Friday, October 06, 2006

San Bernardino Puts Its Best Foot Forward (Press Enterprise 100306)

San Bernardino puts its best foot forward

10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2006

By DEVONA WELLS
The Press-Enterprise

Bring your business to San Bernardino, and you'll find a rapidly growing state university, the region's most successful dining and entertainment spot and "an extraordinarily beautiful environment."

The platitudes come courtesy of a 41-page pitch designed to help the Economic Development Agency sell the city to prospective companies.

Compiled by Inland economist John Husing, the report plays up various San Bernardino attributes, from its successful Hospitality Lane restaurants to an abundance of underground water to the region's Mediterranean climate.

The marketing report, part of the agency's effort to become more visible, will accompany officials to today's Palm Springs conference put on by the International Council of Shopping Centers. Maggie Pacheco, the agency's executive director, said the city's presence at the event will mark the first time San Bernardino has had a booth at the group's desert or Las Vegas conference -- both popular networking events -- since she got to the city in 1999.

Mayor Pat Morris has identified economic development as key to revitalizing the city, which has struggled to remake its downtown and to turn renters into homeowners. But home builders have recently proposed several projects, including houses expected to sell for more than $1 million, from the foothills to downtown.

And developer LNR Property Corp. has submitted plans to city officials to tear down the Carousel Mall and to replace it with townhomes.

The city's Hospitality Lane, along Interstate 10, boasts several national chains, including Best Buy, Sam's Club and Claim Jumper. Numbers used to tally sales at San Bernardino stores and restaurants were pulled from 2005 state Board of Equalization tax statistics compiled before some dining spots at Rancho Cucamonga's Victoria Gardens shopping center had been open a full year.

Husing couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

The report, which Pacheco said cost about $15,000, touches on San Bernardino's central location amid the Inland area's booming industrial and office real-estate markets. It also lists business resources, such as city-grant and tax-rebate programs, and colleges in and near San Bernardino.

Reach Devona Wells at 909-806-3052 or dwells@PE.com


BS Ranch Perspective:

Looks like the San Bernardino Mayor is at it again, making San Bernardino, Once in the top 10 for murder in the Whole United States, and now he is turning the whole city around making it more appetizing for executives to look at for their companies to move here. the more companies that he gets here, especially larger ones the more that the FAA and Los Angeles City will be forced to help San Bernardino get their Airport working as an International stop! Which when that is done then the growth will be fast and furious, around there, Riverside and well Moreno Valley will be the new Inland Empire. LOL..

BS Ranch

PS: Good Job Mayor Morris!

No comments: