GROUPS FOCUS ON WEST COAST MULTIMODAL COMPLEX

GROUPS FOCUS ON WEST COAST MULTIMODAL COMPLEX    Stirling Airports International, an airport development company, has teamed up with Catellus Development Corp. to develop a 700-acre multimodal logistics and distribution complex at a former U.S. Air Force base in Southern California.
   Stirling plans to add onto Southern California Logistics Airport, the former George Air Force Base, so that it may accommodate air, rail, ground and port connections.
   SCLA, which is jointly managed by the SCLA Authority and Stirling, handles charter flights from Atlas Air, the U.S. military, Panalpina, and Federal Express. SCLA began accepting charter operations in 1999, seven years after its closure as a military base. A designated Foreign Trade Zone, SCLA has also been a U.S. Customs port of entry since 1999.
   A representative from the airport said its location, about a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, makes it a prime candidate as an intermodal facility. SCLA is located on Interstate 15, and houses 10 tenants, including BAE Systems, General Electric Aircraft Engines, and Boeing. SCLA can accommodate all current-flying commercial and military aircraft with nonstop air tower operations. SCLA said the final project will incorporate more than 43.5 million square feet worth an estimated $1.5 billion upon completion.
   Rebecca Hall, a representative for SCLA, said that since SCLA and the attendant project are in the early stages, the project would be built with security measures in mind, thereby avoiding the need for future retrofitting. “Being a new airport, we have an opportunity to implement new security early on,” Hall said. Hall was optimistic about the expansion and prospective tenants. “We think we will hit critical mass in five to 10 years,” Hall said.