Palmdale Celebrates Start of Work on 2 Major Malls

If the story of the Antelope Valley in recent years has been all-out growth, a subplot has been vigorous competition between Palmdale and neighboring Lancaster for new residents and businesses.

So Palmdale leaders Monday celebrated the start of construction on two important commercial projects: the first major enclosed mall in the Antelope Valley and an auto mall that will include eight dealerships.

The 100-acre, $75-million Antelope Valley Mall will be anchored by six department stores, including J.C. Penney, Harris’, Gottschalk’s and Sears, Roebuck.

The enclosed facility at Avenue P and 10th Street West next to the Antelope Valley Freeway is scheduled to open in September, 1990. It is expected to bring in $2 million annually in sales taxes and to attract shoppers who have been driving to malls in Glendale, Northridge and Victorville.

‘Major Coup’

“It’s a major coup for the city of Palmdale,” said Steve Buffalo, city spokesman.

The developer, Cleveland-based Four Cities Inc., had considered a site in Lancaster, Palmdale’s northern neighbor, which has 26,000 more residents.

But Palmdale was chosen because several of the major retailers preferred that site and because the city agreed to pay $13 million for street widening and other improvements, Buffalo said.

“It’s a victory in terms of gaining a strong foothold for commercial growth,” he said. “The flow of retail shoppers had gone from north to south, but that will change. This is a turning point.”

A Monday night reception at the Palmdale Cultural Center marked not only the new mall but ground breaking for the 65-acre Auto Mall Center at Avenue O and the Antelope Valley Freeway. Six of the eight dealerships committed to the center are moving from Lancaster. The auto center is expected to bring in close to $1 million annually in sales taxes, officials said.

Palmdale billed Monday’s festivities as “the event of the year” on its invitations.

Occasional Tensions

Buffalo acknowledged that rivalry between the two cities has led to occasional tensions. But he said: “This is not a case of gloating. It’s a case of pride. A change of times, a change of trends.”

Spokeswoman Susan Davis said Lancaster city officials disagree that Palmdale has turned the tide in attracting future commercial development. She said Lancaster still hopes to attract a major indoor mall anchored by the upscale department stores and boutiques that the Palmdale facility, which has room for two more department stores, presently lacks.

“We don’t see the flow changing,” she said. “We have a tremendously educated and well-compensated population, yuppies with a lot of disposable income.”

Davis noted that Lancaster’s Valley Central outdoor mall is thriving and has attracted businesses from Palmdale, as has an auto mall under construction in Lancaster.