Edison to Develop 61 Long Beach Acres

Southern California Edison Co. plans to develop 61 acres of land along its right of way in Long Beach for uses that could include light manufacturing, warehouse space and a “commercial entertainment zone.”

The site lies between the 710 Freeway and the Los Angeles River Channel, north of Del Amo Boulevard and south of Artesia Boulevard. Edison has named Long Beach-based NAI Matlow-Kennedy Commercial Real Estate Services to help the company find a developer for the property, according to Lou Salas, a land specialist for Edison.

Salas and Bill Townsend, a principal at Matlow-Kennedy, said Edison plans to convert the southern 29 acres of the property into light manufacturing or warehouse space. The 32 northern acres are envisioned as an “entertainment zone” that could include such uses as batting cages, miniature golf and related recreational activities, “depending on what is acceptable to the community,” Salas said.

Edison will retain ownership of the land, but is looking for a developer to build the project and sign a ground lease to operate the property, Salas said. He said Edison has worked closely with community groups and Long Beach city officials to discuss possible uses for the land, which has been occupied by a nursery for the last few years.

Edison has decided to develop the property because of the opportunity created by the shortage of land for new construction in Los Angeles, according to Salas. He said the company has developed a few small projects on other smaller parcels along its rights of way, including some self-storage facilities and recreational-vehicle storage lots. The 61 acres in Long Beach would be the company’s largest such development to date, Salas said.