The Innovation Campus Lands a Name
Encompassing almost 200 acres, the Innovation Campus in McMinnville, Oregon, is one of the state’s largest industrial sites and is strategically located on HWY 18 near the McMinnville Municipal Airport. The site is owned by three private groups, DRS Land, 3330 Three Mile LLC, and one other group. After of being referred to as the Innovation Campus, the site now has a new name - McMinnville Landing.
“Naming the site is an important step in realizing the vision for the campus,” said Chris Shelby, a representative of 3330 Three Mile Lane LLC, owner of 9.6 acres.
McMinnville Landing is intended to be a high-density employment campus responding to the next generation of industrial and entrepreneurial jobs where research and development is nurtured and support in a thoughtful and intentional campus design that supports employees and the larger community.
In May 2024, the City hired Walker Macy Landscape Architects & Planners as the prime consultant and started work on a planning project with the Property Owners, a Project Advisory Committee, and engaging with the Community. The project includes four components - a preferred growth master plan concept, a public infrastructure feasibiility analysis, design and development standards, and the branding of the site. FINE, a regional marketing firm, was subcontracted to develop the campus name, brand, logo, and website.
The meaning behind the name, McMinnville Landing, has a rich connection to the land.
McMinnville Landing offers a powerful story around place, people, and spirit. The name celebrates the natural landscape and the opportunity the land provides: sweeping views, interconnected trails, open spaces, room to grow. It reinforces its position at the entrance to town and in proximity to the airport. All in all, it represents a literal and figurative arrival to McMinnville and all it has to offer.
The name is a result of a larger branding effort that also includes a McMinnville Landing website, which is expected to launch in mid-July 2025.
“The addition of a website will give the community and prospective tenants a fuller story of what is envisioned for McMinnville Landin. We are looking forward to t he site’s launch this summer,” stated Stewart Kircher, one of the property owners with DRS Land, which owns 89.9 acres on the campus.
The funding sources for this project are from the City of McMinnville and two grants from the State of Oregon Economic Development Department’s Special Public Works Fund and the Strategic Reserve Fund.
The Innovation Campus concept was identified in the Mac Town 2032 Economic Development Strategic Plan, adopted by Resolution No. 2019-16, and the Three Mile Lane Area Plan (3MLAP) adopted by Ordinance No. 5126 on November 8, 2022.