The Antelope Valley Bus Tour on April 12 was a great success! In keeping with the mission of Propel L.A. and the objective outlined in the Countywide Strategic Plan to revitalize and expand “jobs-producing” commercial and production-based parcels, the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale provided great information on the development opportunities in their region.
Our first stop was at the beautiful Museum of Art and History in Lancaster – a modern structure with contemporary and diverse art in The Blvd downtown district of the city. Attendees heard from Mark Bozigian, City Manager, and Jason Caudle, Deputy City Manager, about the business-friendly policies of the city. As a two-time winner of the LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City award, Lancaster is committed to making its permitting, licensing and other processes as streamlined as possible.
Our tour continued to the manufacturing site of BYD Motors, where we viewed first-hand the manufacturing operations in their 450,000 square foot facility. With a current employee base of 700 people, they expect to nearly double in size over the next two years.
With Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NASA and others, the city of Palmdale is an aerospace hub for the entire region. Our tour in Palmdale started at the Chimbole Cultural Center – a regional event space with beautiful Spanish-style architecture. We heard from Mayor Jim Ledford, City Manager Jim Purtee, and Deputy City Manager Mark Olyer about the quick entitlement process that the city is known for, its Foreign Trade Zone, and its readiness to do business. Also an LAEDC Most Business-Friendly City winner, the Palmdale tour continued with the viewing of multiple development sites in the city and their thriving retail corridor.
The Antelope Valley continues to be an optimal place in LA County for job creation, and company location and expansion. Our Propel L.A. bus tour served to be an excellent opportunity to view the many assets the region has to offer.
View the photos in our Flickr album.
