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The Portland Development Commission has sent out a on three vacant plots of land in the Central Eastside Industrial District.

The plots, which are some of the few remaining vacant plots in the district, are bounded by Southeast Taylor Street, Madison Street, Water Avenue and Interstate 5. Together, the plots hold 70,000 square feet of space.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has owned the property since before I-5 was built along the eastside riverbank. The agency has mainly been using it for equipment storage and as rental space for various organizations.

ODOT has always been open to hearing development ideas for the property, but no serious inquiries have ever arisen, according to Don Hamilton, spokesman for the agency.

Ten years ago, the Central Eastside Industrial Council teamed with the PDC to create a development strategy that focused on the property. The CEIC and PDC estimated that the property could generate millions of square feet of development. However, no development came from it.

The PDC is now sending out the RFI in an effort to ignite interest in the property and to advertise that the agency is potentially willing to help developers out financially with projects, like it has done with other developments in the district, such as Olympic Mills and the Eastbank Commerce Center.

Submissions for the RFI are due by 5 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2013.