Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
By Brian Whitehead | [email protected] | San Bernardino Sun
Published: September 20, 2018 at 4:30 pm | Updated: September 20, 2018 at 4:30 pm
San Bernardino approved an agreement with Los Angeles-based ICO Real Estate Group on Wednesday, Sept. 19, for the purchase and development of 6.56 acres just east of the 215 Freeway.
By Brian Whitehead | [email protected] | San Bernardino Sun
Published: June 28, 2018 at 4:23 pm | Updated: June 28, 2018 at 10:52 pm
San Bernardino received $20 million from the state’s Strategic Growth Council on Thursday, June 28, for the development of affordable housing and market-rate units at Arrowhead Grove, a complex replacing the troubled Waterman Gardens.
By Alicia Robinson / Staff Writer
Published: Sept. 23, 2016
Updated: Sept. 26, 2016 - 7:53 a.m.
Downtown Riverside’s sparse silhouette has been dominated by a few boxy, nondescript towers, two domes and Mount Rubidoux.
By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts
Posted: 08/14/16 - 2:13 PM PDT |
REDLANDS >> A lot is happening in downtown Redlands.
Several long-anticipated development projects are getting underway, all of them set to bring in more business and activity to the city’s historic core.
Published: Feb. 11, 2016 - Updated: 10:20 p.m.
The developer of the World Logistics Center in Moreno Valley spent more than $800,000 in the last few months of 2015 to promote the mega-warehouse.
To read article by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 02/07/16 - 4:20 PM PST |
RIALTO >> One of the larger redevelopment projects in the Inland Empire is currently taking shape in and around the former Rialto Airport, with developers in discussions with potential tenants and city officials eager to usher in new housing, job and revenue opportunities.
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Staff Writer
Posted Jan. 24, 2016 at 1:05 PM
HESPERIA — After a year of discussion and debate by the public, the City Council is finally expected to vote on the proposed Tapestry project on Tuesday at City Hall.
Published: Dec. 20, 2015
Updated: Dec. 21, 2015 - 6:53 a.m.
The state’s Department of Finance is forcing Murrieta to pay $4.8 million to Riverside County to settle a dispute about loans the city made to its former redevelopment agency in the mid-2000s.
To read article by Aaron Claverie in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: Dec. 7, 2015 - Updated: 11:41 p.m.
A group of Moreno Valley residents have launched a petition drive with the goal of overturning three city-adopted initiatives aimed at protecting the World Logistics Center from environmental challenges.
To read article by Michael J. Williams in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 11/03/15 - 12:38 AM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> A plan to dramatically redevelop the 42.6 acres downtown where Carousel Mall has sat since 1973 took a big step forward Monday when the City Council unanimously entered an exclusive negotiation agreement with two companies to develop the mall and adjacent Theater Square area.
By Inland Empire Business Daily
September 26, 2015
September 21st’s San Bernardino City Council meeting was illustrative of the continuing divide developing at city hall.
Saturday, September 26, 2015 - 10:00 a.m.
One would think exiting San Bernardino, California’s record-long municipal bankruptcy proceedings would be the priority for the beleaguered city’s elected officials.
By Dan Walters
[email protected]
September 24, 2015
Redevelopment is dead. Long live redevelopment.
Capitol Alert
By David Siders
[email protected]
September 22, 2015
Four years after approving legislation that ended the anti-blight redevelopment program in California, Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a bill giving local agencies a way to pay for similar projects.
Updated: Sept. 16, 2015 - 7:28 a.m.
Riverside County supervisors have voted to sue Moreno Valley over the World Logistics Center, saying plans for the massive warehouse complex don’t adequately address traffic concerns.
To read article by Jeff Horseman in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Maura Dolan
June 15, 2015
Citing an affordable housing crisis of “epic proportions,” the California Supreme Court made it easier Monday for cities and counties to require developers to sell some housing at below-market rates.
Published: June 10, 2015 - Updated: 10:53 p.m.
As the World Logistics Center faces its first public hearing in Moreno Valley on Thursday, June 11, two county transportation agencies became the latest to say the mega warehouse proposal’s environmental analysis is flawed.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: June 9, 2015
Updated: June 10, 2015 2:58 p.m.
A pair of warehouse construction projects is transforming the view of Redlands from Interstate 10.
