Despite troubles, Carson rides wave of development activity. (Up Front).

If an old dump can attract the attention of the National Football League, imagine how an outdated shopping mall, an abandoned mobile home park and a golf course can send real estate investors' hearts aflutter.

That's the case in Carson, a South Bay city with a population of 90,000 where neither funky land nor funky politics can keep developers away.

Citing healthy household incomes and prime freeway access in a community where retailing has languished for decades, developers are upping their stakes. These commercial interests have largely viewed the series of political corruption scandals that have rocked the city as short-term distractions.

For Steve Hopkins, president of Hopkins Real Estate Group, co-developer of the 938,000-square-foot SouthBay Pavilion at Avalon and Del Amo boulevards, faith in the city government is based on a relationship with both Ron Winkler, general manager of Carson's economic development department, and City Manager Jerry Groomes.

"We've worked with Jerry Groomes and Ron Winkler before," said Hopkins, whose company developed properties in San Bernardino and East Palo Alto when Winkler and Groomes were officials with those respective cities.

Winkler acknowledged challenges facing the city, including the indictments earlier this year of its mayor and two city councilmembers, but downplayed their importance.

"There's obviously turmoil in Carson, and in other cities as well, but some of the big players are looking at this from a long-term standpoint," said Winkler. "They realize that local politics will change and they're looking at it from a market standpoint and what their business will be in the long haul."

Fueled by unionized workers from the nearby Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Carson's median household income is more than $52,000 a year, easily outdrawing neighboring communities like Compton ($32,000), Gardena ($39,000) and Long Beach ($37,000) as well as the county as a whole ($42,000), according to 2000 Census figures.

"There's a lot of buying power in that community," said Hopkins.

Easy access

Sliced by the San Diego (405) Freeway and bracketed by the Harbor (110) and Long Beach (710) freeways, Carson's geography and large swaths of undeveloped or underdeveloped land is another lure.

"There are probably six big box users interested in the area with one, possibly two, theaters," Winkler said of a 157-acre landfill just south of the new Del Amo Boulevard overpass of the 405. That site had been earmarked for a retail mall before NFL officials said last month that they would consider it for an L.A. team.

"When you look at the trade area and see the lack of retail activity around it, as well as the density of the population, it makes people take a second look," said Richard Rizika, senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis, part of the team marketing the proposed football site for its owner, the LA MetroMall LLC.

"We're well aware of the turmoil," said Sandy Sigal, chief executive at NewMark Merrill Cos. "But everyone from the mayor on down have been supportive of modernizing Carson."

With that in mind, NewMark Merrill, which has managed the Ralphs-anchored, 50,000-square-foot shopping center at the corner of Avalon Boulevard and Carson Street for 15 years, bought the site for about $2.5 million earlier this year, and is working on a joint venture with Seal Beach-based Olson Co. to develop the abandoned Avalon Carson Mobil Home Park next to the supermarket.

Under the plan, Olson would buy the nine-acre property and build 70 to 80 townhomes on part of the site, leasing the balance to NewMark, which would expand its retail property to more than 100,000 square feet.

Meanwhile, about a mile south, Centex Homes plans to finish 147 homes at Avalon and 228th Street by first quarter 2005. Additionally, Watson Land Co. and Vestar Development Co. are working on a plan to redevelop the 160-acre Dominguez Golf Course on Main Street.

The largest redevelopment effort could be Hopkins' SouthBay Pavilion.

Newport Beach-based Hopkins and Genesis L.A. Real Estate Fund paid more than $34 million for the 359,000-square-foot non-anchored portion of the 30-year-old mall. Hopkins, which is looking to bring both a movie theater and supermarket to the site, plans to "de-mall" a 100,000-square-foot section of complex by bringing in an anchor tenant to replace the smaller stores and rebuilding the area to include its own entrance and outdoor shopping area.

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NFL is not alone in looking at Carson for development.

Home Depot Center: $140 million, 85-acre multi-sport complex developed by Anschutz Entertainment Group at Avalon Boulevard and Victoria Street.

Status: Complete

South Bay Pavilion: Hopkins Real Estate Group and Genesis LA. Real Estate Fund plan to redevelop much of the 938,000-square-foot retail center at Avalon and Del Amo boulevards.

Status: Purchased in April. Plans pending.

Centex Homes: Dallas-based company is building 147 homes on a 15-acre site at Avalon Boulevard and 228th Street.

Status: Under construction, scheduled for completion in 2005.

Avalon Carson Mobile Home Park: Olson Co. is in negotiations to purchase nine-acre site near Avalon Boulevard and Carson Street for 70 to 80 town homes and a $15 million redevelopment and expansion of the adjacent shopping center.

Status: Could close this month. Possible completion in 2005.

Dominguez Golf Course: Owner Watson Land Co. and developer Vestar Development Co. may replace 160-acre freeway-adjacent course with a retail and entertainment complex.

Status: Still in conceptual stage, no formal presentation made to city.

Landfill Site: GMS Realty and Cherokee Investment Partners in escrow to buy the 157-acre site near Del Amo Boulevard and Main Street. Plans a 1 million-square-foot retail center. NFL is eying the property for a potential stadium.

Status: Went into escrow last year. Purchase and plans pending.