Increased density, commercial development build the Empire

The Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (ACRE) Inland Empire showcase was held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Pomona, Calif. last month with several Inland Empire cities participating including: the Town of Apple Valley, the cities of Fontana, Hesperia, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Menifee, Ontario, Moreno Valley, Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Eastvale.  A few key takeaways were that we will see increased density, with residential being the driving force for retail and office space, and several cities are planning downtown redevelopment and revitalization projects with more stringent architectural requirements. Some towns will consider using properties they own to help facilitate increased density in downtown areas and will encourage development near public transportation hubs.

A great case study project for cities wrestling with the need for increased tax revenues and housing density required by the California housing crisis is the Colonies Crossroads Shopping Center and the surrounding community in Upland, which Diversified Pacific built under the leadership of founder Jeff Burum. In the 1990’s Burum surmised that the eventual completion of the 210 Freeway adjacent to the property would provide a constant traffic flow by the site. The demographics were strong and getting stronger yearly in the surrounding communities of Upland, Claremont, and Rancho Cucamonga.