Construction of the Redlands Commerce Center, a 1.1-million-square-foot industrial development to serve the warehousing and logistics industry, has begun on a 51-acre swath of land between the westbound lanes of the freeway and Lugonia Avenue.
To read story by Debra Gruszecki in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: June 9, 2015
Updated: June 10, 2015 - 8:02 a.m.
State air quality officials say that Moreno Valley’s environmental analysis of a proposed warehousing complex with enough indoor space for 700 football fields is “legally inadequate” and needs major revisions. The developer countered Tuesday that the report “meets all the requirements” of the state’s environmental quality law.
To read story by David Danelski in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: May 22, 2015
Updated: May 25, 2015 11:11 p.m.
The developer of the massive World Logistics Center is negotiating with Moreno Valley officials over how much the city could contribute to pay for streets and other improvements needed to support the project.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 05/20/15 - 6:45 PM PDT |
REDLANDS >> In the same vein as Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga and other mixed-use developments across Southern California, a 340-unit gated apartment complex, with a retail component, has been approved for development in an unincorporated area of this city.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 05/05/15, 3:16 PM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> Four developers are finalists to build on the 43-acre property occupied by Carousel Mall, and most likely, the mall will be demolished to make way for new development, a city official said during a broker roundtable Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 - 10:30 a.m.
The bankrupt city of San Bernardino has placed the dormant Carousel Mall up for sale.
November 15, 2014
The City of San Bernardino has a long history of rejecting private investment opportunities within her boundaries. Opposition to private development both large and small have ranged from objections to minor land use changes to the adoption of strict foothill development codes to rejection of the reuse of existing railroad right of ways for an intermodal facility at former Norton Air Force Base.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 09/25/14, 4:58 PM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> The first phase of revitalizing the affordable housing at Waterman Gardens is clear to begin after it received $12 million in state tax credits Thursday.
By Dan Walters
[email protected]
Published: Tuesday, Sep. 16, 2014 - 10:53 pm
The Legislature was in full sausage-factory mode during the last days of the biennial session that ended on Aug. 30, spewing hundreds of bills onto Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.
By Leslie Parrilla, San Bernardino Sun
Posted: 09/14/14, 8:47 PM PDT |
It’s nearly guaranteed this time, after more than 10 years in the works, the shuttering of the Rialto Municipal Airport, as officials send notice to the Federal Aviation Administration of a final shut down next week.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 06/16/14, 10:34 PM PDT | Updated: 1 min ago
SAN BERNARDINO >> The nonprofit group behind the Waterman Gardens Affordable Housing Project will build 75 affordable units at Ninth Street and Valencia Avenue, replacing that number of low-income apartments at Waterman Gardens with ones sold at market rate.
The switch follows a 6-1 vote at Monday’s City Council meeting, with Councilman John Valdivia opposing the plan.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - 03:00 p.m.
We’ll preface this by saying it’s just a rumor. A pretty interesting rumor for that matter.
June 07, 2014 7:38 PM
BROOKE SELF, STAFF WRITERB
ADELANTO • One of two high-profile developers who wants to bring a 3,280-bed jail to Adelanto that would house an overflow population of Los Angeles County inmates defended his past dealings in the Victor Valley this week and said the new facility would bring a much-needed boost to the local economy.
By Leslie Parrilla, San Bernardino Sun
Posted: 05/06/14, 5:59 PM PDT |
RIALTO >> As the closure of the Rialto airport nears reality next month, plans for the major residential and industrial project to replace it are being retooled, possibly to build fewer homes and more retail, while making way for large corporations in search of big lots to build campus-like settings.
By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts
Posted: 04/20/14, 8:14 PM PDT |
REDLANDS>> A City of Industry-based developer has broken ground on its second shopping center here, more than 10 years after its first center, Citrus Plaza, began to open — bringing resolution to years of legal battles and contention over the development.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 04/14/14, 9:21 PM PDT |
RIALTO >> Redevelopment of Rialto Airport land, which began a decade ago and slowed down considerably during the recession, is just about ready for take off.
Just ask developer Randall Lewis.
March 26, 2014; 09:30 PM
SACRAMENTO — A proposed ballot measure is seeking to revive California’s redevelopment agencies, and supporters have received some financial help from several cities, including $50,000 from Ontario and $25,000 from Anaheim.
