parcels at the former Marine base are slow in coming.
Why not put two and two together. If L.A. wants El Toro, let it bid for it. The city could have the whole thing for $4 billion, or the airfield for maybe half of that.
And Larry Agran could win, too. Instead of building houses on part of the former base, he could zone for office parks and charge developer fees to build the Great Park around the airfield.
Imagine: an expanded Irvine Spectrum, museums and open space greeting arrivals to an El Toro airport.
The Navy could gain as well. A bid by L.A. could spur developers to show their hands, possibly pushing up prices for El Toro land.
I already can hear the bureaucrats on Spring Street retorting. As a government agency looking to reuse El Toro for public benefit, L.A. is entitled to get the land for free, just as the county of Orange would have.
But that ship’s sailed. Now the Navy is looking to make some money off El Toro. So why not call L.A.’s bluff. If you want it, ante up.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve long argued the best use of El Toro is as an airport. But I’m big enough to admit that the likelihood of that happening is about as slim as L.A. coming up with billions to buy El Toro.
,Michael Lyster
