Power capacity is frequently the binding constraint
Industrial users need three-phase power at specific amperage, and the cost and timeline to bring in adequate service can exceed the land price. In many markets the utility interconnection queue is now measured in years rather than months, particularly where data center and manufacturing demand has arrived. A parcel with existing heavy service, or a documented commitment from the utility, is worth substantially more than a neighboring parcel without one.
Rail access is worth a premium and hard to recreate
An active rail spur, or frontage on an active line with a realistic prospect of a spur agreement, materially raises value for the users who need it. Abandoned or railbanked lines generally do not, and a rail easement crossing the parcel without a right to connect is a burden rather than a benefit. The distinction between adjacency and served access is the one that matters.
Truck access and turning radius are physical constraints
Industrial sites need routes that accommodate a WB-67 tractor-trailer, which means adequate turning radii, road weight limits that permit loaded trucks, and no low bridge or posted-weight structure between the site and the highway. A parcel that is nominally close to an interstate but reachable only by a residential street with a weight restriction does not function as industrial ground.
Prior use drives the diligence
Former yard sites, salvage operations, fuel storage, and any manufacturing history mean environmental assessment is certain rather than likely. Buried tanks, historic fill, and undocumented disposal are common on older industrial ground. A parcel with a completed Phase I and, where warranted, a Phase II, is far more liquid than one where the history is unexamined — and where a state voluntary cleanup program has issued a no-further-action letter, that document is a significant asset.
Site geometry and gradeability
Industrial buildings want large rectangular footprints on flat ground. An irregular parcel, a significant grade, or poor soil bearing capacity requiring deep foundations or extensive undercutting all reduce what a developer will pay, sometimes dramatically. Earthwork is one of the largest line items in industrial development, and buyers price it before they price the dirt.