CHANGE OF THE GUARD; ONE AREA AGENCY FADES; ANOTHER DAWNS.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Saying now is the time for a new organization to lead the Antelope Valley's economic efforts, city officials announced the dissolution of the 19-year-old Lancaster Economic Development Corp. on Wednesday

Created two recessions ago to help lessen the Antelope Valley's reliance on the boom-and-bust aerospace industry, the LEDC will dissolve in July, turning its economic development efforts over to the newly formed Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance.

At the same time Vern Lawson Jr., LEDC's executive director, will join the staff of Lancaster's redevelopment agency to assist with marketing and economic development efforts.

``The new group will be able to proceed with a clean slate and a level playing field,'' Lawson said. ``I'm delighted I'll be able to continue my life's work.''

Lawson, 45, served as executive director of the LEDC for 17 years. Before that, Lawson served as the city manager of Lancaster for three years.

Lawson's salary and benefits are still being negotiated, officials said.

Lawson's hiring and the city's acquisition of the LEDC's ``incubator'' building for start-up businesses must be approved by the City Council. That action is expected to take place within a few weeks as the council considers the city's 1998-99 budget.

The Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance's goal is to raise $500,000 annually for a variety of job creation and retention efforts, including marketing the region, funding a full-time aerospace lobbyist, creating a one-stop shop to help businesses with regulatory issues, and encouraging developers to build industrial buildings.

The group, which goes by the acronym GAVE, includes about 50 representatives of public agencies and private industry. Its consultants have suggested the organization set a goal of creating 3,000 jobs over the next five years.

Led since its inception by a board of local civic leaders, the LEDC is perceived as being too focused on Lancaster and not on the Antelope Valley - an impediment to those trying to get the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance rolling, LEDC and city officials said.

The city of Palmdale recently launched its own economic development marketing campaign, dropping out of a regional marketing campaign run by Lawson. Palmdale officials questioned whether they were receiving leads in a timely manner.

``Our perception today is we have to regionize, not polarize,'' said Ron Carter, chairman of the LEDC. ``This is the next progression to making this work regionally.''

Financed with a $738,000 loan from the city, the LEDC was created in 1979 to help spur manufacturing and industrial development in Lancaster. Over the next two decades, the LEDC built the 240-acre Lancaster Business Park, which today holds about 80 companies and government agencies and 1,400 workers.

But the organization also repeatedly had to ask the city for help on loan payments as industrial-park lot sales failed to meet expectations during the recession of the early 1980s.

The LEDC's financial situation improved during the late '80s boom, but the city in 1995 agreed to guarantee payments for bond issues that helped finance an expansion of the original business park.

Ownership of the business park's ``incubator'' building, in which start-up companies are grouped together and share services to cut expenses, will be transferred to Lancaster's redevelopment agency.

Officials anticipate the remaining parcels in the business park owned by LEDC will be sold before July.

``This change is really going to bring the Antelope Valley together,'' said Vice Mayor Henry Hearns. ``This will be good for our future.''