Distribution center planned near Mojave Airport

At ‘California’s Golden Crossroads’
QUOTE: “The project involves about two-and-one-half million square feet of industrial buildings and distribution centers.”— Developer Jack Vander Woude
BY BILL DEAVER
MOJAVE — A 2.5-million-square-foot warehouse-distribution facility is planned for development on property between the Mountain View Plaza Shopping Center and the Mojave Airport/Spaceport in Mojave, a San Bernardino developer announced last week.
Jack Vander Woude of The Tahiti Group, said the “Mojave Industrial Center” will include three buildings, one of 1.3 million square feet, another of 938,600 square feet and a third of 240,000 square feet, near the north intersection of highways 14 and 58. The site is north of the Stater Bros shopping center and between Highway 14 and the Union Pacific Railroad and Mojave Airport/Spaceport.
Vander Woude said the project could eventually generate up to 300 new jobs.
In a telephone interview, Vander Woude said he was impressed by Mojave’s location at what the Mojave Chamber of Commerce calls “California’s Golden Crossroads.”
“I’ve been working on this since early last year,” Vander Woude said. “We closed escrow in October.
“The property has good frontage on the highway and good frontage along the Union Pacific railroad,” Vander Woude said.
He said his architect is working on land use proposals that will be presented to county officials for approval.
“The project involves about two-and-one-half million square feet of industrial buildings and distribution centers,” he explained.
Witt impressed
Stu Witt, general manager of the East Kern Airport District, has been working with several groups planning similar operations on property adjacent to the airport.
“I’ve always thought that it would just take one of these guys and we’ll get several of these going in Mojave,” said Witt, who traveled to China to discuss similar deals.
Mojave’s ability to serve operations like Vander Woude’s has been enhanced by completion of an extension of the airport’s main runway to 120,000 feet, giving it the ability to handle any type of fully-loaded aircraft.
The Union Pacific rail line connects to the railroad’s yard and mainline, which UP shares with the BNSF Railway. That gives the site access to the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Pedro, Vander Woude said. The two railroads are the nation’s largest, and BNSF plans to spend $90 million to increase capacity on the Tehachapi Pass line it shares with UP.
The site is also close to all utilities, including water and sewer offered by the Mojave Public Utility District, electricity, natural gas, telephone, and High Desert Wireless’s broadband internet service.
Tom Weil of the East Kern Airport District said the property is in the airport’s “B-1" zone, which restricts construction to warehouses. “That would fit with what they are planning,” Weil said.
The property was also attractive to Tahiti because no environmental issues - like an endangered species or contaminated groundwater - are connected with it.
"From an environmental standpoint it's absolutely clean," Vander Woude said.
Leasing properties
All of the buildings will be for lease, though Vander Woude said he will consider selling any of the structures at a reasonable price.
Lease and sale prices haven't been determined.
The first phase of the proposed “Mojave Industrial Center” is expected to break ground in about one year, with construction to take about six months. Further development will depend on how quickly the first phase leases, Vander Woude said.
Vander Woude, 76, founded The Tahiti Group in 1980 and runs the business by himself. He said he specializes in developing grocery store-anchored shopping centers and stand-alone restaurants.
He discovered the Mojave site while making a routine drive through Kern County, looking for sites ripe for development.
"I don't normally pay attention to for sale signs, but I paid attention to that one," he said. "I knew it was a great site."
Joseph Ascenzi of Bizpress.Com contributed to this story.

SITE of a proposed distribution center north of the State Bros. shopping center in Mojave i