San Bernardino California - Urban Land - AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT - Future San Bernardino 2050
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A N A D V I S O RY S E R V I C E S PA N E L R E P O RT
San Bernardino
California
Urban Land
$ Institute
San Bernardino California Crossroads of the Southwest June 24–29, 2007 An Advisory Services Panel Report ULI–the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 West Washington, D.C. 20007-5201
About ULI–the Urban Land Institute
T
he mission of the Urban Land Institute is to • Sustaining a diverse global network of local
provide leadership in the responsible use of practice and advisory efforts that address cur-
land and in creating and sustaining thriving rent and future challenges.
communities worldwide. ULI is committed to
Established in 1936, the Institute today has more
• Bringing together leaders from across the fields than 38,000 members from 90 countries, represent-
of real estate and land use policy to exchange ing the entire spectrum of the land use and develop-
best practices and serve community needs; ment disciplines. Professionals represented include
developers, builders, property owners, investors,
• Fostering collaboration within and beyond architects, public officials, planners, real estate
ULI’s membership through mentoring, dia- brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engineers, financiers,
logue, and problem solving; academics, students, and librarians. ULI relies
• Exploring issues of urbanization, conservation, heavily on the experience of its members. It is
regeneration, land use, capital formation, and through member involvement and information
sustainable development; resources that ULI has been able to set standards
of excellence in development practice. The Insti-
• Advancing land use policies and design prac- tute has long been recognized as one of the world’s
tices that respect the uniqueness of both built most respected and widely quoted sources of ob-
and natural environments; jective information on urban planning, growth,
and development.
• Sharing knowledge through education, applied
research, publishing, and electronic media; and
©2007 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.
Suite 500 West
Washington, D.C. 20007-5201
All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any
part of the contents without written permission of the copy-
right holder is prohibited.
Cover photo courtesy of San Bernardino Economic Develop-
ment Agency.
2 An Advisory Services Panel Report
About ULI Advisory Services
T
he goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Program pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are
is to bring the finest expertise in the real able to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’s
estate field to bear on complex land use plan- issues and to provide recommendations in a com-
ning and development projects, programs, pressed amount of time.
and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem-
bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to help A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique
sponsors find creative, practical solutions for ability to draw on the knowledge and expertise of
issues such as downtown redevelopment, land its members, including land developers and own-
management strategies, evaluation of develop- ers, public officials, academics, representatives of
ment potential, growth management, community financial institutions, and others. In fulfillment of
revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, mili- the mission of the Urban Land Institute, this
tary base reuse, provision of low-cost and afford- Advisory Services panel report is intended to
able housing, and asset management strategies, provide objective advice that will promote the re-
among other matters. A wide variety of public, sponsible use of land to enhance the environment.
private, and nonprofit organizations have con-
tracted for ULI’s Advisory Services. ULI Program Staff
Each panel team is composed of highly qualified Marta V. Goldsmith
Senior Vice President, Community
professionals who volunteer their time to ULI.
They are chosen for their knowledge of the panel Thomas W. Eitler
topic and screened to ensure their objectivity. Director, Advisory Services
ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a Cary Sheih
holistic look at development problems. A re- Senior Associate, Advisory Services
spected ULI member who has previous panel
Matthew Rader
experience chairs each panel. Senior Associate, Advisory Services
The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in- Carmen McCormick
tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com- Panel Coordinator, Advisory Services
posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon- Romana Kerns
sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviews Administrative Assistant, Advisory Services
of typically 50 to 75 key community representa-
Nancy H. Stewart
tives; and two days of formulating recommenda- Director, Book Program
tions. Many long nights of discussion precede the
panel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, the Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC
panel makes an oral presentation of its findings Manuscript Editor
and conclusions to the sponsor. A written report is Betsy VanBuskirk
prepared and published. Art Director
Because the sponsoring entities are responsible Martha Loomis
Desktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics
for significant preparation before the panel’s visit,
including sending extensive briefing materials to Kim Rusch
each member and arranging for the panel to meet Graphics
with key local community members and stake- Craig Chapman
holders in the project under consideration, partici- Director, Publishing Operations
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 3
Acknowledgments
O
n behalf of the Urban Land Institute, the of Supervisors for their dedication to revitalizing
panel extends its thanks to the city and downtown San Bernardino. The panel is grateful
county of San Bernardino for convening a to June Durr, Don Gee, Emil Marzullo, Jim Morris,
panel to recommend strategies for revital- Maggie Pacheco, and Colin Strange for their hard
izing downtown San Bernardino. The panel would work in preparing for the panel. Finally, the panel
also like to express its appreciation to the City would like to thank the many community mem-
Council, the Board of Supervisors, and the San bers who shared their expertise during the inter-
Bernardino Economic Development Agency. view process.
The panel sends special thanks to Mayor Patrick
J. Morris and Chairman Paul Biane of the Board
4 An Advisory Services Panel ReportContents ULI Panel and Project Staff 6 Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment 7 Market Analysis 11 Planning and Urban Design 17 Development Strategies 20 Implementation 30 Conclusion 36 About the Panel 37 San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 5
ULI Panel and Project Staff
Panel Chair Sue Southon
Principal
William H. Hudnut III Strategic Planning Services
Senior Resident Fellow/Joseph C. Canizaro Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Chair for Public Policy
ULI–the Urban Land Institute Nathan Watson
Washington, D.C. President
Watson Developments
New Orleans, Louisiana
Panel Members
Agnes Artemel
ULI Project Director
President
Artemel & Associates, Inc. Michael Pawlukiewicz
Alexandria, Virginia Senior Research Director, Asia
Daniel Brents
Houston, Texas ULI On-Site Coordinator
Carmen McCormick
Christine M. Burdick
Panel Coordinator
President
Tampa Downtown Partnership
Tampa, Florida
Richard F. Galehouse
Principal
Sasaki Associates, Inc.
Watertown, Massachusetts
Richard T. Reinhard
Deputy Executive Director
Downtown DC BID
Washington, D.C.
