Allen obtained a multi-year option to acquire and develop the land in 1997. By the end of 1998, he had acquired one parcel and completed a 74,000-sf office building known as One Monarch Center. It was to be the first three or four class A buildings that would total 300,000 sf and be known as Monarch Corporate Center, but the other buildings were never built.

In 2002, with the office market suffering, the county gave Allen a three-year extension. The new extension is for one year. One Monarch Center is 100% leased, according to officespace.com. The entire class A office market in Clackamas, which totals just 650,000 sf, is about 88% leased, according to Grubb & Ellis.

Allen was unavailable Tuesday for comment on his confidence in being able to go forward with a new office building in Clackamas, as was his real estate broker, Doug Bean. Gary Cook, the county's principal planner and project manager, could not be reached for comment.