Thousand Oaks Figures in Rams’ Long-Term Plans

At Thousand Oaks’ State of the City Address & Luncheon on Tuesday, the director of football operations for the Rams said he hoped the team’s permanent headquarters would be located nearby. At the event, held on the California Lutheran University campus, Mayor Joel Price discussed how Thousand Oaks has shifted from a growth strategy to that of maintenance and redevelopment. Currently, the city is working on undergrounding its utilities as well as gearing up for the transformation of its downtown area along Thousand Oaks Boulevard. The former site of Lupe’s Mexican Restaurant will become a mixed-use project with 36 apartments as well as retail space, while other real estate endeavors are also in the works for the area. Business has been active as newcomer Easton Baseball/Softball Inc. moved into its new 90,000-square-foot headquarters, and Sage Publications relocated into a bigger building. Sports Academy just set up shop in a 96,000-square-foot former Amgen building, and the Rams are about to wrap its first season at the team’s temporary headquarters at Cal Lutheran. After Price’s address, Bruce Warwick, director of football operations for the Rams, spoke of the fast turnaround to build the temporary headquarters as “the best thing that ever happened to us.” He also said Thousand Oaks is “part of the Rams’ long-term vision of what we’re trying to accomplish here,” stating the Rams’ permanent home will “hopefully be close by” and will be “much more open to the public” than its Cal Lutheran facilities. He ended by saying, “You’re not going to see the end of us, that’s for sure.” When asked about the comments after the event, Price told the Business Journal that Thousand Oaks has been in discussions with the team about a permanent headquarters within city limits, calling it a “priority for the council.” He said in a couple months when the team is ready to discuss further, Thousand Oaks “will be ready” as well.