The Number

The latest Economic Round Table Report produced by the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance contains one statistic that stands out: 6,500 acres of commercial and industrial land ready for development in the Antelope Valley. Kimberly Maevers, president of the alliance, said that figure represents the total approved acreage for the two counties – Los Angeles and Kern – and five cities in the region. “It is land designated for industrial and commercial use across the 3,000 square miles of territory,” she said. Maevers noted that her organization has rebranded itself with the name SoCal’s Leading Edge to communicate the message that the High Desert is one part of the larger L.A. economy where space for growth is still available. “We are the last, best place in Southern California for business,” she said. Right now, California City leads the Antelope Valley in development because of its plans to become a cannabis hub. In December, former boxer Mike Tyson visited California City to break ground on a 40-acre pot farm. For Maevers, another interesting number from the Economic Round Table Report is the projected population of Lancaster at 201,709. It marks the first time a city of more than 200,000 has emerged in the region. “A lot of that is thanks to Northrop Grumman Corp. and the new bomber contract,” Maevers said, referring to the B-21 project in Palmdale. “Even though they have not stated how many jobs it will create, we estimate about 5,000. We need our homebuilders to come back and put roofs over those workers’ heads.” Maevers, who was born and raised in Lancaster, has witnessed several up-and-down cycles in the economy. “Now we are definitely in a recovery phase,” she said. The Economic Round Table Report was presented at the Antelope Valley Board of Trade Business Outlook Conference on March 2. – Joel Russell