Business View Magazine | September 2019

204 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019 to grow significantly. “Northrop Grumman is building the new bomber for the Department of Defense here in the Antelope Valley, and they’re in the process of hiring seven to eight thousand people at Northrop alone,” she notes. “Lockheed is also growing.” Because Lancaster has been, traditionally, a suburban community, its growth pattern in the past has engendered urban sprawl, and Dow says that the city is now looking to rectify that with plans for more infill development. “In terms of infill growth, we’re focusing on a couple of key centrally-located project areas. We’re laying the groundwork with two specific plans to entice the type of development that we want to see. “One of those areas is Medical Main Street. Anchored by Antelope Valley Hospital, the region’s only full-service hospital, the district is designed to foster wellness. Between grant funding and a local match, the City has set aside $15 million to build backbone infrastructure for the district. This will enable us to establish the framework for multi-modal transit and increased connectivity within the envisioned district, thus allowing for pedestrian and bicycle transit and more active lifestyles. Within this framework, the plan envisions medical office buildings and specialty care facilities alongside a variety of housing, dining, and entertainment options in a mixed-use urban environment. “The second specific plan we’re currently focusing on is Parkway Village. As a traditionally suburban community, the vast majority of our housing stock is single-family homes. Yet with companies such as Northrop Grumman, BYD, and Lance Camper continuing to grow, and Millennials and empty- nesters, alike, seeking a greater diversity of housing stock, we’re looking to provide ‘missing middle’ housing – that is, condos, townhomes, and apartments. As with Medical Main Street, the plan aims to lay the foundation for this type of growth in a mixed-use, walkable urban setting with easy access to shopping, dining, entertainment, and transit. “In addition to the specific plans currently in