City OKs Industrial Project at Airfield

In an effort to turn around an underutilized airfield, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to allow Los Angeles County to build a large industrial park at Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.

The council gave preliminary approval to the construction of six industrial buildings, with a combined 300,000 square feet, at 12653 Osborne St. The county owns the 18.3-acre site, which represents nearly 10% of the airport property, but because it is within city limits all development must be approved by the city of L.A.

County officials will seek private bids from developers, who would build the industrial park and lease the land from the county, said Ted Gustin, chief of the county’s aviation division.

The project could bring high-paying jobs to one of the most economically distressed areas of the San Fernando Valley, said City Councilman Alex Padilla of Pacoima.

“It’s another big step in creating an environment there that is pro-business and pro-job-creation,” Padilla said.

The site is within a federal empowerment zone and a state enterprise zone, both of which provide tax credits to companies that locate in high-poverty areas. The northeast Valley has been particularly hard hit by the loss of aerospace and defense jobs in recent years. More than 30% of northeast Valley residents live in poverty.

Because the site includes some steep slopes, the size of the development may have to be scaled back to 200,000 square feet to avoid significant grading work, Gustin said. The new industrial park may provide 300 jobs in light-industrial businesses, including aviation-related companies, Gustin said.

Competitive proposals will be sought from developers in the next few months, and construction should be completed in a year and a half, Gustin said.

“We are looking at a good way to allow businesses to employ local people and supplement the income of the airport,” he said.

Several brokers have contacted the county on behalf of clients interested in the property, but Gustin declined to identify potential tenants.

Pacoima has a significant need for manufacturing jobs, which have been a high priority of civic leaders, said Bill Steward, president of the Pacoima Chamber of Commerce.

“We need all the industrial jobs we can get,” he said.

The effort to develop surplus land at the airport began in 1997 when Arc Machines Inc. moved into an industrial building there, keeping 250 jobs in the area. The firm, which makes high-precision welding equipment, moved from an older site in Pacoima.