John Shumway
Principal
The Concord Group
Newport Beach, California
6 An Advisory Services Panel ReportForeword: The Panel’s Assignment
Location map.
T
he city of San Bernardino is located in the ORE GON I DAHO
San Bernardino Valley, about 65 miles east
of the city of Los Angeles. The valley is at
the base of the San Bernardino Mountains
in Southern California. The city of San Bernardino C A L IF O R NIA
and San Bernardino County are part of the “Inland
N E VADA
Empire,” which is a geographic area generally U
defined as the area inland from Los Angeles and Sacramento
Orange counties and encompassing all of River-
San Francisco
side and San Bernardino counties. The Inland San Jose
Empire is a fast-growing, major economic force Fresno
within Southern California and the nation with a
current population of more than 4 million and fore-
casted population growth of an additional 2 million Bakersfield
by 2020.
Los Angeles San Bernardino
Once a thriving central business district (CBD)
P
A
C
Long Beach Irvine
IF
and center of government activity for the region,
IC
A
O
surrounded by middle-class residential neighbor-
C
E
A
San Diego
N
hoods, San Bernardino’s downtown has declined ME XI CO
over the past 20 years. The downtown area is still
a major employment center but has declined in naming it Fort San Bernardino. The community
vitality because of the prevalence of marginal or thrived, and in 1854 the city of San Bernardino
failed businesses, commercial vacancies, decen- was officially incorporated. The population at the
tralized government offices, and predominantly time was 1,200, 900 of whom were Mormons. In
substandard housing stock. Although unsubstan- 1857, Brigham Young recalled his Mormons to
tiated by crime statistics, the general public per- Salt Lake City, but in the six short years that the
ception is that downtown San Bernardino is un- Mormons had been in San Bernardino, they estab-
safe because of empty streets, vacant storefronts, lished schools, stores, and a plan for the city’s
and blighted conditions. streets that is still reflected in San Bernardino’s
street grid.
History of San Bernardino
In the latter part of the 19th century, the Santa
When Spanish missionaries first settled in the Fe, the Union Pacific, and the Southern Pacific
region, they chose the fertile valley at the foot railroads all converged on the city, making it the
of a mountain range as an outpost for their travels
hub of their Southern California operations. When
throughout the California territory preaching to
the Santa Fe Railway established a transconti-
the various Indian tribes. In 1819, the mission-
nental link in 1886, the already prosperous valley
aries established Rancho San Bernardino.
exploded. Settlers flocked from the East, and the
In 1851, a company of about 500 Mormons arrived population doubled—from 6,150 in 1900 to 12,779
in the valley. The Mormons purchased 35,000 acres in 1910, the year that the San Bernardino Cham-
of Rancho San Bernardino and built a stockade, ber of Commerce was first organized.
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 7K
15
KERN
14
SAN BERNARDINO
Regional map. 58
58
14
138
Lancaster 40
247
V
Palmdale
18
138
L OS ANGE L E S
Santa Clarita 15 247
Valley
O
Glendale 215
Pasadena 30 San Bernardino
T 62
Los Angeles
Inglewood Riverside 62
15
10 RIVERSIDE
Anaheim
Torrance Corona
55
5
Long Beach Santa Ana
405
Irvine
Huntington Beach ORANGE 74
Costa Mesa
1 371
In its heyday, from the 1920s to the 1980s, the cen- State Route 210 serve the transportation needs of
tral business district included major shopping op- the city and the region.
portunities; service businesses, such as barbers
The downtown core thrived until the 1980s and
and salons; banks and insurance companies; car7
has since been in decline. The events that precipi-
dealerships; restaurants; public and private schools;
tated the downtown decline are complex and in
and, most prominently, government offices. As the
some cases regional in nature. They include the
seat of San Bernardino County government, the closing of Norton Air Force Base (AFB), with
downtown area was home to city, county, state, and the loss of 10,000 jobs over a five-year period; the
federal government offices and service centers. construction of Interstate 15 from Ontario to the
Cajon Pass, which directed Los Angeles traffic
Rich water resources and a strategic location at
away from San Bernardino to Ontario; the loss
the crossroads of two of the three major railways
of the Kaiser Steel plant in Fontana, which cost
into Southern California made the city of San
the manufacturing jobs of several thousand of
Bernardino the economic hub of the Inland Em-
San Bernardino Valley residents; the relocation
pire. The railroads all had facilities within or close of a major maintenance facility for the Atchison,
to the downtown core. Rail lines crossed many Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from San Bernar-
areas of downtown from the San Bernardino depot dino to the Midwest, with a loss of about 2,000 jobs;
area on their course to industrial or agricultural and the development of the Hospitality Lane area
sites in the east San Bernardino Valley, the Los south of downtown and adjacent to Interstate 10,
Angeles basin to the west, or areas farther north which drew shoppers and businesses out of down-
and east. town San Bernardino. Finally, the real estate re-
cession of the 1990s resulted in substantial deval-
U.S. Route 66, extending from Chicago to Los An-
uation of property.
geles, runs through San Bernardino. This famous
“mother road” was the major transport route for
logistics and regional migration into California for The Study Area
almost 40 years. Today, Route 66 is mostly a rem- The Downtown District Focus Area defined for
nant of the past, and Interstates 10 and 15 with this study is bounded by Interstate 215 (I-215) to
8 An Advisory Services Panel ReportBaseline Street
Study area.
9th Street
EE DD UU CC AA TT II OO NN
215 PP AA RR KK
7th Street
Arrowhead Avenue
SS EE CC CC OO MM BB EE
Sierra Way
LL AA KK EE
H Street
G Street
D Street
E Street
5th Street 5th Street
CC OO UU NN TT YY
CC OO MM PP LL EE XX
Court Street
To Santa Fe Depot CC AA RR OO UU SS EE LL
MM AA LL LL 3rd Street
2nd Street 2nd Street
Rialto Avenue
Waterman Avenue
BB AA LL LL
PP AA RR KK
Mill Street
Key:
Downtown Central Business District
the west, Waterman Avenue to the east, Baseline of-way of the proposed light rail extension to Red-
Street to the north, and Mill Street to the south. lands (see study area map).
