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Eau Claire Area EDC warns county is running out of industrial land while courting major projects
Summary
Luke Hanson, executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation, told the county board that available industrial land is scarce, highlighted recruitment and expansion work and described several potential projects including a possible $250 million development and interest in the 720,000-square-foot HTI TDK facility.
Luke Hanson, executive director of the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation (EDC), briefed Eau Claire County supervisors on the organization's work and warned that the county is rapidly running out of shovel-ready industrial land.
Hanson said the county's premier Gateway Northwest Industrial Park has been the primary site for industrial development for roughly 30 years. He said maps that show about 250 acres technically available include parcels under purchase agreement and other encumbrances; in practical terms Hanson said the EDC now counts "just under 50 acres" of viable, unspoken-for industrial land and identified additional privately owned blocks that are unlikely to be sold. "Right now, our our big focus is we're running out of land to sell, and we we wanna continue to grow," Hanson said.
Hanson told supervisors the EDC recorded 48 requests for information from prospective companies in 2024, of which 18 were from local firms considering expansion. He said the Gateway park alone supports more than 20 businesses and about 2,100 jobs. He described ongoing negotiations for several parcels in smaller business parks, interest in residential or mixed-use development on a large Bush Beans-owned tract near Augusta, and active conversations with a major prospect he characterized as a $250 million project that has been in negotiation for the better part of three years.
Hanson also said the EDC is exploring redevelopment opportunities for existing vacant industrial buildings, including an opportunity to redevelop a 720,000-square-foot HTI TDK facility; that single facility could rival the largest projects the county has seen, Hanson said, and he described it as a potential source of about 1,000 jobs if a buyer proceeds. He added that redevelopment incentives are more limited than incentives for new construction, complicating negotiations for reuse of existing facilities.
Supervisors asked Hanson about workforce and quality-of-life constraints that affect recruitment: child care availability and staff wages, housing affordability and broadband. Hanson said childcare and housing are persistent constraints and acknowledged that companies sometimes request incentives to help staff recruitment and retention. He said the EDC works with municipalities, the chamber of commerce and other partners to address those needs and to support retention and expansion of existing businesses.
Hanson asked the board and community to alert the EDC if private parcels became available and described the EDC's work with towns and cities on placemaking and entrepreneur support. He closed by asking supervisors to continue supporting EDC efforts to attract and retain businesses.
Ending: The EDC report highlighted several active opportunities the county could capture if land and infrastructure are available, and it reinforced staff and supervisors' focus on housing, child care and infrastructure as barriers to future industrial recruitment.
