GROWTH INCREASES PALMDALE'S ALLURE : DILLARD'S, BIG RETAILERS SEE OPPORTUNITY.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer Looking to establish their chain in the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, market, Dillard's executives picked a community with rising sales tax sales tax, levy on the sale of goods or services, generally calculated as a percentage of the selling price, and sometimes called a purchase tax. It is usually collected in the form of an extra charge by the retailer, who remits the tax to the government. revenues and potential for rapid growth - Palmdale. Dillard's is one of several nationally known retailers that either have recently built stores in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley or are in the process of building stores - boosting the valley economy. ``It's like an exclusive country club. You want to buy in while it's cheap,'' said Robert Baker, director of sales and marketing for Dillard's. ``We think it's going to be one of our great markets.'' Recovering from defense cutbacks and housing slumps of the early 1990s, both Palmdale and Lancaster in north Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County are enjoying solid increases in sales tax revenue. Palmdale's sales tax revenue has more than doubled over the past 10 years, climbing from $3.82 million - representing $382 million in taxable sales by local businesses - in fiscal year 1989-90 to $8.59 million - from $859 million in taxable sales - in the fiscal year that ended in June. With Dillard's opening, and Barnes and Noble, Lowe's home improvement, and Linen N' Things coming in early 2000, Palmdale officials expect the growth to continue. ``I expect a big increase in sales tax,'' said Mayor Jim Ledford. ``A big economy floats all boats.'' Palmdale is looking to expand its retail sector with the creation of an ``entertainment destination,'' a shopping and restaurant complex anchored by a 15-acre multiplex See multiplexing. movie house that would feature at least 16 screens and 4,000 seats. New Century Entertainment, a Rancho Santa Fe Santa Fe, city, Argentina Santa Fe, city (1991 pop. 341,000), capital of Santa Fe prov., NE Argentina, a river port near the Paraná, with which it is connected by canal. company, is looking to establish the retail complex on 40 acres southwest of Avenue P and Division Street, immediately east of the Wal-Mart store. Ledford said he expects to see developer interest in the city's eastside, where many storefronts are empty. ``There's recognition that area is underserved, and there are opportunities there,'' Ledford said. Lancaster's sales tax revenue is rebounding after plummeting from $10.6 million in fiscal year 1990-91 to $8.27 million in 1991-92, the result of the recession and the loss of a number of retail outlets, including the city's Sears store that moved to the mall that opened in late 1990 in Palmdale. Since the 1991-92 fiscal year, Lancaster's sales tax revenue has climbed back to $10.6 million. ``The increase will continue,'' said Lancaster City Manager Jim Gilley. ``We're continuing to open new points of origin - the retailers themselves - and as the economy improves people will be buying more.'' The economic upturn has Lancaster officials optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op about the Lancaster Factory Stores, the struggling 422,000-square-foot outlet mall An outlet mall (or outlet centre) is a type of shopping mall, in which manufacturers sell their products directly to the public through their own branded stores. Clothing, sporting goods, electrical products, cosmetics, and toys are among the types of items sold at outlet . The outlet mall's developer went into bankruptcy and the new owners are trying to move away from an factory outlet format to a mixed retail use. Along with the change in format, the mall's name is being changed to the Lancaster Marketplace. CAPTION(S): chart CHART: Sales tax revenue Source: City of Palmdale, City of Lancaster The City of Lancaster (2002 population: 133,914) is a local government district with city status in Lancashire, England. Its main town is Lancaster, from which it obtained its city status. Other towns in the district include Morecambe, Heysham, Slyne, and Carnforth. finance departments |
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