Within that downtown focus area, the central
business district is historically defined as bounded The Panel’s Assignment
by I-215 in the west, Sierra Way in the east, 5th The panel was asked to recommend strategies,
Street to the north, and Rialto Avenue to the policies, and actions for the city and the county to
south. For the purpose of this study, the CBD ex- pursue with respect to land use, transportation,
tends to just south of Rialto Avenue, to the right- lifestyle, urban design, commerce, and govern-
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 9ment that will bring vitality and economic well- • Extend the linear park system to embrace
being back to San Bernardino’s central business close-in neighborhoods. Include safe pedestrian
district. In addition, the panel was asked to pre- ways and bike trails to facilitate access to down-
scribe clear proposals for implementing its recom- town.
mendations.
• Continue revitalization of the surrounding near-
downtown residential neighborhoods with code
Summary of Recommendations enforcement, infill housing, and streetscape im-
The following briefly summarizes the recommen- provements.
dations that the body of the report describes in
• Relocate the proposed site of the Arrowhead
more detail:
Credit Union corporate headquarters closer to
• Engage the citizens of San Bernardino in the downtown, adjacent to the north side of the
process of envisioning and developing the fu- Arrowhead Credit Union Park.
ture of the downtown.
• Locate only a bus stop at the intermodal bus
• Take steps to clean and maintain the downtown transfer center site and not the bus transfer
area and enhance the aesthetics of the streets station.
with plantings and other amenities.
• Designate an arts and entertainment district
• Increase police patrolling to reverse the percep- that encompasses the existing theaters and his-
tion of insecurity and danger. toric buildings on E Street and buildings along
Court and 4th streets.
• Attract people to the downtown through special
events and other sorts of regular and frequent • Redevelop the area to the north of the study
programming. area, bounded by 6th and 9th streets and G and
D streets, to create an Education Park.
• Establish a Business Improvement District
(BID) to take on the long-term management of • Partner with private sector business leaders
the downtown environment. and developers so the city and county become
known as a development-friendly community.
• Develop the San Bernardino County Govern-
ment Center as a campus on the existing 36- • Hire a chief development officer (champion), ei-
acre site between North Arrowhead Avenue ther on staff or as a consultant, whose job is to
and North Sierra Way. ensure that downtown development projects
stay on track and on time.
• Clear the site of the existing Carousel Mall, and
restore the city’s historic street grid through • Adopt and enforce design standards and guide-
the site. lines to ensure an appealing downtown
environment.
• Redevelop the site of the Carousel Mall as a
contemporary mixed-use urban village with • Invest public funds in the revitalization process.
supporting retail, office, and residential uses.
• Celebrate the waters of the city of San
Bernardino by creating a linear park and
stream system that restores existing natural
streams previously diverted to underground
pipes or culverts. Extend canals and fountains
beyond the natural systems to provide cool
“green pedestrian streets” for residents to walk
or bike downtown.
10 An Advisory Services Panel ReportMarket Analysis
T
he city of San Bernardino serves as a county and logistics activities. It connects California’s
seat and governmental center for San Ber- coastal ports with cities such as Albuquerque,
nardino County. The city’s excellent freeway New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; and Chicago,
system, rail terminals, and abundance of Illinois. The city hosts the Burlington Northern
groundwater were instrumental in its once being Santa Fe Railroad’s intermodal yard, the Yellow
a thriving business center for the Inland Empire Freight Systems’ cross-docking trucking center,
region of Southern California. Historically, the and Pacific Motor Trucking. Large warehousing
city has numerous associations with Hollywood operations are under development next to the San
movie stars as well as with the westward expan- Bernardino International Airport, including those
sion of the United States. The city has suffered in for Stater Bros. grocery stores, Mattel, Medline,
recent years, however, as it lost jobs and housing Pep Boys, and Kohl’s. The city’s Hospitality Lane
stock and as the downtown deteriorated. district is home to new Class A office space, big-
box retailers, restaurants, and hotels. The city’s
The regional economy is strong and growing, and
location at the junction of the I-10 and I-215 free-
San Bernardino is well positioned to capture a share
ways positions it at a key focal point of the Inland
of that growth. Unfortunately, downtown has not
Empire region.
been successful, despite some major investments
by the city. Repositioning downtown to capture The area is home to California State University,
a portion of the regional market will take some San Bernardino, and San Bernardino Valley Col-
effort but is entirely possible. lege as well as the St. Bernardine Medical Center,
San Bernardino Community Hospital, and the
Regional Economy Robert H. Ballard Rehabilitation Hospital.
The national economic slowdown is currently af- With a once-thriving downtown, San Bernardino
fecting Southern California. The UCLA Anderson has been hit hard in the last two decades, expe-
Forecast says the national economy is close to riencing the consecutive loss of major employers,
recessionary conditions, with real gross domestic such as Norton AFB (10,000 jobs) and a major
product growth of 1.8 percent for 2007; growth is railroad maintenance facility with about 2,000 jobs;
forecast to return to a more normal 3 percent by the recession of the 1990s; and the migration of
mid-2008. The housing sector, however, will con- downtown employers to the Hospitality Lane dis-
tinue to be weak for some time, causing a slow- trict. The loss of Kaiser Steel at Fontana, Califor-
down in consumer spending and affecting the nia, also affected San Bernardino because many
retail sector. Homebuilders have slowed construc- Kaiser employees lived in the city.
tion plans because potential homebuyers are hav-
ing a harder time qualifying for mortgages. Because of the job losses and the economic down-
turn, many homeowners either sold out or lost
The Inland Empire is a growing region, with a their homes through foreclosure. This situation
population of more than 4 million and an economy led to deterioration of the housing stock, an in-
with 1.25 million jobs. crease in investor ownership rather than individ-
ual homeownership, and an increase in rental
The Economy of the City housing.
