Eugene Reviews Possible Data Center Uses at Former Hynix Campus

The City of Eugene is reviewing whether a range of potential new uses—including a data center—could be allowed at the former Hyundai/Hynix semiconductor campus at 1830 Willow Creek Circle in west Eugene.

A zone-verification request was submitted to the city on July 14. The request does not amount to a construction approval or a permit for a new facility. Instead, it starts a formal city review of whether the uses identified in the request are allowed under the Eugene Code.

The city said it was still reviewing the request in a July 21 update. No applicant or potential company has been publicly identified in the city’s FAQ, and the city has not announced that any of the requested uses have been permitted or approved.

What the request covers

The request identifies possible data-center use, manufacturing, research and development, advanced manufacturing, warehousing, office uses and related accessory uses.

The property is zoned E-1, Campus Employment. Under the city’s description of the process, a zone verification is used to determine whether proposed uses comply with the Eugene Code for the property’s zoning.

That distinction is important for a site with a large industrial history: the current review addresses what may be allowed at the address, not whether a particular project will move ahead. The city’s public information does not establish that a data center will be built at the site.

Why the review matters

The former campus is a major west Eugene industrial property. Local discovery material describes the former site as roughly 200 acres, though the city’s FAQ focuses on the address and zoning rather than announcing a development plan.

A decision about the range of uses allowed there could shape future planning for the property, including whether it can be considered for employment-campus, industrial, research, storage or office activity. The city has not documented specific job totals, tax revenue, utility needs, traffic changes or construction timing associated with the request.

For Eugene residents and nearby businesses, the immediate consequence is narrower: city staff are determining the applicable land-use rules before any publicly identified project can be treated as approved.

What happens next

The next known step is completion of the city’s zone-verification review. The City of Eugene has not provided a public decision date in the information released through July 21.

If the city determines that one or more listed uses are allowed, that would clarify the zoning question. It would not, by itself, identify a developer, authorize construction or confirm that a data center, manufacturing operation or another facility is coming to the former campus.

The review comes as Eugene has been phasing economic-development staffing while developing a broader action plan, according to a separate city community-news update. That broader context does not change the limited scope of the Willow Creek review, which remains focused on allowed uses at 1830 Willow Creek Circle.