Barstow's population has now reached about 22,850 residents with a trade area of approximately 60,000 people. The city area is about 33 square miles with housing priced well below Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

The City of Barstow and the Victor Valley are both located in the Inland Empire. The City of Barstow is mid-point between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, lying just 30 miles north of Victorville. Conveniently located at the intersection of Interstates 15 and 40, as well as Highways 58 and 247, Barstow provides optimal access to Southern California as well as Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

 

Click here to see city of Barstow virtual tour!

 

According to the Desert Dispatch, October 26, 2010, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit on Monday night that will allow for construction to begin on Greater Hope Prep School, which will be a preschool and day care facility for newborns to 5-year-olds. Helena Smith, executive director of Greater Hope Foundation, said that construction can begin on the project as early as one month from the time the appeal period is over. Construction should take about six months and the facility should open sometime next year. The preschool will be built at 1121 West Main Street in a highway commercial and mixed land use district, which was why it needed approval for a conditional use permit. The facility will be about 3,500 square-feet.

The Greater Hope Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on connecting children with foster parents. Both Smith and her mother, Eva Ford, will be funding the construction of the preschool, which will be a for-profit organization. The facility will be open to families who are participating in Calworks or other childcare programs funded by the federal government, as well as parents who pay privately, said Smith. About 20 families have already expressed interest in the preschool and are on the waiting list. Smith said that she has already had people inquiring about employment at the preschool as well. Greater Hope Prep School will be able to provide daycare and education to about 70 children and will be mainly focused on education. The preschool will offer language programs as well as preschool curriculum and after-school tutoring for older children. Smith said that the preschool will have many of the same goals as the Greater Hope Foundation. "We want to have the children grow up with us and keep that same family philosophy," said Smith.

 

 

According to the Desert Dispatch, February 9, 2011, anyone in Barstow with a yen for crab rangoons, egg foo young, or Szechwan chicken will now be able to dine in a new Chinese buffet restaurant in Barstow. The Chinatown Buffet opened last week at the former Straw Hat Grill location on Eastgate Road next to the Ramada Inn, and owner Mike Young said business has been booming. "I've been packed every night for dinner, except Super Bowl Sunday," said Young. "And all I did was put up a sign." The restaurant features a buffet full of Chinese dishes such as chow mein fun, pepper steak, and vegetable lo mein. A variety of made to order specialties from a full Chinese menu are also available. The lunch buffet features over 40 items including over 10 main dishes from Chinese staples to the eatery's signature champagne chicken, which Young says won a culinary award in Pennsylvania. The buffet also includes egg drop and wonton soups and a full salad bar. The dinner buffet features an extended menu of main dishes including baked salmon, dim sum, pepper shrimp, and additional seafood entrees. The China Buffet seats 230 people excluding the bar area which is not currently in use. Young said he wants to establish the food first, and then open the lounge and serve beer and wine. The restaurant's staff currently consists of Young's family, but he says he hopes to hire a full wait staff.

 

 

According to the Desert Dispatch, April 27, 2010, a Newport Beach real estate company was given permission to build a 15.5 megawatt photovoltaic solar farm within Barstow city limits. The project could power at least 11,625 homes, according to developers. The company is also planning a future housing development on about 20 acres near the proposed solar farm.

The Barstow Planning Commission granted a conditional use permit to Michael English of CF Properties LLC to build the solar farm and housing development. The proposed site is near Barstow Road about 750 feet south of Veterans Parkway. The solar farm will be built on about 57 acres, English said. The housing development will consist of about 60 units. The proposed solar project could be operational for a minimum of 20 years, City Planner Mike Massimini said. "The solar field goes in first," he said. "If you buy a home, you know it's there." The solar farm will be maintained by a two-man crew responsible for cleaning the panels, said Ron Druschen, CEO of Arkay Solar, a Santa Clarita engineering company responsible for the project's construction. The panels would be misted with water on a rotating basis, he said. Permanent staff and construction workers will be hired locally. The solar farm will be monitored remotely via surveillance cameras, Druschen said.

 

 

According to the Desert Dispatch, April 8, 2010, company officials are busy finalizing plans for the proposed Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Barstow. The next process in the distribution center's development is for Wal-Mart officials to complete the final plans and submit them to city officials to secure a building permit, said Aaron Rios, a company spokesman. "It's all the official stuff we have to submit for the city to review and say OK, you're fine," he said. "Then from there (Wal-Mart will) hire a contractor and begin construction of the building."