The city’s location close to the Cajon and San From 1998 to 2004, San Bernardino’s economy
Gorgonio passes has made it a center for railroad grew by 26,217 jobs—a 37 percent increase—to
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 1197,139. This upswing represents a recovery from ley Municipal Water District. City Hall is also a
the loss of more than 9,200 jobs after the closure major employer downtown.
of Norton AFB. Government was both the largest
and the fastest-growing employment sector, reach- San Bernardino city has 958,500 square feet of
ing close to 20,000 jobs in 2004. Other significant Class A office space, 1.8 million square feet of
sectors were retail (16,000 jobs) and education Class B space, and 550,000 square feet of Class C
(13,200 jobs). The city’s average payroll per job space. CoStar Realty Information reports that
was $35,705 in 2004, higher than for the Inland downtown San Bernardino contains 127 office
Empire overall ($32,097). Government jobs aver- buildings and 2.22 million square feet of office
aged $49,076 in 2004, demonstrating the impor- space, numbers that have held constant since at
tance of the government sector. least 1996. This space includes all classes as well
as some space in nonoffice buildings, such as the
San Bernardino’s retail sector is highlighted by
the 1 million-square-foot Inland Center Mall. The Carousel Mall and the Mervyns space. Some space
Carousel Mall in the CBD is in steep decline and in these buildings is leased to public sector tenants,
nearly closed; current tenants include several including two county agencies.
office users rather than retailers. The new Hospi-
No new buildings have been built since 1998, when
tality Lane area contains a restaurant row as well
7,000 square feet were added to the inventory. An-
as a number of big-box retailers. The Highland
nual net absorption is low to negative.
Avenue shopping district offers Wal-Mart, Ross,
and Mervyns. Retail sales from 1998 to 2005 in- Historical vacancy rates hit a high of 17.1 percent
creased at an annual rate of 7.6 percent, faster in the third quarter of 2004 but came down steadily
than in California as a whole. Per capita sales have throughout 2005 and 2006, although they are creep-
also increased faster than inflation since 1998. Nev-
ing up again, reaching 8.6 percent in the first quar-
ertheless, in 2005 San Bernardino ranked below
ter of 2007. CBD rents are considerably lower than
Ontario, Temecula, Victorville, Loma Linda, Colton,
regional rents, currently averaging $16.27 per
and Riverside in per capita sales.
square foot per year.
The automotive sector has a very large share of
the city’s overall retail sales, followed by service, Retail uses in the CBD include the Fairview
industrial, lumber, and logistics firms. Department Ford dealership, Stater Bros. grocery store, the
stores, general merchandise stores and small re- 20-screen cinema, and several auto-oriented busi-
tailers, and the restaurant sector were smaller nesses. Of the 31 food-service establishments, only
components of the retail sector. one is a full-service restaurant; the rest are lim-
ited, mostly offering breakfast and lunch service.
The downtown area claimed a Ford dealership,
gas stations, minimarts, and fast-food establish-
ments, primarily along Baseline Street. The CBD Commercial Market in the CBD
had almost no shopper-oriented stores but does Downtown San Bernardino’s office space is marked
have several auto-oriented businesses. by a few older buildings, several of which appear
to be empty. The office space is scattered between
The Economy of the CBD E Street and Mountain View Avenue, primarily
Downtown functions as a governmental center, north of Rialto to about 10th Street. Property
hosting the federal Internal Revenue Service and owners report that their tenants are primarily
Department of Homeland Security, the Mexican small firms (with two to four employees), such
consulate, a 14-story office building for the Cali- as accountants. San Bernardino’s office space is
fornia Department of Transportation (Caltrans), among the least expensive in the region, averag-
San Bernardino County administrative offices and ing $15.50 per square foot per year in the down-
courts, the San Bernardino Associated Govern- town and $21.36 per square foot per year in the
ments, and the offices of the San Bernardino Val- Hospitality Lane area.
12 An Advisory Services Panel ReportNo new office construction has taken place in the middle ground, and Redlands has the highest
CBD; San Bernardino’s office demand is being price ranges.
captured by other areas, primarily Hospitality
Office
Lane and areas closer to the airport. One promis-
ing opportunity is Arrowhead Credit Union’s in- CoStar defines the Inland Empire as two markets,
terest in building an operations center just south east and west, that contain 46.7 million square feet
of downtown. of office space in 3,298 class A, B, and C buildings.
The Inland Empire west market, including the air-
Downtown San Bernardino has steadily lost retail port, San Bernardino West, and San Bernardino
and restaurant uses. The Carousel Mall is largely North, totals 14.8 million square feet. The vacancy
empty or underused, with ground-floor space rate in the first quarter of 2007 was reported at
rented to public sector tenants. Despite the large 7 percent for the Inland Empire west, down from
numbers of public sector workers in the area, down- a high of almost 11 percent in the fourth quarter
town restaurants have for the most part closed of 2004. From mid-2003 to early 2007, 264 office
because of lack of evening and weekend business. buildings were added for a total of 2.4 million
square feet. In the first quarter of 2007, 75 build-
Downtown San Bernardino offers only the 230-room ings were under construction, for a total of 1.77
Clarion (formerly Radisson) Hotel and a small million square feet.
Holiday Inn Express. The Clarion also advertises
a convention center, which consists of a 19,000- In the comparable market of the Inland Empire
square-foot ballroom and ten small meeting rooms. east, which includes Riverside, the most recent
vacancy rate was 10 percent, the highest level
San Bernardino is within 30 minutes of 22 public
since the first quarter of 2001. From mid-2003 to
and private colleges with 158,000 students. Al-
early 2007, 277 office buildings were added for a
though not in the CBD, California State Univer-
total of 4.6 million square feet. In the first quarter
sity, San Bernardino, and San Bernardino Com-
of 2007, 148 buildings were under construction, for
munity College are significant players in San
a total of 3.74 million square feet.
Bernardino’s economy, with 16,400 and 12,600
students, respectively. Quoted rent rates increased rapidly in both mar-
kets. Inland Empire west increased from $17.74
The county of San Bernardino occupies 671,400
to $24.61 per square foot per year, and the Inland
square feet on a 36-acre site that includes the
Empire east increased from $18.43 to $25.81 per
County Government Center and Courthouse. The
square foot per year.
county also leases space in locations in the CBD.
