movement of Chrysler and all these factories in the area, bring it on. I'm completely for this project," said one Liverpool resident.
"I can't believe that this would go this further without knowing who's moving in,” said another resident. “My friend who knows a lot more about this than I do, he says that Amazon, this is their trick because they have such a bad track record."
Many speakers think it could be Amazon who needs a distribution center that big. Their biggest concern is they are worried about how the company treats its workers.
The Town of Clay is still accepting written comments. A decision could come in the next month or two.