The Barstow distribution center will serve all Southern California Wal-Marts with grocery stores, including stores in Victor Valley. There are currently 41 such stores. "We will continue to provide our general merchandise goods regionally out of Apple Valley," Rios said. "We'll then be able to provide our grocery merchandise, which would include anything basically food-related, out of the Barstow distribution center." The distribution center will encompass 1.1 million square feet on 140 acres at the Barstow Industrial Park along Lenwood Road. The project is expected to create 500 full-time jobs.

 

 

According to the Barstow Desert Dispatch, December 7, 2009, a Bishop-based non-profit cooperative seeks to build a nearly 400-mile-long fiber optic high speed Internet cable from outside Barstow to Carson City, NV, almost entirely on state and federal government dollars. The California Public Utilities Commission approved a grant of $19 million - or 19 percent - of the $100 million California Broadband Cooperative's Digital 395 Middle Mile Project. A contingent of obtaining the CPUC grant is that 80 percent of the project's cost must be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The fiber optic cable will follow Highway 58 on the outskirts of Barstow to Kramer Junction, where it will turn north to follow U.S. Highway 395, said Michael Ort, chief operating officer for the California Broadband Cooperative. It will allow about 12 Internet service providers in the Eastern Sierras to have access to higher speed Internet, Ort said. Construction could begin as early as May 2010. "It meant that not everyone could get broadband in the area and the broadband they could get may not have been as fast as the government set a standard for," Ort said. "We did that because we thought (that) this was a unique once in a lifetime opportunity," he said. "This was a chance to build something."

 

 

According to the Barstow Desert Dispatch, November 3, 2009, investor Warren Buffett is making what he calls an "all-in wager" on the U.S. economy - $34 billion to buy a major railroad that hauls everything from corn to cars across the country. Burlington Northern, the nation's second-largest railroad, is the biggest hauler of food products like corn, and coal for electricity, making it an indicator of the country's economic health. The railroad also ships a large amount of consumer goods - including items imported from Asia - from big Western ports like Los Angeles and Seattle.

Berkshire Hathaway already owns about 22 percent of Burlington Northern, and will pay $100 a share in cash and stock for the rest of the company. That was 31.5 percent premium on Burlington Northern's recent closing price. The stock shot up over 28 percent Tuesday, to $97.66 in afternoon trading. "Berkshire's $34 billion investment in BNSF is a huge bet on that company, CEO Matt Rose and his team, and the railroad industry," Buffett said in a statement.

Warren Buffett thinks railroads are a key economic indicator because of the amount of retail and manufactured goods they haul across the country. "They do it in a cost-effective way and extraordinarily environmentally friendly way," he told CNBC. "I basically believe this country will prosper and you'll have more people moving more goods 10 and 20 and 30 years from now, and the rails should benefit." Analysts say Buffett is looking for an investment that will reap rewards for many years into the future, and isn't so concerned about immediate gains.

Railroads are much more energy-efficient than trucks because they use much less fuel. An average Burlington Northern train hauls as much freight as 280 trucks. Rails are also favored by some shippers because they can carry things that can't travel on highways, like hazardous chemicals.

 

 

According to the Barstow Desert Dispatch, January 12, 2010, a Las Vegas company that supplies soil material for commercial landscapers and other agricultural uses in the High Desert is looking to set up a manufacturing facility in Barstow. William Curran, a president of Summa Minerals, plans to establish a plant that would grind volcanic rock into powder for use as a soil supplement in landscaping. According to Curran, the facility is on about four acres at 3880 Lenwood Road. The Planning Commission awarded Curran a conditional use permit that expires in three years. The facility will be operational in one to two months, after Curran receives an air quality permit, according to Jennifer Riley, a manager's assistant for the city. The rock grinding will take in place inside a 5,000 square-foot building already located at the site. A day to two day's worth of raw material will be stored on a covered conveyor. Riley said the equipment and raw-material storage facility can be moved indoors.

 

 

According to the Barstow Desert Dispatch, January 10, 2010, thirty-three wind turbines could be sprouting up on 1,957 acres of public and private land about six miles southeast of Barstow. The turbines could be visible from within Barstow city limits and from Barstow Road, according to a representative from the company proposing the wind farm.

AES Wind Generation, a Virginia-based company, plans to build the 82.5 megawatt wind farm - enough to power about 60,000 homes - on about 1,577 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and 380 acres of private land. The wind turbines will produce about 2.5 megawatts each and will be about 30 percent larger than the wind turbine on the Marine Corps Logistics Base, according to Michael Azeka, director of planning and permitting for AES Wind Generation.