According to a 2004 Gensler study, the county Retail
owns 40 buildings in the city totaling 1.4 million New shopping centers are being built throughout
square feet and leases 766,000 square feet in 49 the region, most notably in Redlands, as well as
privately owned buildings. Additional public sec- in Riverside and other communities. These shop-
tor space is found in the Caltrans Building, and ping centers offer easy access, new stores, na-
the city of San Bernardino occupies the City Hall tional brands, and a pleasant environment. They
building and the police headquarters. provide a center of attraction that continues to
divert the middle class away from downtown
Commercial Market: Regional Trends San Bernardino.
Commercial demand in the Inland Empire contin- Hospitality
ues to grow, spurred by an eastward expansion The region is not known for hosting major conven-
from Los Angeles and Long Beach and the avail- tions or conferences, and the hotel sector is proba-
ability of large tracts of land at reasonable prices. bly underbuilt. A number of historic hotels exist,
San Bernardino and its satellite cities such as such as the Mission Inn in Riverside, and when
Fontana represent the low price points in the the Lake Arrowhead Resort reopens, it will refo-
Inland Empire. Ontario and Riverside occupy a cus attention on San Bernardino.
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 13Industrial Market: Regional Trends The general impression is of vacant buildings sur-
rounded by large surface parking lots. This situa-
The Inland Empire absorbed almost 21 million tion has led to a widespread perception that down-
square feet of industrial space in four quarters town has crime and that no one wants to live
spanning 2005–2006. The region’s transportation there. Consequently, no one does.
infrastructure, available land, and low space and
labor costs are able to serve the growing demand Nevertheless, San Bernardino has many advan-
to support international trade through the ports of tages: a Mediterranean climate, beautiful scenery,
Los Angeles and Long Beach. San Bernardino is and ample water resources make it a standout
benefiting from the boom in demand for industrial location in Southern California. It has numerous
and logistics space. It is supporting that demand area attractions: California Theater, Lake Arrow-
through the recent runway expansion at San head Resort, Sturges Center for the Fine Arts,
Bernardino International Airport and Hillwood’s San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (Highland),
construction of logistical and warehouse space and the San Bernardino County Museum.
near the airport. In the year ending March 2006,
The National Orange Show and Route 66 Rendez-
San Bernardino absorbed 17 million square feet of
vous inject some temporary excitement to the area.
industrial space. Although industrial space trans-
A Renaissance Fair had been held in the spring
lates to fewer jobs per square foot than other
months but has relocated.
sectors, it is nevertheless a strong force in San
Bernardino’s economy. The city has a 5,000-seat stadium for the Inland
Empire Sixty-Sixers baseball team. The city hosts
Education the nationally televised Western Region Little
League Championship that draws teams from
The presence of several universities and colleges several western states. The city also hosts presti-
in the region is a positive factor. Many will seek to gious soccer tournaments, such as the U.S. Soccer
expand, and the possibility exists of attracting a Club’s Region E Championship, and offers 17 soc-
downtown or branch campus to San Bernardino. cer fields in its soccer complex.
Extensive transportation facilities, including a
Government comprehensive network of freeways and two
San Bernardino County is conducting studies for mountain passes, favor San Bernardino as a
expansion of its facilities. It requires 450,000 square business location.
feet of office space and more than 3,000 parking
Regional demand is strong too, but San Bernard-
spaces. A new courthouse has been approved with
ino’s downtown is not capturing any of that de-
more than 30 courtrooms in 351,000 square feet;
mand. Instead, Hospitality Lane has become the
additional courtrooms are to be retained in ex-
center of economic activity for the office and re-
isting space.
tail sectors, as has the area near the airport for
the industrial sector. Shopping center develop-
Improving the Competitiveness of the ment is taking place in Redlands and Riverside,
CBD as well as other surrounding communities such as
Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fontana, Banning,
What is holding the CBD back? Despite strong re-
and Beaumont.
gional demand in all sectors of the economy, the
San Bernardino CBD has consistently lost busi- Downtown San Bernardino must be repositioned
nesses, buildings, and people in the last 20 years. to capture the available regional demand. Meeting
Although the city has implemented a number of this goal will require an exciting new plan for down-
projects and has acquired blighted properties, town that capitalizes on San Bernardino’s strengths
business closures continue unabated. The CBD is and the back-to-the-city movement now evident
now largely devoid of appealing shops and restau- throughout the United States, as well as specific
rants. Downtown also has very little housing. initiatives to overcome negative perceptions.
14 An Advisory Services Panel ReportResidential Market whom would likely work in Los Angeles County
and the Inland Empire area. A prospect exists
San Bernardino’s population is growing; in 2006, that 312 new residential units will be built around
it reached 202,000, comprising 60,000 households. Seccombe Lake.
The city is the second largest of the Inland Em-
pire’s communities. San Bernardino is considered Residential Demand in San Bernardino
the center of an 850,000-person market that in- Residential construction and existing home sales
cludes the communities of Colton, Fontana, Grand have slowed in the last six months because of a
Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Redlands, Rialto, nationwide pullback in the housing sector. Re-
and Yucaipa. gional growth patterns indicate that demand
In 2005, the city’s median income was reported should resume in the next year. In the foothills
as $38,470. Almost 56 percent of the city’s resi- and in neighborhoods outside the downtown, San
dents classify themselves as Hispanic, above the Bernardino should continue to experience hous-
47.5 percent reported in 1990, and higher than the ing growth.
