S. F. Springs Buys Property for Auto Row

SANTA FE SPRINGS —  As part of its effort to establish an auto row off the Santa Ana Freeway, the Santa Fe Springs City Council approved the purchase of property on Firestone Boulevard.

The council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, agreed to pay $1.36 million to Advanced Pipe Co., owner of Picoma Industries Inc., for its property at 12804 E. Firestone Blvd.

Portions of the site may be used for the city’s first proposed auto dealership or for another dealership, said Richard Weaver, director of planning and development.

Earlier last month, the agency signed a memorandum of understanding with George Williams for a Dial Chevrolet dealership on four acres at Rosecrans and Bloomfield avenues.

The city is buying two parcels and Williams is purchasing the third parcel necessary for the dealership. In addition to selling the parcels to Williams for $30,000 less than market price, the city will also refund the dealership $1.5 million plus interest from sales tax generated during a 10-year period.

The city would eventually like to see an auto row along the freeway, between Bloomfield and Shoemaker avenues, and is preparing by buying parcels for assembly, Weaver said. The Chevrolet dealership will occupy about one-fourth of the available area.

“We don’t know how many dealerships we’ll be able to have there,” Weaver said, noting that if the Chevrolet dealership does not need further acreage, the property would become available to another car dealer. “If we get a big dealership, it may only be a couple. If the dealerships are small, it could be three or four.”

The site off the freeway--which contains a used-car dealership, trucking company and a spray paint company--was originally planned for a 200-room hotel, but those plans fell through, Weaver said.