The March Joint Powers Authority (March JPA) is set to vote Monday on the March Innovation Hub, an 818-acre warehouse project near Riverside’s Orangecrest and Mission Grove neighborhoods.
Proposed by the Lewis Group of Companies, the project aims to transform former military land into a regional technology campus. But critics argue the revised plan is just a rebranding of the West Campus Upper Plateau project, maintaining the same warehousing focus as before.
Why it matters
The Inland Empire has seen over a billion square feet of warehouses replace farms, citrus groves and even entire neighborhoods. Critics argue that despite rebranding, the March Innovation Hub perpetuates this trend, potentially increasing traffic, pollution and congestion.
Last year, Lewis Group of Companies sought approval to build two warehouses, but after pushback from residents, the March JPA board put the project on hold.
Randall Lewis, the project’s developer, said at a meeting on April 8 that the revised project is smaller and includes measures to reduce pollution.
“This isn't a project that will happen overnight,” Lewis told KVCR. “This is a development that will take years, and we're comfortable there will be a strong demand, and there'll be jobs there.”
Community response
Residents, including Jennifer Larratt-Smith of Riverside Neighbors Opposing Warehousing (R-NOW), remain skeptical. They argue that the project, despite its new branding, still centers on warehousing.
“They always talk about the park and open space and whatever," Larratt-Smith told The Frontline Observer on Friday. "They totally misrepresent this project to the community in order to get people to support.”
Next steps
The March JPA, established in 1993 to oversee redevelopment of the former March Air Force Base, is scheduled to dissolve in July. The upcoming vote on the March Innovation Hub could be its final major decision. If a decision isn’t finalized on Monday, the decision could lie with Riverside County, who will oversee land use decisions once the March JPA sunsets.
Project details
- Size: 818 acres total
- Open space: 579 acres reserved for parks and open space
- Amenities: Includes a new firehouse and a 48 to 60-acre community park along Barton Road
- Environmental goals: Aims for a 35% reduction in emissions
- Economic focus: Emphasizes research, technology and start-up incubators
- Traffic impact: 1,678 truck trips a day, based on estimates for a 2.56 million square foot high-cube warehouse and a 500,000 square foot cold storage facility.
