The property, a former Albertson's grocery store that anchors a largely vacant strip mall, is owned by a woman from California. Helga Conrad, director of the Umpqua Economic Development Partnership, tells GlobeSt.com there are "still issues to be worked out," but if a lease agreement is consummated it would likely be done by September.

Assuming a signed agreement, Conrad says Dell would invest $1 million into the facility and have it up and running in just 90 days with some 200 employees. "By January of next year, they want to have 300 employees working there," says Conrad.

The public subsidies would include:

--as much as $1.98 million from the county for worker training through the local community college;

--an state income-tax credit of about $250,000 resulting from the city's recent designation as one of four special "ecommerce zones" in the state;

--a three-year property tax waiver that would total about $70,000;

--$250,000 to upgrade telecommunications connections;

--and free parking for workers, likely on an adjacent lot the city would acquire.

The Umpqua Economic Development Partnership is a joint effort of the City of Roseburg, the Doug County Industrial Development Board, the Coos-Curry Douglas County Business Development Corp and the local chamber of commerce.

Conrad says Dell completed a similar grocery store conversion in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Roseburg location, on Highway 99, has been vacant for about a year, ever since Albertson's completed a much larger store on the other side of town, says Conrad. Much of the rest of the strip center is vacant as well, save for a Radio Shack, a Dollar Store and a beauty salon.