ANAHEIM : Council Accepts Goals for Economic Growth

Attracting high-tech, high-paying companies to the Anaheim Canyon Business Center is among the goals of a five-year economic development strategy adopted Tuesday by the City Council.

The purpose is to strengthen the local economy not only by increasing its revenue base and job potential, but also by improving the appearance of the business center area, officials said.

Speaking at a council workshop, Redevelopment Agency Director Elisa Stipkovich said the northeastern part of the city around the business center could become “the fastest-growing industrial area in Southern California.”

Stipkovich estimated that 14,000 jobs could be generated in the next 13 years in the center, which stretches along the Riverside Freeway between the Orange and Newport freeways. The area can accommodate 7 million square feet of new development, she said.

To foster growth, the city plans to offer various economic incentives to corporations and expand a fiber optic telecommunications network that allows high-speed data transfers required by many high-tech companies.

Traffic congestion “is probably the most limiting factor” in the area, Stipkovich said. To meet that challenge, she said, a public-private transportation management association has been established, a commuter rail station is set to open in the spring at Tustin and La Palma avenues, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes are planned for the Riverside Freeway.

The economic development strategy also emphasizes revitalization of the Disneyland and Anaheim Stadium areas, expansion of the city’s small-business program and increased marketing and public relations efforts.