When it comes to laying the foundation for Lawrence’s industrial future, a group of economic-development advisers figured that two sites would be better then one.

Members of the Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development Board agreed Monday that the city and county should pursue establishing new business parks at two locations:

• The former Farmland Industries nitrogen fertilizer plant, which comprises 467 acres along the north side of Kansas Highway 10 at the eastern edge of Lawrence.
• Near Lawrence Municipal Airport at the edge of North Lawrence. Several sites, covering at least 300 acres and north of the Kansas Turnpike, would be in the running for a single project.

The “two-location effort” would give the community flexibility in marketing itself to companies looking to move into town or relocate within the area, said Mike Maddox, the board’s co-chairman. Having two possibilities also would allow for a variety of lot sizes, transportation access points and landscaping and design guidelines to ensure that Lawrence could be aggressive in its job-generating efforts.

“Not everybody is looking for the same thing,” Maddox said. “If we have a bigger net, we’re going to catch more opportunities.”

The recommendations now go to Lawrence and Douglas County commissioners for consideration. Information about the two sites, and the board’s reasoning for the selections, are scheduled to reach commissioners by June 24.

Another appointed board, ECO2, has been reviewing business park options – including sites, features and financing – for several years. ECO2 recently crunched numbers on about a dozen sites to gauge their potential viability.

The Economic Development Board spent Monday afternoon whittling that list at the request of both commissions.

The Farmland area quickly surfaced as a top priority, given its existing use as an industrial area, easy access to a highway and availability to a willing buyer.

Officials estimate that it would cost $13 million to get the site ready to handle a 280-acre development, not including the $7 million to $10 million expected to be used for environmental cleanup. Farmland’s bankruptcy settlement has set aside $7 million to cover cleanup costs.

The airport area emerged as the second “top priority.” Board members liked its relations to several key features: the economic potential of the airport, the proximity to central Lawrence and – perhaps most important – its access to the turnpike.

Expanding companies often seek sites with Interstate access, and Lawrence has little to offer, said Lynn Parman, vice president for economic development at the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. Of all vacant space in industrial buildings, 83 percent is along K-10, while only 3 percent is along the turnpike.

Developing a site near the airport likely would require about $3.5 million in sewer work, officials said.