44 percent share in San Bernardino County. The Residential Demand in the CBD
population tends to be young, with 60.2 percent
At present, no demand exists for residential uses
of residents under 35 years of age in 2005. Only
15.3 percent of the population was over 55. Only downtown. Downtown has acquired a negative
about 46.9 percent of the population is in prime image. In the absence of shops and restaurants,
homebuying age, 25 to 64. little attracts residents. The public sector office
workers prefer to live elsewhere and commute
The greater downtown has 4,077 households, of to the CBD.
which 42 percent have incomes under $15,000; an-
other 20.1 percent have incomes between $15,000 Nevertheless, downtown has the potential to be a
and $25,000. The CBD has only 309 households. superior residential location. The back-to-the-city
movement is strong and can be tapped as part of a
Compared with Los Angeles and the coastal com- coordinated development plan for a large part of
munities, San Bernardino offers the option of downtown. Redevelopment of the Carousel Mall in
single-family homes at a reasonable price. In the an urban mixed-use form including residential is
first quarter of 2006, the city’s median price for essential to revitalizing downtown.
existing homes was $313,300. Interestingly, until
the housing boom that started in 2001, existing Creating residential demand in downtown will
home prices rarely exceeded $100,000. New require efforts at many levels:
homes in the foothills command much higher
prices, and because much of new home construc- • Overcoming the perception that downtown is
tion has been in such areas, the city’s median new dangerous;
home price reached $505,000 in 2006, lower than
• Providing a desirable environment in which to
in Rancho Cucamonga but higher than in River-
side or Ontario. live, including shopping and entertainment op-
portunities and green open space; and
New home sales reached 700 units in 2003, a his-
torical high, and have decreased since, although • Working with a developer who is entrepreneur-
the housing boom was not over. In 2007, new home ial, well financed, and able to take on a large
absorption has slowed dramatically. mixed-use project.
Downtown San Bernardino has few housing units The current population of San Bernardino is not
and only small new construction projects. ANR necessarily the target market for new housing
has built the Meadowbrook project on the edge of development. To revitalize the CBD, San Ber-
downtown. LNR purchased the Carousel Mall and nardino will have to attract a middle-class popula-
proposed to build 500–700 residential units aimed tion downtown. To the extent that these new resi-
at young families, singles, and couples, many of dents can be homeowners rather than renters, the
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 15downtown will benefit, because homeowners have Market Timing
a greater stake in the appearance of their property.
Currently, no market demand exists downtown
New residential construction in downtown should other than that of the public sector. Putting in
be aimed at key market segments, such as young place the elements that will lead to creation of de-
singles who like a more-urban lifestyle; two-income mand will take a year or more. During that time,
couples who are not afraid of density and who are the housing market should regain strength and
attracted by mixed uses, lots of activities, transit be poised to deliver.
availability, and a beautiful setting; and people
whose children are no longer in school and who Even when redevelopment begins, however, it
can now feel free to live in a more-urban housing will take some time to overcome the elements that
product. Other segments of interest would be peo- have been holding back downtown. Development
ple in arts-related occupations and college and uni- will start slowly at first, and as investors gain con-
versity students. A variety of building types and fidence in the downtown, development, sales, and
densities will be required to meet the needs of leasing will begin to take off. When San Bernardino’s
these diverse residents. A mixed-use approach CBD has reached a threshold of interest, drawing
that provides quality retail and restaurants, en- people from outside the city in the evenings and
tertainment options, open space, and urban style weekends, the CBD’s desirability will increase and
amenities is necessary. further development proposals will be initiated by
numerous private sector actors with less and less
The housing products for these segments would city intervention.
be townhouse, stacked flats, condominiums of
various types, and upscale apartments. The new
population of downtown will look for vibrancy and
activity in their surroundings. Thus, a compre-
hensively planned approach to providing housing
centered on the focal points of an arts and enter-
tainment district with links to rail and bus rapid-
transit transportation alternatives and close to
quality retail and restaurant venues is essential.
16 An Advisory Services Panel ReportPlanning and Urban Design
P
lanning and design should be based on rec- something like the front porch of San Bernard-
ognizing the assets and resources of a com- ino where citizens can find a common meeting
munity and seeing how they can be brought ground and an environment for civic activities.
to bear on its problems and issues. San
Bernardino certainly has problems and issues of • Provide an alternative contemporary urban life-
long standing; nevertheless, the assets that down- style complementing San Bernardino’s existing
town San Bernardino can assemble to resolve its traditional neighborhoods. The back-to-the-city
problems and build a solid future are impressive. movement is a strong trend across the country
Among the assets that the panel has recognized in cities of every size. San Bernardino must take
are the following: advantage of this phenomenon to bring people
• San Bernardino has an extraordinary history back into the downtown.
and the historical resources to prove it. Among
these are several historic buildings, some desig- Urban Design Concept
nated and some not, and the street grid laid out
by the Mormons in the 19th century. To facilitate the accomplishment of these goals,
the city should adopt the following urban design
• An extraordinary unrealized opportunity is pre- concepts:
sent in the natural streams and watercourses,
many of which have been channelized or buried. • Create an urban, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly
• Extensive surface parking serves as a land bank live/work urban core. Use this principle to at-
until this potentially valuable land can be devel- tract projects closer to the core to enhance
oped or redeveloped. The panel suggests that walkability and access to the center.
the City Hall parking lot, for example, could one
day become a town square or green space in • Celebrate the city of San Bernardino’s distinctive
which people can congregate and socialize. abundance of water and thermal resources by
creating a linear park system—enhanced with
• The city has spectacular mountain views along water features—that reaches out to the adjoin-
the north-south axis. The Mormon grid on which
ing neighborhoods, providing “green pedestrian
they city was planned can be used to focus at-
streets” for residents to reach downtown.
tention on landmarks such as historic buildings.
San Bernardino should
Goals celebrate its abundant
water resources as a
The planning and design team focused on three
symbol of the city’s
goals in attempting to envision the revitalization
rebirth. Waterways and
of downtown San Bernardino:
fountains can be extended
• Develop an urban environment that supports beyond the natural sys-
activities such as government, and arts and en- tems to provide cool
tertainment that function best consolidated in “green pedestrian streets”
an urban center. for residents to walk or
bike downtown.
