‘Promotional Retailers’ Held Boon to Parks

Attracting “promotional retailers” is the most significant trend in the evolution of commercial facilities in business parks, according to Don E. Bowers, general manager of Bowers Perez Associates of Irvine and Los Angeles, developer of the 46-acre Von Karman Corporate Center.

Underscoring this trend, Bowers said, is construction nearing completion at the center on a 105,000-square-foot facility for the Home Club home-improvement center. Bounded by Alton, Von Karman, Armstrong avenues and Barranca Road, the center also features a newly opened 20-acre retail-oriented third phase.

“Business and industrial parks must have supporting commercial services to support office users. Office workers are conditioned to going out to lunch and having at least minimal services in the surrounding area,” Bower said.

“You can easily lose tenants if there are no immediate services.”