One of the most consequential stalled construction projects in Rochester's recent history moved meaningfully toward revival in November 2025 when Swiss mining giant Glencore paid off more than $44 million in past-due contractor liens at the former Li-Cycle Rochester Hub. Monroe County Clerk's Office filings on November 18, 2025 show nine creditors — including LeChase Construction Services and Frank Lill & Son — releasing liens that had been in place since late 2023 and throughout 2024, according to Rochester Business Journal.

What the Project Is and Why It Was Stalled

The Rochester Hub, located at 205 McLaughlin Road in the Town of Greece, was designed to be North America's first commercial-scale lithium-ion battery resource recovery facility. Toronto-based Li-Cycle Holdings broke ground in early 2022, envisioning a facility with 35,000 metric tons of annual processing capacity for battery black mass — the intermediate material containing lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese recovered from spent EV batteries and industrial battery scrap.

But construction costs escalated dramatically. The project's original $485 million budget grew toward $900 million to $1 billion, according to Rochester Business Journal's March 2024 reporting. Li-Cycle could not secure the equity needed to draw on a $475 million Department of Energy loan, and in October 2023, the company halted construction entirely. Li-Cycle filed for bankruptcy in May 2025.

Glencore Steps In

Glencore, the Swiss-based global mining and commodities company, had already invested heavily in Li-Cycle prior to the collapse. It purchased Li-Cycle's assets out of bankruptcy for $40 million in a court-approved process that closed August 8, 2025, acquiring the Rochester Hub, Li-Cycle's spoke facilities in North America and Germany, and the company's intellectual property, according to Waste Dive. Glencore now operates Li-Cycle's operations as Glencore Battery Recycling through its subsidiary GBR HubCo LLC.

Within weeks of closing, Glencore officials told the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) that resuming construction at Greece was a priority. The COMIDA board unanimously approved Glencore's assumption of the lease and PILOT tax abatement agreements originally granted to Li-Cycle, agreements that require hiring 100 full-time equivalent local jobs at the site, per WXXI News.

Key Data Points

• Location: 205 McLaughlin Road, Greece (Monroe County), NY
• Project type: Post-processing facility for lithium-ion battery black mass recovery
• Original budget: ~$485 million; revised toward ~$900M–$1B at halt
• DOE loan closed: November 2024 — $475 million ($445M principal + $30M capitalized interest), per U.S. Department of Energy
• Liens cleared: $44M+ paid to nine contractors, November 18, 2025
• Peak construction employment: Up to 825 construction jobs projected, per DOE
• Permanent operations jobs: 223 estimated at full operation, per DOE
• COMIDA approval: August 2025 — unanimously approved Glencore's PILOT assumption

Why This Matters to Construction Professionals

The Rochester Hub was a painful chapter for local contractors. Multiple firms — including LeChase, Frank Lill & Son, and others — were left holding unpaid invoices when Li-Cycle shut down. The November 2025 lien clearances are meaningful not just financially, but as a signal about contractor relationships going forward. Rochester Business Journal quoted Joseph Morelle Jr., executive director of UNiCON (the Greater Rochester construction industry association): It's our understanding that Glencore wants to move forward with the project. A lot of our contractors who were wanting to get paid have been paid.

If and when Glencore formally re-bids construction contracts, the Rochester Hub will be one of the largest industrial construction starts in Upstate New York in years — a sophisticated process facility requiring specialized mechanical, electrical, piping, structural, and civil work at a large scale. The $475 million DOE loan was legally closed in November 2024, meaning the federal commitment exists — but Li-Cycle's bankruptcy intervened before funds were drawn. As Glencore's subsidiary, the path to drawing that capital depends on Glencore demonstrating the full financing package is in place.

Implications for Owners and Contractors

This project is a case study in the risks and opportunities that come with first-of-kind industrial facilities. The original cost overruns stemmed from the complexity of building processes that had no direct domestic precedent — a lesson for owners and construction managers evaluating similar emerging-technology industrial builds. For contractors considering re-engagement, the priority should be ensuring payment terms and financial backstops are clearly structured before committing resources to a project where the primary federal financing has yet to be drawn.

Glencore's silence on specific construction timelines — a spokesperson said only we are not commenting when asked by Rochester Business Journal — suggests the company is working through its plans methodically rather than rushing public announcements. COMIDA Executive Director Ana Liss noted in November 2025 that the agency remains in contact with Glencore officials but is still awaiting updates from them about the specificity and scope of their plans for the Greece site.

What to Watch Next

Three signals will indicate whether construction restart is genuinely imminent: (1) Glencore publicly discloses a revised project cost estimate and financing plan; (2) the company initiates re-bidding of the major construction contracts that were terminated in 2023; and (3) COMIDA announces updated PILOT milestones tied to a revised construction schedule. Any re-start of this facility would immediately become the most significant active industrial construction site in Monroe County.

Bottom Line

The $44 million lien clearance is not a groundbreaking announcement, but it is the most concrete signal of Glencore's intent to revive the Rochester Hub since the bankruptcy closed. For the regional construction industry, this project represents hundreds of millions of dollars in potential work and hundreds of local construction jobs — contingent on Glencore completing its financing strategy and moving from payments to contractors into formal re-procurement. The project warrants close attention through 2026.

Sources:
Rochester Business Journal – Liens Paid (Nov. 18, 2025)
U.S. Department of Energy – Li-Cycle Loan Fact Sheet
Waste Dive – Glencore Acquisition Closes (Aug. 2025)
WXXI News – Glencore/COMIDA (Aug. 2025)
Rochester Business Journal – Pike Lien Releases (Sept. 2025)
Rochester Business Journal – Project Cost History (March 2024)