Expanding Dominguez Tech Center Attracts New Tenants

Three companies have signed new leases totaling more than 360,000 square feet in speculative as well as build-to-suit industrial space being developed at the Dominguez Technology Center by the Carson Cos.

Epson America signed a five-year lease for 180,000 square feet of build-to-suit space that the company is slated to occupy in May 2001 at 18300 Central Ave. in the Carson portion of the technology center, which stretches into unincorporated Rancho Dominguez.

Financial terms of the Epson lease were not disclosed, but it would total about $6 million at prevailing market rates. Epson, which maintains its North American headquarters in Long Beach, will use the space as a regional distribution center for its computer-related products, said broker John Schumacher, part of a CB Richard Ellis team that is marketing the project on behalf of the developer.

Epson was represented in lease negotiations by Jim Biondi of Grubb & Ellis. Schumacher and Jeff Morgan of CB Richard Ellis represented Carson Cos. in the Epson lease and in the two other recent leases, signed by SVG Distribution/Entertainment and Nakamichi America.

Rancho Dominguez-based SVG Distribution/Entertainment, a distributor of hand held computer games, signed a five-year lease for approximately $4.5 million on 135,000 square feet of research, development and office space at 18410 Broadwick St. in the Rancho Dominguez portion of the project. It is scheduled to occupy the space in September. SVG was represented by Jesse Laikin of Lee & Associates.

Torrance-based Nakamichi America, an assembler and distributor of auto and home stereo equipment, signed a five-year, $2.8-million lease for 48,650 square feet of space at 1975 Willard St. in Rancho Dominguez. Greg Dyer of CB Richard Ellis represented Nakamichi America, which will occupy the space in July.

Carson Cos. broke ground in May on its remaining undeveloped land in the 438-acre technology center and has since begun construction on about 650,000 square feet of speculative space scheduled for completion by the end of this year. That is in addition to the 180,000 square feet of Epson build-to-suit space slated to be finished next year.

The project’s construction schedule calls for completing approximately 3.1 million square feet of space within five years, depending on market demand.