Distribution Center in Industry Being Constructed for Appliance Affiliate to Have Enormous Space : Big Landmarks Could Fit into G.E.’s Building

It’s big enough to accommodate three Statues of Liberty, two Queen Marys and one Empire State Building.

No, it’s not the recently completed 24-Left runway at Los Angeles International Airport, but it approaches runway dimensions on its San Gabriel Valley site.

And it might become a cross-town rival to the Pacific Design Center’s 720,000-square foot, popularly dubbed “Blue Whale� building in that West Hollywood complex.

The budding, enormous facility, under construction in City of Industry, is described by its developer, Majestic Realty Co., as the largest build-to-suit, for-lease structure for a Fortune 500 company in Southern California.

It will contain a 1-million-square-foot warehousing and distribution plant for General Electric Co.’s affiliate, G.E. Appliances.

The $40-million mega-structure will measure 2,165 feet in length and 465 feet in width in one 32-foot-high level built on a 22.95-acre pad. Its length will be 475 feet short of a half-mile (2,640 feet).

Its length and breadth could house the 1,019-foot-long Queen Mary twice, covering 2,038 feet on one side of the structure.

Long-Term Commitment

On the opposite side it could accommodate--if they were laid on their sides--three 305-foot-tall Statues of Liberty, from torch to pedestal, and all but the top segment of the television tower of the 1,414-foot-tall Empire State Building. (See illustration above.)

While neither Majestic nor General Electric Co. officials would divulge lease terms, they said their relationship is part of a long-term commitment between the appliance giant and the realty firm, adding that units of G.E. facilities in another nearby Majestic property, now occupying 550,000 square feet, will be moving into the new building upon its expected completion in November.

As yet unnamed, the G.E. Appliances facility, at 19805-20005 E. Business Parkway, will become part of Majestic’s $140-million Fairway Business Park, which covers 200 acres just north of the Pomona Freeway at Fairway Drive.

“The placement of our new facility . . . is exceptional as a central location, providing top-flight level of service for our retail and contract customers and excellent as a location designed to meet the projected population growth within our West Coast markets,� said H.C. Janert, manager of G.E. Appliances’ western distribution centers.

‘Abundant Labor Force’

Fairway Business Park, near the center of one of the Southland’s fastest growing business areas, has a “diverse and abundant labor force,� a Majestic spokeswoman said. Upon its build-out, it will have more than 4 million square feet of light manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, administrative and professional offices and research and development facilities.

The first phase of development, completed during the first quarter of the year, includes five buildings with a total of 750,000 square feet. That space is more than 30% leased.

Commerce Construction Co. Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Majestic, designed and is building the G.E. Appliances structure.

Majestic, founded in 1948 and privately owned, is headquartered at 13200 Crossroads Parkway North in City of Industry. It was among the leading developers of the industrial park concept during the 1960s, and later designed and developed master-planned business parks, incorporating commercial, industrial, service and retail uses.

Other Developments

Its other local developments include properties in San Dimas, City of Commerce, Irwindale, La Mirada and Norwalk. It also has projects in Northern California, Illinois, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, Florida and New Jersey.

Presently in inventory and under construction, Majestic has a commercial and industrial portfolio totaling about 30 million square feet, covering over 1,200 acres, with an estimated value in excess of $1 billion.

But it doesn’t have a name yet for its mega-structure.

Colors selected for the huge building are blue, gray and white.

Could it become the Blue Colossus?

Or the American Colossus?