For the operations of manufacturing firm to be successful, its site <br />needs to be large enough to accommodate the needed built space, <br />as well as to accommodate storage. In addition, the site needs to be <br />large enough to accommodate not only the general industrial uses, <br />but also parking, on-site circulation, connections to public <br />transportation, rail connections, and other access to the <br />transportation network. These factors are born out in the Chapter 4 <br />data about sites actually selected in recent years by the types of <br />manufacturers Eugene needs to attract. <br />There is ample evidence that businesses have relocated or <br />expanded outside of Eugene because they were unable to find sites <br />big enough to support the successful operation within Eugene. <br />Examples of such firms include Rexius, Grain Millers, Symantec, <br />and Peace Health's new hospital. A number of these firms searched <br />for expansion sites within Eugene and only moved or expanded to <br />sites outside of Eugene after they were unable to find a suitable, big <br />enough site within Eugene. <br />• Land ownership. Sites with two or fewer owners are necessary to <br />reduce the cost and uncertainty of land assembly. Developing an <br />industrial building on a site on two or more tax lots requires <br />negotiating land assembly. Land assembly is difficult and often <br />costly for a number of reasons. People own land for a variety of <br />reasons, such as the desire to develop the land, keep the land <br />undeveloped, or sell the land for a profit. Getting landowners to <br />sell land can be difficult, especially if the ownership is legally <br />disputed, as is the case with some inheritances. If a landowner is a <br />willing seller, they may have an unrealistic expectation of their <br />land's value, in the context of comparable land values. In addition, <br />one parcel of land may have multiple owners, compounding the <br />issues described above. <br />Developers attempting land assembly often have difficulty <br />assembling a site at a cost that makes development economically <br />viable. When assembling land, developers often find that owners of <br />key sites are not willing sellers, have unrealistic expectations of the <br />value of their land, or cannot get agreement among multiple <br />owners to sell the land. As a result, developers of industrial <br />buildings typically choose to develop sites with one or two owners. <br />• Proximity/ access to a major automotive route. Manufacturers <br />seek sites that located on arterial or major collector streets with <br />good access to an interstate highway (or equivalent). <br />Part 11 - Eugene Economic Opportunities Analysis ECONorthwest Page 129 <br />