Manufacturing businesses are keeping close tabs on Lawrence, according to an economic development report compiled in the last six months of 2002.

Nearly half — 49 percent — of all inquiries about relocating to Lawrence came from manufacturing firms, an economic development report showed.

The report was presented Tuesday night to the Lawrence City Commission by Lynn Parman, vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

But a lack of building availability is chasing off 49 percent of all businesses, that same report said.

“A challenge and a concern for us is a lack of business space,” Parman said. “A lot of businesses are very specific about the building they want.”

The report also showed that Lawrence was competing for businesses primarily with other Midwestern locales. At least 60 percent of sites considered by businesses are in the Midwest.

About half of the business requests were for sites with less than 75,000 square feet of space, the report found.

Sites in the Midwest were also popular for existing businesses wanting to expand, Parman said.

“When existing businesses are looking to expand, it can be just as competitive as attracting new businesses,” Parman said.

During the last six months of 2002, Lawrence attracted Serologicals Corp., a biotech firm, and Extreme Sports, a paintball company, according to the report. A total of 64 new jobs were created with an average wage of more than $45,000.

New investments brought in more than $28 million, according to the report.