Builder in Torrance Feud Files for Bankruptcy
A developer who has been feuding with the city of Torrance said this week that Park Beyond the Park, an investment group with which he is connected, has been forced to file for bankruptcy.
The developer, Jerry L. Conrow, criticized the city for blocking the group’s efforts to rent space to the Los Angeles County court system in a building the group developed.
“They basically didn’t want the court system to expand within Torrance, so they set requirements that no one could meet,” said Conrow, who is general partner of Park Beyond the Park. Specifically, he cited a city requirement that one parking space be provided for every 150 square feet of floor space in any building used for court purposes.
Park Beyond the Park, described by Conrow as a partnership of about 25 people, owns a 126,000-square-foot office building at 1880 S. Crenshaw Blvd.
The group filed a lawsuit in January claiming that the city cost it the court contract. A second lawsuit by Conrow, which challenged the city’s review of parking for its cultural arts center, was dismissed in Superior Court last month.
Jeff Gibson, senior principal planner for the city, declined to comment on Conrow’s criticisms because of the pending litigation.
Conrow said the group filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the Federal Bankruptcy Act on July 12.
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