reprinted from the February 2, 1973 Anaheim Bulletin
(Editor’s Note: The following article is one of a series reviewing the accomplishments of cities in North Orange County during 1972, and what they hope to achieve this year. Today’s report is from Los Alamitos)
By JOHN YENCH
Bulletin Staff Writer
LOS ALAMITOS—This city has moved well towar realization of its own identity as an economic center, Mayor Charles Long said.
He contrasted this with past developments which appeared to concentrate on keeping Los Alamitos a “bedroom city” for residents working in Long Beach or Los Angeles.
Marking the vanguard of economic development was establishment in 1972 of the Southwest regional Laboratory facility, employing approximately 430 persons engaged in education, research and development. Matching it in a different way was the construction of a General Telephone Directory Service Center on Katella Avenue for $1.3 million.
On a smaller scale , the 17-acre industrial park on the north side of Katella Avenue, east of Bloomfield Street, is bringing manufacturers on the order of Delaney Sash & Door Manufacturing Co.
There are also new industrial buildings near the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, and on Kaylor Avenue at Catalina Street. Recently Vanbar, Inc. installed itself in a two-story building on Florista Street.
Professional and commercial building is going on fast, Long said. He specifically cited the five-story building on Katella and Kaylor Avenues, the continued expansion of the Los Alamitos General Hospital, the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Medical Building, the 20,000 square foot Los Alamitos Professional Building, and a new office facility at 4662 Katella Ave.
Commercially, Los Alamitos has taken a great new step forward with the $2 million Los Alamitos Plaza, occupying some 3½ acres on the northeast corner of Katella Avenue and Los Alamitos Boulevard, Long said.
Other projects in this field have beenbthree new office buildings on Katella Avenue, at Reagan Street, Chestnut Street and Pine Street, respectively.
Long said the future of the city “looks healthy.” Whirligig Corp. store proposes to set itself up non Katella Avenue at Siboney Street early this year. Other projects immediately in the offing are the Rossmoor-El Dorado Animal Hospital, and the expansion of the Bank of America building.
Additional major commercial revitalization is being considered for major portions of Katella Avenue east of Los Alamitos Boulevard and for Los Alamitos Boulevard north of Katella Avenue.
Long said 20 acres of undeveloped land on the south side of Katella Avenue across from the Los Alamitos Race Course (which incidentally is thin the boundaries of the city of Cypress) is being evaluated for highway-related commercial enterprises. New industrial development is also being reviewed for the area south of Cerritos Avenue, west of Bloomfield Street, north of the Southern Pacific Railroad.
Long said Los Alamitos is already on the map as a swimming center.
There is Greta Andersen’s famous Dutch Health Spa, featuring the famed Olympic and channel champion herself.
Then during the year, 15-ytear old Lynne Cox broke the English Channel record for men and women. Miss Cox is a member of a swimming Los Alamitos family, producing championsh for different long-distance swims.
(While the article is continued on Page A-2, Col. 5, we unfortunately don’t have the rest of the article.)