Eugene is asked to confirm if data center is allowed at former Hynix site
A land-use lawyer representing an unnamed client with a former Hynix site under contract in Eugene, Oregon, has filed a zone verification request with the city. The request seeks confirmation that a data center and other technology-related uses are permitted under the property's existing E-1 Campus Employment zoning. This indicates a potential major redevelopment of the 200-acre site.
Land-use attorney Bill Kloos has submitted a zone verification request to the City of Eugene on behalf of an unnamed client. The client has the former 200-acre Hynix semiconductor plant site in west Eugene under contract and is exploring its redevelopment. The request specifically asks the city to confirm if data centers, manufacturing, research and development, warehousing, and office uses are permitted under the property's E-1 Campus Employment zoning.
The former Hynix plant, which closed in 2008, has seen multiple owners since, including Avago and Corning, neither of whom successfully redeveloped the site. Its current owner, Ohio-based digital sign company Stratacache, acquired the property in 2020 but has since become dormant and is reportedly in financial distress. The unidentified client's interest signals a potential revival for the long-vacant industrial property.
Kloos's request does not propose a specific development but rather seeks clarification on permitted uses, arguing that a data center falls under the E-1 zone's "information technology services" category. Lindsay Selser, communications and engagement manager for Eugene’s Planning and Development department, stated that the city is not under a deadline to respond and the complexity of such requests can extend the review process. She also noted this is the first zone verification request explicitly defining and asserting a data center as a permitted use in E-1 zoning.