Oxnard Approves Plan for Large Commercial Center

The developers of a $566-million, 265-acre Oxnard Town Center have received permission to subdivide land for the first phase of a project which, upon completion, will be the largest multi-use commercial land development in Ventura County history.

The site is between the Santa Clara River and Vineyard Avenue.

Under consideration for four years by the city Planning Commission and the City Council, the subdivision includes nine lots intended for office buildings up to six stories, research and industrial buildings.

To follow in other phases are a 1-million square foot shopping mall, 1,034 hotel rooms, motel, cultural center, restaurants and a bank. The developer is Robert P. Warmington and Co. of Costa Mesa.

The council included a requirement that work on a new interchange at Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101) and Oxnard Boulevard begin when traffic generated by the new center reaches 11,700 trips a day or 1,400 trips during a peak hour.

An agreement between the cities of Oxnard and Ventura calls for the widening of the Ventura Freeway bridge across the Santa Clara River when the center generates an additional 312 vehicle trips westbound during the evening rush hour.

Oxnard will contribute $3.8 million and Ventura will pay $3.4 million toward the cost of widening the bridge. The state Department of Transportation will also provide funds toward the bridge widening project.

Oxnard has annexed 243 acres of unincorporated land included in the project site. In return, Oxnard has given to the county 243 acres between Vineyard Avenue and Rose Avenue, which will become part of a “greenbelt” between Oxnard and Camarillo.

Oxnard city officials estimate that the center will net annual revenues of $3.7 million.

Plans call for construction of one half of the Town Center by early 1990, and that the second half can be built by 1997. Architects and designers are MLA/Lohrbach of San Juan Capistrano.