Rialto shifts airport land to city agency
10:00 PM PST on Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Rialto official's plan to develop the Rialto Municipal Airport into a project to generate an estimated $200 million in tax revenue moved forward Tuesday with the transfer of the airport's land from the city to the Redevelopment Agency.
The transfer ensures the developer, Lewis-Hillwood LLC, can purchase the property, if certain requirements are met, to develop Renaissance Rialto, said Robb Steel, economic development director.
The developer is expected to pay as much as $82 million for the property, although the cost of removing hazardous waste, demolishing runways and relocating occupants will be deducted, Steel said.
Those costs are still being assessed, he said.
Renaissance Rialto is a 1,500-acre master-planned community along Interstate 210, west of Ayala Avenue. The project calls for mixed-used development to include retail, housing, industrial and commercial uses.
The Rialto City Council approved a conceptual plan for the project in 2005 but decided not to transfer the airport land to the agency until the city had approval to close the airport.
Legislation authorizing the closure of the airport was approved by the federal government in August 2005.
The purpose of not transferring the land until the airport closure was approved was to safeguard the city from binding contracts with developers that would create a project on land that might not become available, Steel said.
Also, when the city had control of the property, the agreement with the developer could have been terminated at any time without any consequences to Rialto, Steel said.
"Now it's not like someone can pull the plug on the project at any time so it's a reassurance to the developer," Steel said.
Requirements the developer must meet include obtaining a certified environmental impact report, creating a specific plan to include mixed-use development on the land and relocating the airport's remaining tenants, Steel said, adding that the cost of relocating the tenants is still being appraised.
Councilman Joe Baca Jr. said transferring the land to the agency is a critical step for the city and the development of Renaissance Rialto.
"Before the next step is taken, we have to make sure Rialto gets what we want from this project. We deserve good restaurants and good retail shopping there so our citizens don't have to leave the city," he said.
The developer must go before the council and have the final plans for the project approved before moving forward.
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BS Ranch Perspective:
The final Plans are away before they will turn the airport into Housing and Businesses, and then the Historical Rialto Airport will be gone forever! No more drag Races, that are off street, and there will not be any more Cart Races, they are all coming to an end! I still am not convinced that is a good thing or not, the Rialto City Council is so bent on that Freeway brining all kinds of people to the Rialto area, to stop and shop, when the I-10 Freeway off ramp, has don't nothing but brought them complaints by the businesses that are up in that area. The complaints are about what or why there has not been anything done to the "Gateway to the City" to make it more of an Invitation to people that are driving on the I-10 freeway!
I say that they don't stop unless they know that there is a place that they are going to that is off that off ramp or they are lost! Maybe they are looking for homes to buy that are closer to their work, but that would not have anything to do with the way that the Off ramp is inviting or not?
So, I am puzzled by this, the People in San Bernardino were complaining when the I-30 cross town opened they were getting less busyness then they got before the freeway was there, so they didn't know what was what, more then 35% of the businesses on Highland Ave in San Bernardino alone was forced to close, because the Cross-Town freeway forced people away from their businesses!!
Rialto is convinced that the I-210 will bring them all kinds of commerce, well I will have to see it to believe it!
BSRanch
