Many of the import firms are Chinese, so Koll hired a consultant to ensure that the development's design was compatible with the principles of feng shui, the Chinese practice that seeks to harmonize man-made objects with the environment. The new development is located in an industrial area near the intersection of Arenth and Fullerton Road, about one mile from the 60 Freeway.

The four concrete tilt-up buildings in the center range from 26,000 sf to 40,300 sf and were sold separately at prices ranging from $152 to $164 per sf. All four building were presold, with escrows closing in November.

The buildings feature 10% office and 90% warehouse/distribution space. Koll says that the design lends itself to large showrooms and high-end office build-outs to go along with the 24-foot clear heights, dock-high and grade-level loading, electrical service up to 1,200 amps and a 120-foot-deep truck maneuvering area.

According to Robin Dodson, a senior director of project marketing agent Cushman & Wakefield, the developer's attention to design and detail played a major role in the sales success. "Even in this market, it is pretty unusual to presell all the buildings in a project like this," Dodson notes.

Koll bought the property in 2005 from Air Products Corp., then encountered some delays in entitlement and relocating power lines underground before it could begin construction.Don Wood, development manager for the Newport Beach-based company, points out that instead of one parcel with one owner, the firm converted the site to four parcels with four owners. The project was designed by GAA Architects of Irvine, CA, with Pacific Construction Co., also of Irvine as the general contractor.