STEADY GROWTH PREDICTED ECONOMIC ANALYST RATES ANTELOPE VALLEY.Byline: Charles Charles, archduke of Austria Charles, 1771–1847, archduke of Austria; brother of Holy Roman Emperor Francis II. Despite his epilepsy, he was the ablest Austrian commander in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars; however, he was handicapped by F. Bostwick Staff Writer LANCASTER - 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 can expect continued steady economic growth next year, despite recent interest rate increases and rising energy costs, a 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, economist said Thursday. In the 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 Economic Development Corp.'s first forecast for the Antelope Valley, chief economist The Chief Economist is a single position job class having primary responsibility for the development, coordination, and production of economic and financial analysis. It is distinguished from the other economist positions by the broader scope of responsibility encompassing the Jack Kyser said homebuilding, retail sales, population and jobs will all continue to improve in 2001. ``The net result is you still have a fairly healthy economy, but you just need to be a little more aware,'' said Kyser, speaking to local business people at a luncheon sponsored by the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance. Kyser's 18-page forecast, sponsored by the alliance and by The Gas Co., noted several positive trends emerging from the recession of the 1990s. Local businesses' taxable sales jumped 13 percent last year and should increase another 8 percent this year, the report said. Local jobs have been increasing since 1998, with the present total estimated at 60,400 and another 2,700 projected to be added in 2001, the report said. The valley's population south of the Kern Kern, river, 155 mi (249 km) long, rising in the S Sierra Nevada Mts., E Calif., and flowing south, then southwest to a reservoir in the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The river has Isabella Dam as its chief facility. County line has grown to more than 333,000 as of last January - making it comparable in size to Cincinnati or St. Louis - and should gain another 5,000 or more residents by next January. Median home prices jumped nearly 37 percent from July 1999 to July 2000 in Palmdale - from $84,000 to $115,000 - and 21.5 percent in Lancaster- from $79,250 to $96,250 - the report said. But Kyser's report also noted problems, particularly the valley's continuing reliance on aircraft and space projects for many of its manufacturing jobs. While analysts expected the Los Angeles County's recovering economy would send growth into the Antelope Valley, Kyser said many businesses are moving or expanding into the Riverside-San Bernardino area. That area has far more available industrial buildings than the Antelope Valley, he said. Small businesses want to buy a ready-made building, not have one built for them, he said, as mostly must be done in the Antelope Valley. The valley also suffers because its main link to the Los Angeles area is the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. , which Kyser said is perceived as an unfriendly highway for its shifts back and forth from six lanes to four lanes, its lack of illumination illumination, in art illumination, in art, decoration of manuscripts and books with colored, gilded pictures, often referred to as miniatures (see miniature painting); historiated and decorated initials; and ornamental border designs. at night, and the mountain range it must cross. To its advantage, Kyser said the valley has a pool of skilled residents, many of whom prefer to work closer to home; affordable housing; large blocks of undeveloped land; rail lines; and attractive incentives, including a state enterprise zone that offers tax breaks to employers. Janet Janet: see Clouet, Jean. JANET - Joint Academic NETwork Spatz, Jones Intercable's Antelope Valley general manager and a GAVEA director, said the organization is already implementing many of Kyser's suggestions, such as encouraging developers to construct industrial buildings in speculation of finding tenants. |
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