The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation in Simi Valley has entered talks to purchase 140-acres of undeveloped land near the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum, foundation officials confirmed. The foundation is currently in escrow to purchase the property at 888 Tierra Rejada Road from the Simi Valley-based Cornerstone Community Church, said Melissa Giller, director of communication for the foundation. The purchase is meant to preserve the view from the Air Force One Pavilion. Giller said the land is in direct view of the glass walled pavilion, which houses a retired Air Force One 707 Boeing C-137C on loan from the Air Force. “It’s always been our hope since building the Air Force One Pavilion that we’d be able to maintain the pristine view.” Giller said. “We think it’d be a shame to look outside that beautiful glass window and see a building structure. When the land came up for sale we believed that we needed to buy it to preserve that view.” The foundation currently owns 163 acres. The Tierra Rejada Road purchase would increase that to just over 300 acres, according to Giller. The foundation will mount a fundraising campaign to help pay for the purchase, Giller said. She said Diane Hendricks, a private donor, has committed to helping raise $1.75 million toward the land purchase and the building of a life-size statue of the late President Ronald Reagan that will be erected on the property. One-third of the $1.75 million will go toward the statue and the rest will go toward the land purchase, Giller said. The deal was brokered by Gary Seaton, Vice President of NAI Capital, Simi Valley. The sale is expected to close sometime in July, he said. Seaton declined to disclose the sales price as the deal is currently in escrow. However, the property had been on market for several years with a recent asking price of $7.25 million. “We’d been talking to the library on and off for the last couple of years,” Seaton said. “This is not only exciting but beneficial for the community, for the library to be able to expand its boundary.” Angela Allen
