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Large accounting firm to move from downtown By David Preszler Medford�s largest accounting firm plans to move from downtown despite efforts by urban renewal officials to keep the company in the city�s core. Moss Adams, which merged with rival Yergen and Meyer last September, plans to move its Medford office into a new building likely to be built at the Lausmann Business Park, the firm confirmed Monday after months of rumors. No official agreement has been signed, but Moss Adams is in the final stages of negotiation with KOGAP Enterprises on a built-to-suit arrangement, Moss Adams partner Don Pinkham said. Don Burt, director of Medford Urban Renewal, said the agency hoped to convince Moss Adams to stay and that he was disappointed, but admits "they had a tough decision." Moss Adams, based in Seattle, has been looking for a larger office site in Medford since late last year. Its 50 employees are crammed in a small office on West Sixth Street that housed 30 employees before the merger. Pinkham said the potential KOGAP site would allow the company to secure 12,000 to 15,000 square feet with plenty of parking, with space to expand as the firm grows. The firm did consider spots downtown, including the new office building Medford Urban Renewal plans to help build on West Main Street at Fir Street. "We had considered some other spots but they either weren�t desirable or didn�t have the parking," Pinkham said. "We were interested in staying downtown. That was our desire. "When you start looking for 12,000 to 15,000 square feet, there�s not too much space like that." As for the proposed office building, he said the firm was concerned about parking issues and wasn�t crazy about the idea of sharing the complex with apartments. That last concern � over the mix of residential and professional space � underscores a potential tension in urban renewal�s plans. The agency has long sought to bring both more residents and more professional office workers into the downtown core. But those goals may be at odds. Burt said the issue did come up in his discussions with Moss Adams. He said residential and professional uses can co-exist on the same property if it�s designed properly. The apartments would be a "different style" than those commonly built around town, so they would blend better with the commercial space. But convincing tenants that it will work may prove challenging, since it�s relatively uncharted territory in this market. "Until it�s done, it�s going to be a hard sell," Burt said. Moss Adams� decision won�t derail plans to build the multi-story complex on West Main. "We�re serious about this and we are moving right along," Burt said. No tenants are firmly committed, but bids are going out for the demolition of the existing buildings on the lot. Work is to begin next month and be completed in October. No timeline has been set for the construction of the complex. Burt said the agency is focused on making sure the project is a quality one that will serve the downtown well because a competitive office complex is needed to generate momentum for the area. "We�re reinventing downtown," Burt said. "Where is the development momentum? It�s on the perimeter (of the city). To turn that momentum takes a lot of effort." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA