BAE Systems Controls to Sell Aerospace Plant, Stay in Area

BAE Systems Controls has put its 10.4-acre aerospace plant near Santa Monica Airport up for sale and has begun searching for a new home to accommodate the facility’s 700 employees.

The Los Angeles parcel is one of the largest in recent years to become available for development on the crowded Westside. People familiar with property nearby say the BAE site might fetch $35 million, if not more.

The subsidiary of British-owned BAE Systems said the purpose of the move is to capitalize on the huge gains in Westside property values and to find newer and more efficient offices. BAE has occupied the existing site, which includes about 200,000 square feet of buildings, since the 1950s.

The firm, which makes electronic flight and engine controls for defense and commercial aircraft, said it would relocate the engineering operations to leased space within a 20-mile radius of the current plant if a buyer is found for the property. BAE said it plans to lease back its existing facility for two years after a sale.

“BAE Systems remains committed to the Los Angeles area,” said James Scanlon, president of BAE Systems Controls, “and we expect that selling the property and relocating our facilities will strengthen the company’s presence in Southern California by making us more agile and cost-competitive.”

In the past, aerospace companies in search of new facilities frequently left California.