Lowe, Hawthorne Finalize $195-Million Deal

The Hawthorne City Council has approved an agreement with Lowe Enterprises to develop a former Northrop Grumman aerospace plant into a 104-acre project with a mix of retail, office and industrial uses.

The $195-million development just south of the Century Freeway and adjacent to Hawthorne Airport has been in the works for several years and has undergone several design changes since Northrop Grumman began phasing out operations at the facility. Lowe purchased the property in early 1999 and spent more than two years formulating plans for the site before reaching agreement with city officials.

Under the agreement, Brentwood-based Lowe will build 1.8 million square feet of commercial space that includes the reuse of existing structures. The 260,000-square-foot retail portion of the development, to be called the Exchange, will feature a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse store (no relation to Lowe Enterprises) and other shops. The project also will include 600,000 square feet of industrial and warehouse space and 300,000 square feet for an AT&T; data center.

Also, more than 600,000 square feet of existing buildings will be redeveloped into office and research and development facilities.

“There are few urban ‘in-fill’ opportunities of this size in Los Angeles,” said Craig Furniss, who will oversee the project for Lowe Enterprises. “This approval will allow us to take an abandoned aerospace facility in a prime location ... and infuse a new vitality into the northeast side of Hawthorne.”