MJW Investments picked up the property, including 50 undeveloped acres, in a transaction with seller RR Donnelley & Sons of Chicago, which had several other offers on the 1145 E. Gila Bend Highway building fall through in the last two years. Peter Wentis, with CB Richard Ellis Inc.'s Phoenix office, tells GlobeSt.com that the Los Angeles buyer saw potential in the property, which is served by two rail lines, and took a chance on the strong location near Interstates 8 and 10 to buy a manufacturing facility that can serve both Southern California and Arizona.

"It's a unique property," said Wentis, who along with fellow CB Richard Ellis broker Kevin Cosca, negotiated the deal for the seller. "It sits on 50 acres so there's ample room for expansion and it was designed so the exterior walls can be knocked down, allowing the owner to double the size of the building without spending money to increase its engineering capacity."

Built in 1987, the building is "highly engineered" with high-power electrical service and the capacity to park eight rail cars in its rail-serviced warehouse, Wentis said. "With our summers, that's a nice amenity to have," he said.

The property is partially occupied by Daily Juice, a juice manufacturer and distributor, and a small local newspaper. Wentis and Cosca, the leasing agents, said the new owner wants to land a permanent, long-term tenant, bringing the asset to market with a quoted rate of 34 cents per sf triple net. The property's sale was negotiated for MJW Investments by Larry Toomey from the Los Angeles office of Lee & Associates.