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GREENSBORO — To recruit a Dell-size business with lots of jobs and tax income, you’ve got to have a Dell-size piece of land graded, paved and waiting.

But developers don’t like to sink their money into idle land with an uncertain payoff. 

So the city of Greensboro may be ready to put $1.5 million down to make two industrial sites ready, should the right company come calling.

The City Council will consider two requests tonight to spend money from voter-approved economic development bonds for grants to one development in the eastern part of the city and one in the west.

Some cities build city-owned industrial parks to stimulate growth. Greensboro prefers a hybrid approach.

“Our approach for some time has been working with private developers,” said John Shoffner, the economic development program manager for Greensboro.

“We do what we do best and that is developing some infrastructure. Now, while the economy is in the trough, is the time.”

* The city proposes to grant $1.08 million for the McConnell Center industrial park at the interchange of McConnell Road and Interstate 40.

Windsor Commercial, which is working with the Goria and Sears families to develop 140 acres, will use the money to build a road to an existing shell building and run sewer lines to lots it has fronting I-40.

Windsor has already spent $26 million to develop the park.

It developed the O’Reilly Distribution Center, but no longer owns that land. 

* The city also proposes $500,000 for DDC Investments, which wants to develop 41 acres for a potential industrial company off Chimney Rock Road. The company has already put $2.6 million into the property.

The city says that it hopes DDC would recruit a 500,000-square-foot warehouse at a minimum for the property.

For Windsor and the families it represents, the grant would be a result of years of discussion between the city and the developer.

“This is kind of the culmination of a lot of discussions that have happened over an extended period of time,” said Buddy Seymour, president of Windsor Commercial. “We feel like this is the right approach for public infrastructure participation. What we feel we’re doing is an improvement that will affect a lot of people in a lot of areas.”

Seymour said that his properties have received lots of interest from companies looking to come to the area.

Precor considered building its exercise equipment factory on the land, but chose Rock Creek Center, just a few miles away.

Windsor has a strong prospect now, he said, and the improvements will help.

The sites could eventually contain 1.5 million square feet of buildings, including two 300-square-foot buildings fronting I-40.

Greensboro expects to recoup the bond money it would spend through property tax collection.

The McConnell Road site could generate 1,600 direct jobs and $185,000 a year in taxes when fully built.

The Chimney Rock site could generate 360 direct jobs and $101,000 in taxes per year, according to city estimates.

Seymour and Shoffner say that the economy may be dragging now, but neither the city nor business can afford to be late when recovery happens.

“Companies have that expectation now to where, when they come in and look at the area,” Shoffner said, “they expect to see shovel-ready sites that are ready to start construction on.”

Contact Richard M. Barron at 373-7371 or richard.barron@news-record.com