Vernon Industrial Park to Rise on Defunct Mill Site

Redevelopment of the 100-acre site of the former Bethlehem steel mill in Vernon into a modern industrial park will enter its final land-clearing phase next month with the start of demolition.

Redevelopment of the property, called “the largest available piece of assembled land in close proximity to downtown Los Angeles, the airport and freeways,” was announced last May. Since then, 17 of the 18 parcels on the site at Slauson and Alcoa avenues have entered escrow.

Some buildings were converted to blend into a new development known as Vernon Industry Plaza, but the series of saw-toothed-roofed buildings will be demolished so that modern structures may be built on the remaining 31-acre parcel.

The mill was shut down in 1982, and Bethlehem explored a variety of alternatives ranging from sale of the mill as an operating facility to straight land sales.

Conversion of the property to the Vernon Industry Plaza changes its use from single-user, heavy manufacturing to a balanced blend of lighter manufacturing and industrial users. The project was conceived and executed by Security Pacific Realty Advisory Services, a subsidiary of Security Pacific Bank, on behalf of Bethlehem Steel Corp.