1/22/2010

 The Twin Falls Urban Renewal Agency has secured a 48,000-sq.-ft. fully outfitted “plug and play” call center facility for potential new business and job creation. The building was recently vacated by Dell, Inc.

Dell operated the technical support call center starting in February 2002, employing an average of 500 to 700 employees over the term of the lease. In September, Dell announced plans to wind down the Twin Falls operation. The Twin Falls URA is looking to attract another large, quality company for the facility. To read the latest article that markets the building in Expansion Solutions Magazine, click here.

The College of Southern Idaho, located in Twin Falls, provided training for Dell from the beginning and would provide ongoing training to any interested call center business.

“We consider CSI our secret weapon,” said URA director Melinda Anderson.  “College officials are willing to provide almost any kind of customized training for local businesses.”

A number of favorable leasing options would be available to companies hiring more than 200 employees with benefits, Anderson said.

“It would be based on the number and quality of jobs and the amount of investment into the facility that the new occupant would bring,” she explained.

The market lease rate for a call-center use is around $10 per square foot, given the value of equipment and furnishings inside. But a new occupant might get a lower rate based on negotiations, she said.

Three companies have already looked at the building, she said, and three more companies have expressed interest in viewing the facility.

“The most important asset, according to interested parties, is the trained workforce, which at this point in time adds up to over 200-250 workers,” Anderson said. “But also, there is great parking, and the facility is located on one of the most desirable pieces of real estate in the entire valley.”

Of the approximate 500 workers who were notified of the closure in September, about 100 accepted positions in other Dell locations, and as of mid-January another 125 to 150 are still employed by Dell but working from home in the Twin Falls area.

Dell spent a considerable amount on the facility, leaving almost everything behind. The facility includes 681 seats, some 1,000 personal computers and laptops, servers, and equipped conference and training rooms. Dell had owned the equipment, but Twin Falls Urban Renewal owns it now, Anderson said.

Twin Falls Urban Renewal is acquiring the building for just under $767,000; Dell was paying on a $2.4 million note on which about $767,000 was left, Anderson said. She said Dell negotiated with the agency to terminate the lease early. The lease would have run through 2012 but now  expires at the end of January 2010.

“This is really an amazing deal,” Anderson said. “For the right company, it’s a high-value asset for a rock-bottom price.”

Twin Falls has been proactive in acquiring the building in order to get well-trained former Dell employees back to work as soon as possible, rather than marketing the building for other uses, she said.

“We’ll take a look at this strategy again in about six months,” Anderson said.