1400 North Norma Street, Ridgecrest, CA

The subject property is located in Ridgecrest. The City of Ridgecrest is situated in the northeast corner of Kern County at the northern end of the Mojave Desert in an area known as the Indian Wells Valley. It is approximately 125 miles north of San Bernardino, 90 miles north of Lancaster and approximately 115 miles east of Bakersfield, the county seat. The city's incorporated area includes approximately 21 square miles. The Indian Wells Valley is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west, the Cosos to the north , the Argus to the east and the El Paso mountains to the south. The area is characterized as high desert. City of Ridgecrest Homepage

Accessibility and Transportation:

Roadway access to the area is provided by state highways 395, 178, and 14. Both 395 and 14 are major north-south routes that connect to lateral state highways and county roads.

Economic Base:

Ridgecrest's economic base is a symbiotic relationship with the China Lake Naval Weapons Center and its contractors. According to the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, China lake " is the nations largest in-house defense research and testing facility, known world wide for developing the famous Sidewinder Missile." No industry which emits pollutants or smoke is permitted in Ridgecrest. This provides for almost year round clear visibility. The Naval Weapons Center covers more than 1, 700 square miles or over 1,000,000 acres of virtually uninhabited area.

Ridgecrest's economy is also dependant on China Lake's contractual work. The center attracts a wide variety of industry to the area including, but not limited to, Texas Instruments, Comarco Engineering, Raytheon, Hughes Aircraft, IBM, General Dynamics, McDonnell Aircraft, Honeywell, Continental Graphics and Boeing Computer Services Corporation. These companies compete for contracts to provide products and services for the center. Upwards of 50 companies represented in the area have made the Fortune.

Other major employers in the area are the local school district and an industrial operation that is located outside Kern County. North American Chemical, which is located approximately 30 miles to the east in Trona employs 1, 000 employees, of which approximately 1/2 live in Ridgecrest and commute.

Mining also contributes to the economic base of the area. In the south eastern section of Kern County, U.S. Borax has the world's largest open pit mine. Its deposits account for approximately seventy percent of the free world's borate production.

Population:

Ridgecrest is the third largest city in Kern County. The general area for Ridgecrest consists partially of Census Tracts 53.00, 54.00 and 55.01 which comprise the Indian Wells Valley. Currently, the Indian Wells Valley contains approximately 6.06 percent of Kern County's population. Ridgecrest contains 4.72 percent of Kern County's population.

As of 1990 census, the population was 27, 725 in the city of Ridgecrest. The population grew at an average rate of approximately 2.1% percent per year from 1970 to 1980. This was slightly slower than Kern County's growth and slightly faster than the growth of the state over the same period. From 1980 to 1990 the area grew at a rapid pace. A majority of the gains can be traced to increased industry servicing the Naval Weapons Center.

The 1997 current population figure is officially estimated at 28,000.

Growth and Development:

Ridgecrest has recently added a new Civic Center where City Hall, the Ridgecrest Police Department and the Kerr McGee Community Center are now located. Ridgecrest offers a low cost of living and inexpensive land. According to the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, the cost of land in Ridgecrest is among the lowest in California. Ridgecrest is known as , " The Affordable Alternative." Apartments range from $300 to $500 per month and homes can be rented for as little as $450 up to $950.

Disclaimer: The information contained herein is subject to errors, omissions, changes in terms and conditions, prior sale, and/or withdrawal from market, all without notice. All information is derived from sources deemed reliable, however, no warranties are either expressed or implied. Prospective purchasers should rely on their own verification of the facts before committing themselves financially or otherwise.