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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories State tests show a mixed report card The sorry state of McNeal Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges Summer ends Thursday for Hellgate jetboats Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Medford teenager indicted on attempted murder, assault charges Police seek help in Eagle Point poaching case Officials warn of scam involving fake invoices for school supplies Mandatory evacuation ordered in Happy Camp Complex fire Former Medford gymnastics coach arrested again on child pornography charges Politics and Elections Mark L. 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FERN VALLEY INTERCHANGE Proposed Phoenix employment hub gets boost from state By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 8, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 8, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News PHOENIX — Plans for a South Valley Employment Center near the new Fern Valley interchange designed to create jobs regionwide got a boost from a $90,000 state transportation grant slated for land-use planning. The project was one of 20 that recently received a total of $2.5 million from the state's Transportation and Growth Management program. The South Valley Employment Center, a collaboration by the city of Phoenix, Oregon Department of Transportation and the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, will create a road map of sorts for developing land on the east side of Interstate 5 and south of Phoenix.  Dick Converse, principal land-use planner for the RVCOG, said the project received the funding because of its regional significance. Under the plan, a 450-acre area north of Home Depot, now comprised largely of Arrowhead Ranch, would be rezoned for light industrial and technology-based business. Planners hope the area's easy freeway access and high visibility will be attractive to developers and business owners. A smaller area just south along Fern Valley Road would be used for residential housing and open space. Planners  will coordinate land-use and transportation plans for the employment center, with $72 million worth of improvements now underway at the Fern Valley interchange, slated for completion in 2016. Converse said z oning for the 450-acre area would allow for light industrial businesses with a different focus than in other industrial areas of the county, such as White City. "This would be more of a campus setting, trade-sector type of project. It would seek to attract companies for which there is value in being near the freeway," Converse said. "The expectation is that this would create an even larger employment opportunity than Phoenix would be able to justify on its own. This would be a real stimulus for the regional economy, but we've got to get to design a framework for it before that can happen." Phoenix planning director Matt Brinkley said developing the area near Home Depot would encourage growth on the east side of the freeway. "It's really exciting for the city and something that we've been eager to see move forward for a long time," Brinkley said. "It represents just a tremendous opportunity for the city and region as a whole to bring in much-needed employment opportunities and economic development. There's certainly enough land to accommodate a very significant kind of employment-based development. Whether it's a kind of campus-style development that a high-tech firm would be interested in, or some other type of use, the important thing is that that location is uniquely situated for a developer or user to come in and create whatever they would need. "You really can't find a better combination of access and marquee visibility anywhere else in the region." A new road known as Grove Road will funnel traffic behind Home Depot from North Phoenix to Fern Valley roads. It should be complete by the end of the year and is part of the Fern Valley interchange improvements.  Eventually, development of the employment center may include plans for an interchange connection at South Stage Road. Converse said officials will seek community feedback on potential zoning mixes and design elements for the employment center area. "Open houses don't get much attendance, so we want to be innovative in our public outreach," he said. "There are all sorts of issues related to the best way of serving that area, so we want to get public feedback in a variety of ways and really come up with the best possible options we can come up with." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 8, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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