• Provide a social and civic hub for all of San Ber-
nardino’s citizens. Make the downtown into
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 17EE DD UU CC AA TT II OO NN 7th Street
Arrowhead Avenue
215 PP AA RR KK
SS EE CC CC OO MM BB EE
Sierra Way
LL AA KK EE
H Street
G Street
D Street
5th Street
E Street
CC OO UU NN TT YY
CC OO MM PP LL EE XX
Court Street
CC AA RR OO UU SS EE LL
MM AA LL LL
3rd Street
To Santa Fe Depot
2nd Street
Rialto Avenue
Waterman Avenue
BB AA LL LL
PP AA RR KK
Key:
Light Rail Extension to Redlands Downtown Area Boundary Water Features
Bus Rapid Transit Key Nodes
Land use strategy. M
Planning and Urban Design should be constructed to be visible from the
freeway.
Recommendations
The accompanying land use strategy map identi- • Clear the site of the existing Carousel Mall and
fies the key components of the panel’s plan and restore the city’s historic street grid through
the site. Restoring the grid will improve connec-
strategy for downtown. The circle is a ten-minute
tivity and ease pedestrian movement through-
walk centered on the intersection of E Street and
out the community.
Court Street. The panel urges that continued revi-
talization and renewal efforts also be targeted at • Redevelop the site of the Carousel Mall as a
the near-downtown neighborhoods. Every city contemporary, mixed-use urban village with
needs strong, economically diverse communities supporting retail, office, and residential uses.
close to downtown. This type of urban environment will be attrac-
tive to empty nesters, students, young adults,
Other recommendations illustrated on this map commuters tired of dealing with congested
are the following: highways, and seniors.
• Develop the San Bernardino County Govern- • Celebrate the waters of the city of San Ber-
ment Center as a campus (“County Complex”) nardino by creating a linear park and stream
on the existing 36-acre site between North system that reaches out to the adjoining down-
Arrowhead Avenue and North Sierra Way. The town neighborhoods and by restoring existing
system of waterways and streams should be natural streams that had previously been di-
brought through the campus to enhance it. An verted to underground pipes or culverts. Ex-
iconic landmark, such as a clock tower or spire, tend canals and fountains beyond the natural
18 An Advisory Services Panel Reportsystems to provide cool, green pedestrian streets that replaces the unproductive and underperform-
for residents to walk or bike downtown. ing asset that the mall is.
• Extend the linear park system to embrace The panel suggests building on this scheme to
close-in neighborhoods. Include safe pedes- complete restoration of the grid. Furthermore,
trian ways and bike trails to facilitate access the community green concept should be extended
to downtown. Bike trails can be extended south beyond the site to connect other neighborhoods
to meet other bike trails that extend across and serve a larger purpose than simply enhancing
Southern California. a development project (see development strategy
map). Finally, the residential densities proposed
• Continue revitalization of the surrounding by LNR must be higher, so that the entire project
near-downtown residential neighborhoods with will have about 700 units.
code enforcement, infill housing, and street-
scape improvements. The original grid established by the Mormons ex-
tends throughout the San Bernardino area and be-
• Relocate the Arrowhead Credit Union corpo- yond. The panel recommends that the city con-
rate headquarters closer to downtown, adjacent sider prioritizing the streets on the grid so that
to the north side of Arrowhead Credit Union some will serve to move traffic while others will
Park. serve primarily to provide a safe, quiet, and pleas-
ant experience for pedestrians downtown.
• Locate the intermodal bus transfer center in a
different location so that the E Street Metro-
link station will be more attractive for transit- Illustrative Plan
oriented development. The development strategy map illustrates the
overlay of the linear green system on the street
• Designate an arts and entertainment district grid to show a comprehensive system of move-
that embraces the existing theaters, historic ment that offers choices of ways to get around
buildings on E Street, and buildings along the city. In addition, in the east is the system of
Court and 4th streets. This district would also lakes, trails, and parks that link the neighborhoods
be a good place for restaurants and other types and beyond. This green system should be linked
of after-show entertainment. through the new county campus and extended
• Redevelop the area to the north of the study area, into areas that are now used only for parking. The
network of green space should be extended onto
bounded by 6th and 9th streets and G and D
E Street. E Street will become the center of activ-
streets, to create an Education Park, as proposed.
ity in the new downtown. E Street will be the cor-
ridor for the bus rapid transit, and it should proba-
Design Strategies bly be the retail center for downtown, too.
Here, the panel focuses on a vision of what San The green system should be extended across the
Bernardino can become that is comprehensive, freeway and into the neighborhoods to the west of
long term, sustainable, and coordinated. To build the downtown
the vision, the panel began with the LNR proposal
for redevelopment of the Carousel Mall site. LNR Finally, the plan shows a new gateway to down-
proposes to partially restore the original street town San Bernardino at I-215 and 3rd Street,
grid through the site and introduce a community framed by two parks. The gateway will celebrate
green to create a sense of place as well as a loca- the rebirth of San Bernardino and leave an im-
tion for people to assemble and connect with one pression of green, water, and pride in a wonderful
another. This kind of meeting place creates com- place to live.
munity and a sense of belonging in the urban vil-
lage. Finally, by linking the grid with the green
space, the LNR plan creates a space with identity
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 19Development Strategies
S
ingle development projects set down here landmarks are created within view of the 250,000
and there in downtown San Bernardino are automobiles passing by daily. The image of San
not likely to slow the spiraling disintegra- Bernardino will be transformed with a vibrant
tion of this once-thriving city center. The center in a highly visible location.
regional draw a city center should command, the
developer and investor attention that should be Uniqueness
realistic, and the pride and identity a community Great cities have unique qualities and features not
should enjoy in its downtown will not happen in easily replicated by shopping centers and boringly
San Bernardino in its present state. In addition, similar strip developments, bland suburban office
the city’s inner-ring suburbs similarly suffer from buildings, and condominium blocks that are two
disinvestment, blight, and low-income demograph- exits away from the CBD. Pasadena has its Cali-
ics. Attention must be focused on all these prob- fornia Mission–style architecture, Beverly Hills
lems, but the revitalization of San Bernardino be- has its glitz, and San Bernardino’s downtown
gins with its heart—the downtown! needs to capitalize on its special attribute—a city
built above an endowment of water in a desertlike
Downtown San Bernardino Needs a environment. Features highlighting the city’s rich
Grand Vision resource of underground geothermal water should
be incorporated in key public spaces, including
Far-reaching action is required to change the
dynamics of San Bernardino’s downtown. The primary interstate entrances and civic spaces.
establishment of a grand vision that conceives of Safety
the central business district as an attractive place The measure of San Bernardino downtown’s suc-
to live, work, and play will begin the process of
cess will in large part result from the change in
change. The vision must include the characteris-
perception of how safe it is to live in and visit
tics that will make the CBD successful. These are
the area. Higher densities of residential develop-
well known and are found in successful down-
towns everywhere. ment will make public spaces, including streets and
parks, feel safer as more people frequent the area
Vitality and make use of the existing and future amenities.
