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3 <br /> Dwight Bassett said many office spaces are looking to go smaller, which also allows for <br /> flexibility. He said an open floor plate is most desirable, so that companies can customize. <br /> Commissioner Price asked if the existing vacant spaces can be upfitted to something <br /> different. <br /> Dwight Bassett said there is a little less than 200,000 square feet available, and the <br /> most flexible space is Dawson Hall. He said the vast majority of what is available is Class B <br /> office space. <br /> Council Member Cianciolo referred to the North Carolina fund and asked Steve <br /> Brantley if the example he gave of$1,000 given per job created is typical. <br /> Steve Brantley said it is discretionary, and the 100 counties in North Carolina are <br /> divided into three tiers (1, 2, and 3) for economic development. He said Orange County is <br /> always a tier 3 category as an affluent county. He said companies are typically given more <br /> funds if they take their business to a lower tier county. <br /> Council Member Cianciolo said this incentive does not sound like one with a great pay <br /> off. <br /> Steve Brantley gave an example of a company that visited Chapel Hill three times to <br /> considered expanding here. He said this company went to Raleigh and has grown much more <br /> than expected. <br /> Council Member Cianciolo asked if there are incentives that would be the most <br /> attractive to offer. <br /> Steve Brantley said the most immediate need is to find space, or product, that offers <br /> more than 5-10,000 square feet of office space. <br /> Council Member Parker said this is a known need, but what kind of incentives can be <br /> offered up since a spec office building is not likely to be built. <br /> Dwight Bassett said a strong job market is needed in Orange County. He said at least <br /> $2000-3000 for each job created would be the strongest incentive, and this would make <br /> Orange County more competitive with other counties. He said this would be a beginning and <br /> an investment, so as to get future net gains in the long term. <br /> Mayor Hemminger said clients want better roads. <br /> Chair McKee said the County meets regularly with the Department of Transportation <br /> (DOT), and Orange County staff will be meeting with DOT in July and he can bring this up <br /> then. <br /> Mayor Hemminger said she feels that these projects are not a high priority for DOT, at <br /> least not in this decade. She said this is because Orange County is a tier 3 county. <br /> Steve Brantley said Orange County competes against Alamance County, but Chapel <br /> Hill would not. He said Chapel Hill would compete against other municipalities such as Cary, <br /> etc. He said he felt that the process of removing barriers to more product space for the County <br /> is underway. <br /> Council Member Palmer said a good start would be re-zoning and an effective bus <br /> system. <br /> Commissioner Jacobs said a lot of time has been spent talking about start-ups moving <br /> out of Orange County, but many of these are looking for flex space, not office space. <br /> Dwight Bassett said that is correct. He said the Town council drafted a commercial <br /> development strategy. He said one of those outcomes was allowing for advanced <br /> manufacturing flex, the target of which is flex, research, advance manufacturing, and even <br /> maker space. He said there have been intense conversations with University of North <br /> Carolina (UNC) on this plan, and UNC will be a great partner. He said the longer-term need is <br /> for land in places like Millhouse Road. He said staff has been working to be ready for the time <br /> when this opportunity presents itself. <br />