SK hynix Breaks Ground in West Lafayette, But a December Court Date Is the Number That Matters

On August 27, SK hynix held a ceremonial groundbreaking at Purdue University's Holloway Gymnasium for its $4 billion advanced HBM packaging facility at Purdue Research Park. The specs: 133 acres, CHIPS Act backing of up to $458 million in grants and $500 million in proposed loans, cleanroom targeted for October 2028, and mass production of next-generation HBM in the second half of 2029. Construction site manager Hyujoong Kim confirmed the build is 7% complete and on schedule. Governor Braun called it the biggest development project in Indiana's history.

Here is what the groundbreaking coverage did not lead with. A Tippecanoe Circuit Court judge previously issued a construction halt tied to procedural questions in the Area Plan Commission process. That halt has been lifted and construction has resumed, but the underlying rezoning validity goes to trial in December. The original rezoning flipped the land from R1 residential to I3 heavy-impact industrial after the Commission itself voted 9-5 to recommend denial. The CHIPS Act releases funds in milestone-tied tranches. An adverse December ruling does not just pause construction, it creates a disbursement sequencing risk that could freeze hundreds of millions mid-build. At 7% complete, that exposure is still manageable. It will not be in 2027.

If you have supplier relationships sized around the 2029 SK hynix production ramp, get someone tracking that December docket now.