Intel says its $28 billion Ohio One campus in New Albany will still produce chips by 2031, but the specialized equipment needed to make those chips hasn't been ordered yet, according to Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb.

"You better make sure you know what you're ordering, because it's like a two-year lead time and (it's) very expensive to put the equipment there to make their chips," Bubb told WOSU in a report published Aug. 26.

Bubb said the two-year lead time raises questions about whether the 2031 target is realistic. Intel declined to say how much of the construction is complete. In a statement this month, the company called Ohio One a "critical part" of its long-term manufacturing strategy but said project deadlines remain flexible based on customer demand.

Construction picking up after slowdown

New Albany Mayor Sloan Spalding acknowledged "some slowdowns" in construction but said activity is picking up. He noted the slowdowns have caused some suppliers that planned to work with Intel to also wait before getting up and running.

Spalding said Intel has been transparent about needing customers lined up to keep the project moving at a good pace.

Around a dozen large cranes are visible at the nearly 1,000-acre site, and heavy trucks hauling materials rumble down surrounding rural roads. As of the end of 2025, Intel had sunk more than $5 billion into the site. Including contract commitments, the company says the total investment is closer to $7 billion.

Who will operate the fab?

Bubb raised a bigger question about the project's future: who will actually manufacture chips at the site?

"The question gets to be, will Intel be the ultimate operator of the site? Will it be Nvidia? Will it a combination of businesses? … Who will actually be the manufacturer on that Intel site to do manufacturing?" Bubb said. He added that Intel is living up to its commitments to create jobs, build the buildings and get the site ready for work.

Reports emerged in July that Intel was seeking a partner to help operate Ohio One. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted told the Columbus Dispatch on July 24 that Intel had informed him of a potential partner and said the deal could accelerate the fab buildout. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix was publicly linked as a possible investor but denied pursuing the deal.

Intel declined to comment on partnership speculation in July, saying only that it remains committed to Ohio.

Financial turnaround under new CEO

The project's pace shifted after CEO Lip-Bu Tan took over in March 2025, replacing Pat Gelsinger, who left abruptly at the end of 2024 amid massive layoffs. Tan further slowed construction, saying Intel had invested too much too soon without customer commitments.

KeyBanc analyst John Vinh said the prior CEO had shown "a lot less discipline about building out capacity to support its customers without customer commitments."

Intel's finances have since improved sharply. The company reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $16.1 billion, up 25% year over year, which Intel called its strongest growth in more than 15 years. The Trump administration holds a 10% equity stake in Intel after releasing $7.8 billion in CHIPS Act funds approved in November 2024.

Ohio One is designed to produce Intel's newest chip-making technology, called 18A. Tan told investors in July that the technology is surpassing internal targets.

Intel has not disclosed when it will order fab equipment or announce a manufacturing partner.