Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Rodney Shepard, and others break ground on Lanzit Industrial Park (Matthew Tinoco/Neon Tommy)

Dozens gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new industrial building in Watts on Wednesday morning, the first such project for the South L.A. community in more than 40 years. The building, a project of Lanzit Industrial Park LLC, will be about 46,000-square feet and house space for both offices and light manufacturing.

The industrial park promises to bring some much needed employment opportunities to the neighborhood.

"Today we can rejoyce with the knowledge that new jobs are coming to Watts," said Rodney Shepard, the South Los Angeles land developer leading the Lanzit project. "This development will bring economic security and good, stable, manufacturing jobs back here where they belong."

Attendents included Democratic Congresswoman Janice Hann, and former L.A. City Councilwoman Jan Perry, each of whom has a vested interest in the economic health of the Watts Community.

This particular building marks the very first of many that will eventually make up the 175,000 square feet development.

For residents and stakeholders, a new industrial park could not be more welcome.

"It's a fantastic development that this community has needed for far too long," said Adam Dominguez, the Business Development Officer of the Vermont-Slauson Economic Development Corporation. "We're hoping that this project will bring some much needed stabillity to the neighborhood."

Although the building has not yet been filled with tenants, Shepard has developed other similar projects in the past — including a mixed-use retail property in Vermont Knolls and a 124-unit Senior Citizen apartment complex in Watts.

Lanzit Industrial Park will be built on a vacant lot, abandoned for more than 35 years to date.

Contact Staff Reporter Matthew Tinoco here.