To read story by Laura Olson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
March 17, 2014; 03:26 PM
Riverside County supervisors must decide whether to appeal a judge’s ruling that blocks the use of millions of tax dollars for certain projects authorized by the county’s now-dissolved redevelopment agency, including a plan to revitalize a rundown Jurupa Valley shopping center.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By JOHN HOWARD
CAPITOL WEEKLY
March 2, 2014, 3:54 PM
Two years after Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature dismantled California’s $5 billion-a-year redevelopment program, Brown wants to bring some elements back, but he’s offering less money, a different name and a change in local voters’ approval.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 02/19/14, 11:07 AM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> Before the unanimous vote to expand the affordable housing at Waterman Gardens, one of its key backers on Tuesday addressed earlier sharp criticism of the proposal and particularly of the often-repeated concern that it would bring increased socioeconomic problems.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Ryan Hagen, San Bernardino Sun
Posted: 02/17/14, 9:06 PM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> After two years of organizational restructuring following a federal criminal investigation, San Bernardino International Airport will see a spate of new development in the next year, including dozens of new hangars and construction of the Sheriff’s Department’s new aviation division.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 02/17/14, 8:31 AM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> A substantial expansion of affordable housing and other developments at Waterman Gardens could be approved Tuesday, setting off what developers hope will be a renaissance turning around the lives of impoverished residents and what detractors fear could be an influx of jobless residents in poorly maintained units.
February 10, 2014; 06:50 PM
A judge in Sacramento has denied Moreno Valley’s attempt to derail plans for a medical complex near March Air Reserve Base.
To read story by David Danelski in The Press Enterprise, click here.
January 28, 2014; 04:19 PM
A judge is expected to issue a decision Friday on a Moreno Valley lawsuit that could short-circuit plans for a medical complex on former March Air Force Base property.
To read story by David Danelski in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Jim Miller
[email protected]
Published: Monday, Jan. 20, 2014 - 8:22 pm
The unwinding of California’s former anti-blight program has become a grinding courtroom fight involving more than 100 active lawsuits, with the state in recent weeks suffering legal setbacks that ultimately could cost it billions.
January 15, 2014; 05:13 PM
Moreno Valley Mayor Tom Owings’ proposal to disband the March Joint Powers Authority sparked debate Wednesday, Jan. 15, but found little support from other agency board members.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Dan Walters
[email protected]
Published: Monday, Jan. 13, 2014 - 12:00 am
Two years ago, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislators eliminated redevelopment, the decades-old program by which cities repackaged land and generated financing for projects to eradicate urban blight.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 12/12/13, 8:25 PM PST |
SAN BERNARDINO >> The troubled public housing at Waterman Gardens could be converted to private ownership and substantially expanded in a project being watched as a possible national model after the Planning Commission gave its stamp of approval on Wednesday night.
September 24, 2013; 05:51 PM
Six months after the state controller’s office accused San Bernardino of failing to properly transfer $108.4 million in former redevelopment agency assets, the city has complied with the order and returned them to its successor agency.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
August 23, 2013; 05:55 PM
SACRAMENTO — Signaling a toughening line on local governments that refuse to transfer former redevelopment assets, the Brown administration this week moved to grab $21.7 million in sales-tax money from Ontario.
To read story by Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
August 22, 2013; 07:19 PM
A federal bankruptcy judge denied a request on Thursday, Aug. 22, by San Bernardino officials to block state efforts to collect $15.2 million in disputed redevelopment funds from the city.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Jim Steinberg, San Bernardino Sun
Posted: 08/20/13, 2:25 PM PDT | Updated: 6 hrs ago
RIALTO >> The city’s code enforcement department has given an Orange County developer until the end of the month to remove weeds and dead trees from the former El Rancho Verde Golf Course,
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
Redevelopment
By Patrick McGreevy
August 15, 2013, 8:19 a.m.
Denounced by one property owner as a “communist land grab,” a bill is advancing in the California Legislature that would allow local governments to spend tax money to seize land from residents and provide it at a discount to private developers.
August 06, 2013; 05:25 PM
San Bernardino city officials expect a federal bankruptcy judge to settle a dispute with the state over the city’s handling of former redevelopment funds and properties, San Bernardino City Attorney Jim Penman said Monday, Aug. 5.
