Site work and civil construction for data centers throughout Onondaga County and the Syracuse metro area.
Onondaga County is the epicenter of the largest industrial buildout in New York State history. Backwell — headquartered on Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse — self-performs the full civil and site work scope for data center construction across Syracuse, Clay, DeWitt, Liverpool, Cicero, Camillus, Manlius, and the surrounding Onondaga municipalities.
Micron Technology is investing $100 billion over 20 years in a four-fab semiconductor megacomplex on White Pine Commerce Park in Clay, just north of Syracuse. The first fab breaks ground in 2026. Each fab requires hyperscaler-class power (estimated 600+ MW per fab), dedicated water infrastructure, and an entirely new substation system. The data center demand that follows a fab of this size — for SaaS providers serving the supply chain, AI inference clusters, and supplier R&D colocation — is the largest secondary-effect data center build-out in the Northeast.
That demand stacks on top of:
Empire State Development has named Central NY one of three priority data center recruitment regions in the state.
Whether you're building a 50 MW colocation facility along the I-81 corridor or a 250 MW hyperscaler campus near the Micron fab, the civil package looks the same. We handle:
Our shop is on Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse. Equipment, crews, and supervision live in Onondaga and Oneida counties. Mobilization on a Clay or DeWitt project is hours, not days. No travel-time markup.
Backwell self-performs site clearing, mass excavation, demolition, asbestos abatement, utility trenching, ductbank, septic, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and interior finishes. On a typical data center civil package we self-perform 90%+ of the scope — meaningful schedule advantage when an EPC compares bids.
We're the right size for the supplier-tier work that follows a fab of Micron's scale: SiC and CMP supplier facilities, AI/ML colocation, R&D buildings, and the secondary infrastructure projects that come with $100B of semiconductor investment. We're already engaged on solar civil work supporting the Central NY grid expansion that Micron requires.
Performance/payment bonding capacity available. SAM.gov registered (UEI XY4KWNPR6ES5) under primary NAICS 238910. Federal Women-Owned Small Business designation. NY MWBE certification in process.
Davis-Bacon and NY Article 8 prevailing wage compliant. We've run dual-gate sites with IUOE Local 17, LIUNA Local 633, and IBEW on prior projects. Project Labor Agreement work is in scope.
Onondaga County data centers go through:
We've worked through these processes on solar civil, industrial, and commercial projects across the county. Permit timing is part of how we sequence civil scope.
For projects with 30% design or better, we deliver a structured bid in 5 business days containing:
We attend pre-bid walks and provide budgetary numbers at concept (10% design) without charge for projects in our service radius.
Are you working on Micron-adjacent projects already?
We've been actively bidding on civil scope for industrial and infrastructure projects supporting the Central NY semiconductor corridor. Specific client engagements are confidential, but we maintain active capacity for Micron-tier work.
What's the biggest single civil package you've handled in Onondaga County?
Multi-million-dollar packages including solar civil (500+ acres), commercial sitework, and complex industrial pads. We self-perform up to approximately $25 million in civil scope on a single project.
How fast can you mobilize on a Clay or DeWitt site?
5 business days from NTP to crews on the ground. Our Syracuse equipment yard is 15-20 minutes from any Onondaga County data center site.
Do you handle the BIM coordination most data center EPCs require?
We coordinate civil scope with the EPC's BIM/VDC team and produce as-built surveys to the precision required for tight-tolerance pad construction. Our surveyors deliver point cloud data compatible with Autodesk and Revit pipelines.
What about NYPA hydropower allocations?
We've worked alongside teams pursuing NYPA Recharge NY and economic development hydropower allocations on industrial projects. We understand the load conditions and timing the allocations require.
Are you experienced with sensitive site conditions like the Onondaga Lake Superfund footprint or shallow bedrock?
Yes. Onondaga County has wet site conditions, glacial till, and shallow bedrock in many corridors. We routinely handle rock excavation, dewatering, and mechanical breaking. Onondaga Lake area work has additional NYSDEC oversight, which we run through standard project compliance.
Can you handle 24/7 operations during mass excavation phases?
Yes — when schedule requires it, we run two-shift operations with proper traffic management plans and lighting. We coordinate with local municipalities on noise and traffic ordinances.
After Backwell completes site work on a commercial development or multi-family project, owners often need property management. RenPro Commercial Property Management is our sister company in Syracuse handling office, retail, industrial, and mixed-use buildings. Property managers can also try our software at RenPro.com. See our full network.