The downtown should be a lively, active place from Defensible design of streets and buildings will re-
early in the morning as people leave their homes inforce safe environments.
and arrive for work and through the day and eve-
ning when streets and sidewalks fill with residents
and workers walking, dining, and meeting. Res-
Significant Strengths and Strategic
taurants and entertainment destinations should Advantages
activate the streets on weeknights and weekends. The downtown district of San Bernardino has
Visibility significant strengths upon which to build a vital
San Bernardino’s downtown should be visible and downtown core. At present, a number of opportu-
welcoming from the expanding I-215 freeway. nities exist, which, if taken together, can provide
Downtown’s draw in a region dominated by auto- the catalyst for significant redevelopment of the
mobile travel will be increased as high-quality new downtown. The following sections discuss some of
development, accessible public space, and civic these opportunities.
20 An Advisory Services Panel ReportDevelopment strategy.
7th Street
Arrowhead Avenue
215
Sierra Way
H Street
G Street
D Street
E Street
5th Street
Court Street
3rd Street
2nd Street
Rialto Avenue
Key:
Green Space Housing/Retail/Office Mixed Use Light Rail Extension to Redlands
Water Features County Offices Bus Rapid Transit
Mill Street
Housing/Retail/ Metrolink Extension/Light Rail
Office Mixed Use
B
Assembled C Large Parcels of Land Abundant Natural Resources
The city government has had the foresight to The city is blessed with spectacular views of the
identify and acquire a number of large tracts of San Bernardino Mountains. Unlike many of the
land within the target area. By controlling this communities in the region, San Bernardino has
land, the city will be able to both encourage devel- plentiful natural water sources lying just beneath
opment and influence the form that investment the surface. This natural bounty provides the
chance to create an urban environment inter-
will take.
spersed with distinctive water features, such as
Inexpensive Land with High-Value Potential small lakes and streams.
San Bernardino’s current land values are more af- Transit Hub
fordable than are many of its suburban neighbors’. The Metrolink extension coupled with the pro-
Within the context of a growing population base in posed E Street transit corridor, linking the down-
the region, this situation affords the city the op- town with the universities and neighborhoods
portunity to attract new investment that will yield both north and south, makes the downtown a nat-
high value with lower development costs. ural location for entertainment venues and restau-
San Bernardino, California, June 24–29, 2007 21rants. The new transit lines will also assist the city though this view is not borne out by statistics,
in attracting a resident population—young profes- which show the downtown as an area relatively
sionals who seek an urban environment and empty free of crime, the perception hampers the city’s ef-
nesters who will enjoy the amenities of downtown forts to market the area and its attractions. Com-
living and the convenience of transportation ac- munity leaders express skepticism that the down-
cess, enhanced by attractive green space. town can be transformed into a vibrant, attractive
place to work, play, and live.
Downtown Employment Center
Downtown has a weekday population of more Code Enforcement and Blight
than 15,000, creating a customer base for restau- Some view current code enforcement efforts as
rants and retail. Attracting additional business insufficient to create an attractive urban environ-
downtown will continue to increase the demand ment. Cleanup is needed around the downtown
for goods and services convenient to downtown buildings. Moreover, a scrap yard with inadequate
employers. screening sits at one of the major gateways to
downtown.
Development Challenges Centralized Social Services Downtown
Downtown San Bernardino has significant chal- To lure investment, visitors, and residents to the
lenges to overcome before it can achieve its goals downtown area, the city would be well served in
of revitalization and prosperity. The panel believes decentralizing the social services and ex-offender
that many of these challenges can be conquered programs currently located downtown. Placing
by realignment of resources to take advantage of these services strategically throughout the com-
the opportunities presented by downtown’s loca- munity will make the services more accessible to
tional advantages. those who need them.
Lack of Downtown Residents
The lack of a “24/7” resident population down-
Development Opportunities
town makes attracting and retaining retail and Many important areas of development have poten-
restaurant establishments difficult. Most cannot tial and will ultimately contribute greatly to the
survive on lunchtime traffic only, and with the loss downtown renaissance. Several pressing develop-
of many downtown restaurants in recent years, ment opportunities, however, are of such size that,
downtown employees have fewer reasons to ven- if thoughtfully integrated, they will redirect mar-
ture downtown during their lunch hour or before ket forces to downtown San Bernardino. These
and after work. signature projects are the redevelopment of the
Carousel Mall and the creation of a County Gov-
No Consistent Marketing Program
ernment Campus.
Many people view downtown as a place “with noth-
ing to do.” Although in the past the city has spon- Carousel Mall
sored concerts and outdoor events downtown, A large-scale comprehensive redevelopment of
drawing large numbers of attendees, much of this the Carousel Mall area is needed because it is one
activity has decreased in recent years. The Route 66 of the two largest elements of the downtown’s re-
Rendezvous is the largest event centered down- naissance. The panel recommends that the site be
town; it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors developed to its fullest potential as a mixed-use
from throughout the United States. Recently, the residential and retail development. This develop-
Operation Phoenix Foundation has initiated down- ment provides the means of establishing a down-
town concerts and events. This type of program- town population sufficient to attract additional
ming and events should be an important priority. retail and services and to serve as a catalyst for
new investment.
Negative Perceptions
A perception exists that the downtown is plagued The panel has reviewed the development plans
with crime problems and unsafe after dark. Al- submitted by the mall owner—LNR—and has
22 An Advisory Services Panel ReportYou can also read
