"Motorola's decision not to develop the West Creek site was based upon drastic changes in the semiconductor industry and our own business model since we purchased the site in 1995," Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector director of business communications Ken Phillips explains to GlobeSt.com. "During the past several years, it has become clear that the escalating cost of technology development and manufacturing capacity required fundamental changes in how we fund and run our semiconductor business." The company has eliminated 34 such factories since 1997 and will have only 10 by the end of 2002.

A three-story, 250,000-sf administration and a 600,000-sf manufacturing complex were among the structures planned for the site. But aside from infrastructure improvements in preparation for the plant, all that is left of the long-awaited development is the partially cleared property on which it was to sit. Motorola acquired the 362-acre parcel at the 3,500-acre master planned West Creek mixed-use park in two separate transactions for a total of $20.4 million. "We're disappointed that the factory didn't materialize," Virginia Economic Development Partnership spokesperson Jill Lawrence tells GlobeSt.com, "but the property is a fabulous piece of real estate that will be marketed immediately."

Motorola's announcement that it will not follow through with the factory is hardly a total loss for the area. "The Motorola project itself landed Virginia on the map as one of the largest semiconductor projects ever in the US," says Lawrence. "Because of that announcement we landed two semiconductor plants; Infineon in Henrico County and Micron Technology in Manassas" And the Motorola effect extended beyond attracting industry developments. "Now we have an engineering school at Virginia Commonwealth University, and programs specific to the industry at our universities and community colleges," she notes. "The state continues to be one of the leaders on the East Coast in the semiconductor industry." And Phillips adds that "our experience with everyone involved in this project, throughout Virginia, has been tremendous, and we are confident the Commonwealth will continue its growth as a center for advanced technology."