To read story by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Posted: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 2:08 pm | Updated: 6:56 am, Wed Aug 7, 2013.
By NORBERTO SANTANA JR.
Just as Sacramento leaders return for the end of this year’s legislative session, Orange County leaders are sending an important message:
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
July 18, 2013
The erasure of California’s local redevelopment agencies and the redistribution of their revenues and assets resulted in nearly $4 billion in payments, according to a new report from the state Department of Finance.
By Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
[email protected] l @sbcitynow on Twitter
Posted: 07/18/2013 02:24:08 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — Residents and members of the city’s Planning Commission deliberated on a controversial proposed expansion of the Waterman Gardens housing project for three hours Wednesday night before the panel voted unanimously to delay a decision until Aug. 21.
July 12, 2013; 02:00 PM
As redevelopment winds down, Riverside County has laid off 36 employees whose duties were connected to the now-abolished program.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
July 09, 2013; 06:33 PM
Riverside should be fully repaid for $18.5 million in loans it made to the city’s former redevelopment agency, according to a court ruling on the city’s suit against the state Department of Finance.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
June 07, 2013; 07:18 PM
In 2008, Victoria Baca, then a school board member, expressed dismay that Moreno Valley was considering zoning changes to allow warehouse development in the city’s mostly rural eastside.
To read story by David Danelski in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 29, 2013 7:19 PM
Jim E. Winburn, Staff Writer
VICTORVILLE • City Council members denied allegations that they hid information about property interests with the Victorville 2 Power Plant project at Southern California Logistics Airport.
Jim Steinberg, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/26/2013 05:34:32 PM PDT
FONTANA — The Fontana Unified School District and two other school systems have sued the city alleging that its now defunct redevelopment agency owes them millions of dollars.
May 16, 2013; 12:41 PM
SACRAMENTO — A new state audit identifies $94.6 million worth of former Riverside redevelopment assets that it says have not been properly transferred to the agency in charge of settling the debts of the former program.
To read story by Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
May 10, 2013; 04:19 PM
A critical billboard targeting five San Bernardino city officials that had already generated controversy over its message has now led to accusations of censorship and political pressure.
To read column by Imran Ghori and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Nicole Santa Cruz
May 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m.
Orange County may owe the state as much as $150 million after a judge tentatively ruled this week that it must pay back funds originally meant for local schools and community colleges.
April 22, 2013; 03:43 PM
Riverside County is taking the state of California to court over roughly $40 million in funds the county believes it needs to pay off debts of its now-defunct redevelopment agency.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By JUDY LIN, Associated Press
Updated 10:12 am, Saturday, April 20, 2013
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A second round of bureaucratic bickering has begun over the dismantling of California’s community redevelopment agencies.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/31/2013 07:21:07 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — The city might take months to comply with the state’s order to transfer $108 million worth of property from a city-controlled nonprofit as city officials investigate potential pitfalls of the move - while unpaid taxes, interest and penalties keep adding to the millions the city already owes.
Neil Nisperos, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/31/2013 09:09:17 PM PDT
Updated: 03/31/2013 09:15:56 PM PDT
RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Rancho Cucamonga is waiting for approval from the California Department of Finance to use $31 million in bonds to begin construction on improvements to the Base Line Road and 15 Freeway interchange.
Thursday, March 28, 2013 - 10:30 a.m.
I was stunned to read an online opinion editorial by County Supervisor James Ramos on Wednesday.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - 10:00 a.m.
It’s unbelievable!
Mayor Patrick Morris, the mayor of bankrupt San Bernardino, is still telling newspapers that San Bernardino International Airport (SBIA) will get a scheduled passenger airline.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - 10:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 - 09:15 a.m.
Is San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos finally behind the eight ball?
Could a chain of events finally be in-play that has many local politicos, movers and shakers, and campaign contributors cringing?
Andrew Edwards, Ryan Hagen and Joe Nelson, Staff Witers
Posted: 03/25/2013 08:59:57 AM PDT
Bios: Scot Spencer | Felice Luciano
Photo Gallery: D.A. files charges against Scot Spencer
View: Criminal complaint | Statement from 5th District Supervisor Josie Gonzales | 2010-11 Grand Jury report
Timeline: SBIA and Scot Spencer
Related stories: Grand Jury questions management practices at SBIA
Scot Spencer, the former airline executive and convicted felon who was nonetheless entrusted with leading the development of San Bernardino International Airport, faces five years in prison after being charged with an alleged associate with conspiring to steal more than $1 million in public funds.
