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Redmond Addresses Shortage of Industrial Space

REDMOND, OR -- Industrial space remains hard to come by in Central Oregon, especially in Redmond. The latest survey found the city’s industrial vacancy rate dropped another half percent in the first quarter. And, Redmond Mayor George Endicott says the market will only get tighter without more land. "If you go back, in 2013, coming out of the recession, we had a 21% vacancy rate. Today, we have 1.4%. Now, the good news is, there’s 400,000 square-feet of rooftop either just finishing or under construction, as we speak. That will help a lot." But, he says, "A lot of that is already spoken for."

 

Endicott believes some easing will occur when nearly 950 acres comes on line just south of the city limits, near Juniper Golf Course. "We have over 2,500 acres of industrial land available, once we get that other 900. Our big job is to urbanize and make sure that we have land ‘shovel ready,’ if you will, available for development."

 

He tells KBND News the state Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) approved expanding the UGB for the first 160 of those 950 acres, just this week. "The Urban Growth Boundary has been approved, so now we can go forward and annex it and bring it in. Of the 160, 140 goes to the county for potential future extension of the fairgrounds, and the other 20 is going to the Oregon Military Department for what I call ‘armory,’ they call training center." He expects another 790 acres to eventually be brought in to the city, as well, for large-lot industrial development.

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