RITE AID COMPLEX GETS BIG KICKOFF.

Byline: Romy Jacobson Daily News Staff Writer

City, county and state efforts to attract corporations to the Antelope Valley were realized at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a giant drug store warehouse and distribution center that will cover 23 acres of floor space and employ 500 to 1,000 people.

Rite Aid Corp. officials said they were impressed with the efforts by a ``red team'' of city, Los Angeles County and state officials, and business representatives to bring them to California.

``We scoured Southern California looking for a terrific work force, cooperative community and a good location,'' said Martin Grass, Rite Aid's chief executive officer. ``This area fits the bill of all three.''

The Pennsylvania-based corporation, owner of the Payless and Thrifty chains, purchased the 88-acre tract at Avenue H and 30th Street West from the city of Lancaster for $1. The city also waived $1.4 million in development fees.

The tract was chosen for its easy access to the Antelope Valley Freeway and to Rite Aid retail outlets in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets, where the corporation last fall said it intended to open dozens of new stores.

Called the Rite Aid Southwest Customer Support Center, the facility will have the capacity to serve up to 800 stores.

``We basically chose this area because of its location, because of the incentive package and because of the city itself, its atmosphere,'' said Ron Miller, senior vice president of distribution and logistics for Rite Aid Corp. ``It's a good group of people who live here. A lot of them commute. These jobs will be closer for them.''

Reiterating comments made in January when the company announced its decision to building in Lancaster, Mayor Frank Roberts said the development is another step in improving the quality of life in the Antelope Valley by providing local jobs.

``We want to get people off the freeway so there won't be 40,000 to 50,000 people commuting each day,'' Roberts said. ``The city of Lancaster is destined to continue the progress.''

The company will begin taking employment applications in spring 1999 for the distribution center. Employees will go through a three- to four-month extensive training course, according to Grass.

Rite Aid plans to have 500 employees when the $60 million to $70 million distribution center opens for business in fall 1999, and will increase the work force to 850 within three years. Future expansion of the site will eventually add an additional 150 jobs.

Local and state officials hope other companies will follow Rite Aid.

``We want to have corporate headquarters coming to California,'' said Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. ``Jobs do provide the quality of life that's necessary.''

``It's a tremendous achievement, not only for the valley but for all of California,'' said Lee Grissom, secretary for the California Trade and Commerce Agency. ``The decision was carefully considered and will cause other companies to take a look at this area.''

``It's obviously a wonderful job creator for the Antelope Valley. One thousand jobs, that's a huge success,'' said Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster.

Lancaster acquired the distribution center site as part of 221 acres it bought for $650,000 in January 1997. Michael's, the craft store chain, is building a $16 million, 423,000-square-foot warehouse on a portion of the property.

The rest of the property is planned for a new Antelope Valley Fairgrounds.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO (Color) From left, California Trade and Commerce Agency Secretary Lee Grissom, Rite Aid Corp. head Martin Grass and Lancaster Mayor Frank Roberts show a drawing of the warehouse.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News