Cerritos Tower to Join Retail Plazas
The nine-story Cerritos Corporate Tower, now under construction, will be that city’s tallest building and first high-rise on completion in September, according to the developer, Krausz Cos. of San Francisco.
The $25-million, 180,000-square-foot building is situated on six acres at 18000 Studebaker Road, near the intersection of the San Gabriel River (605) and Artesia (91) freeways.
The site is the last remaining land in Best Plaza, a 34-acre retail center (also developed by Krausz) with 27 shops and businesses and eight restaurants, and neighboring Los Cerritos Center, a 90-acre regional mall with five major department stores.
Amos Krausz, president of the development firm, said he believes the value of the synergism of first-class office space and a regional mall has been demonstrated in such developments as South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and the Del Amo Fashion Square in Torrance.
‘Prominent Retail Market’
“Cerritos has grown into a prominent retail market,” he said, “and the need for an upscale, first-class office facility has become evident as the area has matured.
“We have made an investment and a commitment to this community with the development and continued management of Best Plaza. We are very interested in the welfare of the city, and feel that Cerritos Corporate Tower will be a ‘plus,’ adding first-quality office space to the commercial activity of the surrounding area.”
Cerritos Corporate Tower was designed by Krausz staff members, with engineering by Cabak Randall Jasper Griffiths Associates of Menlo Park. The general contractor is Rudolph & Sletten of Foster City.
The building’s exterior will be of light-bronze aluminum and emerald-green glass. Each floor will contain about 20,500 square feet, and the second through eight will offer eight corner offices each.
Security Functions
Other features include “smart building” amenities, four high-speed elevators and a card-key system to allow tenant entry outside of ordinary business hours. Full-floor tenants “lock out” their floor from the elevators for additional security.
The mechanical, heating, air conditioning and ventilating systems can be zoned to specific tenant areas to allow for after-hours operation and individual metering.
The leasing agent is Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate Services’ San Gabriel Valley and Torrance offices. Leasing rates will begin at $1.65 a square foot, full-service gross. D. James Messinger, an associate vice president of the Coldwell Banker company, commented:
“Cerritos Corporate Tower will fill the void that now exists here by providing a top-of-the-line office facility. Until now, commercial development has been concentrated in low-rise, three-to-four-story buildings.
“But with the introduction of this tower, the city is on the advent of a new era in development. The quality of office construction will be continually upgraded to meet the needs of the corporate user, and buildings will increase in height, most being six stories or more.”
