Torrance Warehouse Near the Refinery: What Nearby Owners Should Watch

Rendering: Prologis / City of Torrance EIR. Source: City of Torrance Project Fact Sheet, Prologis Del Amo and Prairie Center Project.

Quick answer: Prologis has proposed its first Torrance development, a 403,033-square-foot industrial warehouse with up to 10% cold storage and 15,000 square feet of office, on a vacant 31.3-acre triangle next to the Torrance Refinery at Del Amo Blvd., Prairie Ave., and Madrona Ave. The final EIR is not certified and no permit is approved. The next Planning Commission meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 PM. The item is expected to come back after postponements at the last two meetings.

A big industrial proposal next to a refinery is the kind of land-use story South Bay owners and buyers should track. Here's what's proposed, what's still open, and how to weigh in.

What Prologis is proposing in Torrance

According to the Daily Breeze, the site is a vacant 31.3-acre triangle at the northeast corner of Del Amo Blvd., Prairie Ave., and Madrona Ave., next to the Torrance Refinery. Torrance Black Beauty, LLC bought the land for Prologis in 2018. Plans also add 7.79 acres of off-site road improvements, including a new sewer line.

The warehouse would run 24/7 with 56 dock doors. The final EIR projects more than 2,000 additional vehicles per day and about 48,330 metric tons of CO2 over 30 years. Prologis estimates 650–850 jobs: 400–500 in construction and 250–350 in operations.

Contaminated ground and the cleanup plan

The land was a petroleum waste dump from 1947 to 1970. The Daily Breeze reports that benzene, ethylbenzene, and naphthalene vapors exceed state limits, and that four methane samples measured between 1% and 23%. The site would be cleaned to an industrial-use standard.

Nicole Torstvet, a Prologis vice president, told the Daily Breeze: "Prologis has extensive experience remediating sites and is fully funding the cleanup, which is currently projected to cost tens of millions of dollars."

Michelle Ramirez, Torrance Community Development Director, said: "The city will require the facility to comply with all applicable state and local building, fire and safety codes."

Neighbors say they only recently learned of the project

The city mailed notices for community meetings in April 2025 and April 2026 to owners within 500 feet, and no community members attended either meeting, according to the Daily Breeze.

Nearby residents say the picture looks different from their side of the street. Isabel Balboa, a neighbor, told the paper: "The most impacted community had no idea about the project until a few weeks ago." Mike McIlroy, another neighbor, said: "It's not just the immediate area that's going to be affected by this; this is going to be a South Bay issue in general."

That gap is what nearby owners are reacting to. A long entitlement process can reach a vote before many people have heard about it.

What Torrance and South Bay owners should watch

Nothing is approved yet. The EIR is not certified, and the conditional use permit is not approved. The item was postponed at the last two Planning Commission meetings. The next meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 PM, and the project is expected to come back. Public comment can go to planningcommission@torranceca.gov. The Daily Breeze notes the item is not confirmed on that agenda, so check the posted agenda before you plan around it.

If you own near this corner, or you're thinking about buying in Torrance, here's the practical watch-list. Truck traffic from a 24/7 dock operation. Cleanup of a former petroleum waste dump to industrial standards. And whether the commission certifies the EIR and advances the permit. This is a heads-up on a live entitlement that could change how the Del Amo / Prairie / Madrona corner works day to day.

Browsing Torrance inventory? Start with Torrance homes for sale, or catch up on other local notes on the blog. To weigh in on this project, check the posted Planning Commission agenda for Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 PM, and send public comment to planningcommission@torranceca.gov.

FAQ: The proposed Torrance warehouse near the refinery

What is Prologis proposing in Torrance? A 403,033-square-foot industrial warehouse with up to 10% cold storage and 15,000 square feet of office on a vacant 31.3-acre triangle at Del Amo Blvd., Prairie Ave., and Madrona Ave., next to the Torrance Refinery. It would operate 24/7 with 56 dock doors.

Has the Torrance warehouse been approved? No. The final EIR is not certified and the permit is not approved. The item was postponed at the last two Planning Commission meetings.

When is the next Torrance Planning Commission meeting on this project? The next Planning Commission meeting is Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The project is expected to come back; the Daily Breeze notes it is not confirmed on that agenda. Public comment: planningcommission@torranceca.gov.

What contamination is on the warehouse site? The land was a petroleum waste dump from 1947 to 1970. Benzene, ethylbenzene, and naphthalene vapors exceed state limits, and four methane samples measured 1%–23%. Cleanup would be to an industrial-use standard, fully funded by Prologis at a projected cost of tens of millions of dollars.

How much traffic and how many jobs does the EIR project? More than 2,000 additional vehicles per day and about 48,330 metric tons of CO2 over 30 years. Prologis estimates 650–850 jobs (400–500 construction, 250–350 operations).

Sources: Daily Breeze, Madeline Armstrong, Oct 5, 2026.

Kevin Scott Real Estate | eXp Realty | DRE 01958725