Manhattan Beach offers its Christmas float to Downey

Manhattan Beach's Christmas float. Photo courtesy city of Downey

DOWNEY – The city of Downey is considering taking possession of a Christmas float no longer used by the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. 

The float measures 8 ½-ft. wide by 23-ft. long and 10-ft. tall. 

“Because the float has not been in use by the community in recent years, the Manhattan Beach Chamber and City of Manhattan Beach have offered the float to the Downey community,” Downey councilmember Blanca Pacheco wrote in a report to her council colleagues.

If the City Council approves the acquisition, Downey would pay a ceremonial $1 to Manhattan Beach, plus fees for transfer documents and licensing. 

It’s unclear where the float would be housed. The Downey Rose Float Association assembles its float on county-owned property on the south Rancho Los Amigos campus. 

Downey also has in its possession the space shuttle Inspiration, a 122-ft. long full-scale space shuttle mock-up built by North American Rockwell. The shuttle was disassembled in 2014 and placed in a city maintenance yard.