Cal-EPA Secretary Winston Hickox Visits Former NASA Site In Downey: Cal/EPA New Release October 1, 2003

Downey--California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Winston Hickox Tuesday toured the former NASA Industrial Facility in Downey that will allow the city to complete an impressive reuse project expected to create 4,000 new jobs and accelerate the cleanup of groundwater.

Governor Gray Davis signed a transfer of the site last month.

"This transfer is great for the environment and for the Southland's economy," said Hickox. "The transfer paves the way for the creation of at least 4,000 new jobs and jump starts the cleanup of precious groundwater resources."

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board has signed off on the transfer of the 96 acres to the City of Downey. The transfer has been five years in the making.

The transfer (96 acres) includes more than one half of the total 160 acre former NASA Industrial Facility bounded by Bellflower and Lakewood Boulevards and the Imperial Highway. The City of Downey has already acquired 64 acres that were not contaminated.

The area is being developed into a mixed-use project known as Downey Landing. It will involve the development of a 400,000 square foot retail center and a one million square foot, Kaiser Medical Center, as well as the reuse of buildings where the original space shuttles were constructed as a major movie studio facility.

The City of Downey is acquiring the property for $21.5 million, of which $20.5 million will be allocated to complete soil and groundwater cleanup and provide significant levels of environmental insurance. Soil cleanup is already 80 percent complete. Construction is expected to begin as cleanup progresses.

The project is estimated to generate $750 million in new investment, $125 million in annual taxable sales and $2.5 million in annual property taxes.

Press Release: Cal-EPA Secretary Winston Hickox Visits Former NASA Site In Downey--4,000 Jobs Expected to Be Created; Cleanup Accelerated