CORVALLIS - Corvallis Mayor Charles Tomlinson thinks the next chapter for Hewlett-Packard's Corvallis site could be in biotechnology. And if the city council and Benton County Board of Commissioners agree, an extension of the city's tax-exempt enterprise zone might be the necessary lure.

"I've been thinking, why not extend the enterprise zone?" he said. "It would be a statement that the community supports what historians call adaptive reuse of buildings."

In mid-March, the city council informally agreed to investigate extending the zone, which was created last year in south Corvallis to include the 192-acre Corvallis Airport Industrial Park and its 42 acres of "shovel-ready" land.

An enterprise zone provides tax exemptions on buildings and equipment for up to five years as a way of attracting businesses to the area. But if placed over existing buildings and property, only new equipment and construction would be granted tax-exempt status, Tomlinson said.

Hewlett-Packard has long been the top Benton County taxpayer. Last year, its property tax bill was $6.32 million. The next highest taxpayer was Northwest Natural Gas at $427,000.

Tomlinson had no comment about whether he'd been in contact with HP about future plans, but said it's no secret that 235,413 square feet of industrial space is available for lease in the company's Building 10. Inside that building, Tomlinson said, are facilities for wet labs, required by biotechnology firms and expensive to build.

"What I'm looking for are ways that the traded sector in biotech can thrive here," Tomlinson said.

Before last summer, Benton County was the only county in Oregon without some kind of formal incentives to attract businesses.

The proposed Corvallis enterprise zone is a bit different from others statewide in that it includes restrictions designed to encourage companies with some sustainable aspect to their business to choose the zone for relocation. Potential industries include solar-energy manufacturing, green building suppliers and biotechnology firms.

Tomlinson said formal application to expand the zone, if it is approved by the council and county board, wouldn't be submitted to the state until late this summer.