The site of a former fertilizer plant in southeast Lawrence may be an optimal location for a new business park, but that doesn’t mean the community can afford to wait around for it to become available for redevelopment, members of the Lawrence-Douglas County Economic Development Board agreed Monday.

Board members, meeting for the first time since last year, acknowledged that the Lawrence area continued to miss out on potential projects because of a lack of available sites and buildings to satisfy prospects.

It’s a message that board members promise not to lose sight of, even as attorneys continue working to make an offer for the former Farmland Industries site on the north side of Kansas Highway 10, just west of the East Hills Business Park.

The 467-acre site is envisioned as accommodating industrial projects, welcoming other businesses and including recreational or other so-called “green space” features. But the property remains under the jurisdiction of a court trustee, charged with disposing of Farmland property left behind by the former cooperative’s bankruptcy.

“We could be in conversation with Farmland forever,” said Mayor Sue Hack, a member of the board. “I don’t think we can hang our hat on that. : We need to be active in other issues.”

Beth Johnson, vice president for economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, told board members that of the past 30 leads received for potential employers looking to locate in Lawrence, 18 had been closed.

Of those closed inquiries, she said, 10 were because the Lawrence area lacked the necessary buildings. Another three dropped out because of a lack of suitable land, and two had issues with infrastructure needs.

“We’re very limited, to say the least,” Johnson said.

Board members agreed that efforts must continue for developing business parks elsewhere, such as near Lawrence Memorial Airport, west of the intersection of Sixth Street and the South Lawrence Trafficway, and in southern Lawrence as the city prepares to bring a new sewage treatment plant online in 2011.

Board Chairman Jason Edmonds, a vice president for Morgan Stanley in Lawrence, convened the meeting attended by fellow board members Lavern Squier, president and chief executive officer of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce; Randy Weseman, superintendent of Lawrence public schools; Bob Stephens, chairman of Douglas County Development Inc.; Trudy Rice, chairwoman of ECO2; and Hack. Also attending was ex-officio member David Corliss, Lawrence city manager.

Not attending were Mike Dever, Lawrence city commissioner; Charles Jones, Douglas County commissioner; Robert Hemenway, KU chancellor; Linda Warner, president of Haskell Indian Nations University; and Patricia Long, president of Baker University. Ex-officio member Craig Weinbaug also did not attend.

The board plans to meet again at 3 p.m. Aug. 6, at the chamber’s offices, 734 Vt.