City OKs Purchase of 309 Acres of Beach
Oxnard will soon be the co-owner of 309 acres of vacant land at Ormond Beach that at least one developer is eyeing as a potential film studio site.
With little discussion, the City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding Tuesday that lays out the terms of the joint purchase with the Metropolitan Water District for $10.2 million.
The giant water supplier is interested in perhaps building a desalinization plant on as much as 50 acres of the land in south Oxnard years from now.
The city wants to regain direct control of development on the valuable shoreline parcel it had previously sold to a now-bankrupt home developer.
While no specific development proposal is under consideration, the Greater Oxnard Economic Development Corp. is working with an investment group interested in building a 117-acre film studio complex for independent production companies in the ecologically fragile area.
Environmentalists urged the council to act cautiously.
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