March 25, 2013; 09:25 AM
A long-running investigation into business dealings at the San Bernardino International Airport Authority resulted in criminal charges and the arrest of former airport developer Scot Spencer, District Attorney Michael Ramos announced Monday, March 25.
To read story by Iman Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
March 20, 2013; 05:21 PM
The man whose vision reshaped downtown San Bernardino with a new mall and City Hall in the late 1960s and early ’70s has died.
Warner Hodgdon, who headed the city’s redevelopment agency from 1967 to 1975, died Wednesday, March 20, after several weeks of declining health, his family said. He was 80.
To read story by Cassie MacDuff in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 09:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 - 05:00 p.m.
An extremely talented businessman, and dear friend, Warner Hodgdon passed away early Monday morning at Reche Canyon Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Colton.
He was 80.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/18/2013 09:15:27 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO - The city’s plan to preserve properties from its defunct Economic Development Agency may have it on the hook for $2.9 million, according to a memo from City Attorney James F. Penman.
Posted on | March 17, 2013 |
San Bernardino City Attorney Jim Penman’s deadline for state officials to promise not to collect $15.2 million in former redevelopment funds appears to have elapsed with no response.
To read post by Imran Ghori in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/14/2013 09:31:50 PM PDT
SAN BERNARDINO — The City Council on Thursday delayed deciding whether to accept $108 million in assets from a city “”controlled nonprofit that had been used to shield the properties from the state’s requirement that cities sell off properties under their control.
Ryan Hagen
Posted: 03/13/2013 09:34:08 PM PDT
The city-controlled corporation used to hold $108 million in assets that officials wanted to continue controlling when Gov. Jerry Brown disbanded the state’s redevelopment agency voted Wednesday to give up those assets, as the state controller’s office demanded last week.
March 11, 2013; 09:19 PM
The state Department of Finance is warning that it could dock some of San Bernardino’s future tax proceeds if the city does not hand over $15.2 million in former redevelopment funds — a dispute that could cause the city to become the first in California to face costly post-redevelopment penalties.
To read story by Imran Ghori and Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/08/2013 04:39:11 PM PST
Related stories: San Bernardino landmarks face uncertain future under redevelopment shuffle | State says San Bernardino mishandled over $500M | State controller: San Bernardino’s transfer of funds not valid
View: City Attorney Jim Penman’s letter | San Bernardino EDA asset transfer review report
Special section: San Bernardino
Josh Dulaney, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/07/2013 04:41:59 PM PST
SAN BERNARDINO — The future of several landmark properties seen as the key to economic development downtown remains in question after state Controller John Chiang rejected the city’s effort to move $108million from its shuttered Redevelopment Agency to the nonprofit San Bernardino Economic Development Corp.
By Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/06/2013 11:13:27 AM PST
PDF: San Bernardino EDA asset transfer review report
Special section: San Bernardino
State Controller John Chiang on Wednesday rejected San Bernardino’s last-ditch gambit to transfer $108million from its defunct Redevelopment Agency to a group composed largely of city officials to avoid losing the money when the state abolished redevelopment agencies.
March 01, 2013; 06:33 PM
After months of limbo over $32.1 million in former redevelopment debt, Riverside officials have sued to try to resolve their dispute with the state.
To read story by Alicia Robinson in The Press Enterprise, click here.
BY JIM MILLER
SACRAMENTO BUREAU
February 11, 2013; 07:47 AM
SACRAMENTO – A year after the shutdown of redevelopment in California, the process of dissolving the decades-old program has moved from the Capitol to the courthouse as state and local officials haggle over the former anti-blight agencies’ money.
To read entire by Jim Miller in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Staff Reports
Posted: 01/08/2013 08:00:41 PM PST
San Bernardino County will sue the state Department of Finance in an effort to recover nearly $15 million it loaned to redevelopment agencies in Lake Arrowhead and Fontana, county spokesman David Wert said Tuesday.
December 27th, 2012, 12:15 pm
Posted by Andrew Galvin
The County of Orange has persuaded the state’s Department of Finance to lower its demand for unused housing funds from the county’s former redevelopment agency, reducing by $29.6 million the amount the county must pay.