retail

Downtown coffee wars

Downtown coffee wars

With condos on the horizon and a sizeable workforce already in place, a coffee battle of sorts may soon brew in Riverside as both Starbucks Coffee and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf prepare to open outlets within the downtown core. Their arrival marks the first significant challenge to local outfits Back to the Grind, Coffee…

2004 – San Bernardino Valley as seen from Loma Linda (RXSQ)

‘A Sleeping Giant’

A report released this week by Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. says Inland Southern California will continue to lead the state in jobs and housing growth, confirming what many area residents have felt the past few years as the region’s population nears 4 million: Setting the pace, once again, in Southern California will be…

2003 - New homes near Hemet (RXSQ)

Growing young

Thanks to tens of thousands of retirees, most of whom flocked to the area during the 1960s through the 1980s, Hemet once had one of the highest savings account averages in California: … Because of the large number of retirees who move to Hemet — with their savings accounts — the town has 24 savings…

2001 – Montgomery Ward closing in San Bernardino (RXSQ)

San Bernardino’s Carousel Mall may be redeveloped

It appears life as a mall is about to end for downtown San Bernardino’s Carousel Mall — formerly Central City Mall. A buyer has agreed to take control of the 72-acre property with plans for replacing the aging retail center with a more vibrant mix of condos, apartments, offices, and shops. Opened in 1972, Central…

2004 - Corona Pointe under construction off I-15 in southeast Corona (RXSQ)

Office, retail picks up

Three recently released reports by commercial real estate brokerage CB Richard Ellis Inc. says that, although housing remains big within Inland Southern California, both the commercial and industrial sectors are doing brisk business as well. All together, the reports indicate 34 million square feet of on-going construction activity in retail, office, and industrial projects within…

2005 - The Business Press

Inland SoCal’s demographics rising

Since 1980, Inland Southern California’s population has more than doubled from 1.5 million residents to 3.6 million (Census – 2003 county estimates). If ranked separately, it would be country’s 13th most-populous region (sandwiched between Miami and Seattle metro areas). Along with such phenomenal growth has come large jumps in other demographic stats, such as job…

2004 - Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga (RXSQ)

Insta Main Street

So, what do you do if your suburban community of 150,000 residents suddenly realizes it has no downtown? No central business district? No Main Street? Easy, you find a large chunk of undeveloped land, begin planning a traditional enclosed mall, wait out a recession, hire one of the nation’s largest mall builders, wait some more…