The AES Daggett Ridge wind farm was recognized by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in November as being one of six renewable energy projects likely to begin construction by Dec. 31, 2010 - a requirement to qualify for federal stimulus dollars. The cost of the project hasn't been publicly disclosed yet, Azeka said. The number of jobs the project could create will be addressed in the environmental impact report, currently being developed by the BLM. .Also included with the construction of the wind turbines will be about 10 miles of new roads as well as a power substation, according to the BLM.

 

 

Barstow is well located as an excellent transportation and distribution center in the High Desert

 

 

Barstow gets high marks when it comes to the railroads. Barstow was the logical location for a facility that could combine and classify freight traffic for all directions. And Santa Fe Railroad has invested more than 50 million dollars to prove it. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad Classification Yard is a sophisticated and computerized facility directing major rail transportation throughout the United States. In addition, Amtrak offers passenger service to Los Angeles and Chicago by way of Las Vegas. Barstow has a reputation as being a major trucking capital. Yellow Freight Systems operates a 200-door freight distribution center at Interstate 15 and Lenwood Road. The intersecting highways and freeways have been a big plus for trucking. Interstate 15 connects Los Angeles with Las Vegas and continues northerly to Salt Lake City, Utah. Interstate 15 is undergoing a major expansion.

 

Caltrans is improving the 29-mile stretch between Barstow and Victorville along I-15 and will add a third lane at a cost of $178 million. This will result in increased freeway capacity, less congestion and improved freeway operation. Barstow is well positioned to play an important role in the growth of the Southern California Logistics Airport, offering important rail and trucking operations in close proximity to the Victor Valley.

 

Also, from Barstow to the Nevada State Line, there are plans for further improvements to I-15. Caltrans has plans for improving I-40 by reconstructing 22 miles of highway. There are also plans for the widening of Highway 58 that runs from Barstow though Kramer corners at the Junction of Highway 395 and Highway 58. Barstow also has its own airport, the Barstow-Daggett Airport with 5500 ft. and 6400 ft. Runways, providing service for executive and charter aircraft.

 

Barstow Factory Outlets

 

 

The Barstow Area is especially well known for the Factory Outlet Malls in the Lenwood area of Barstow. There are over 120 stores, including Polo, Ralph Lauren, Gap, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Coach. The Barstow Factory Outlets are owned and operated by the New Plan Excel Realty Trust. In addition, there is the Tanger Factory Outlet at I-15 at Lenwood Rd. that has an additional 24 stores, including Liz Claiborne, Reebok, Van Heusen, Mikasa, and Samsonite Luggage.

These stores have become very popular, because shoppers can purchase famous designer brands of first-quality merchandise at direct-from-manufacturer prices in an atmosphere that is shaded by trees and decorative vines in a park-like setting.

According to the Victorville Daily Press, January 4, 2007, the Tanger Outlet Center wants to add almost 60 percent to their facilities, which represents an increase from 110,000 to 175,000 square feet. They currently have 24 stores, and no vacancies. Carrie Warren from Tanger’s corporate office in Greensboro, N.C. said they expect to add around 15 stores depending on the size of each space. Stores average between 3,500 and 4,000 square feet in size.” It’s time to expand and see some growth,” Warren said. “The location has done well.”

Though Tanger has yet to release information on which stores will be moving into the new spaces, Warren said they already have stores lined up to move in.” We’re not ready to share the store information, but Tanger doesn’t build on speculation,” said Warren. “We’ve been in business for 26 years and we only build if we have over 50 percent leased. We have a great line up for the stores.” The expansion would be built south of the current location, near the Reebok store located in the Tanger Outlets. Warren doesn’t expect any obstacles to the expansion plan and believes it would be good for them and the community. The expansion is subject to Barstow approval.

Warren cites the history of the outlets and the growth of Barstow and Lenwood as factors in the decision to expand the facilities. She also said the Barstow location is undersized compared to the majority of their 35 nationwide outlets, which average 250,000 square feet.” That location has been a success for the past 11 years,” Warren said. “The Barstow area, especially around the I-15, continues to grow, so we expect good traffic. Our outlets range from 80,000 to 1 million square feet, but most are on the larger side.”

 

 

The Barstow area has an abundant water supply

The Mojave Water Agency's Pipeline Project gets its water from the California Aqueduct. The California Aqueduct, also known as the Feather River Project, was completed several years ago at a cost of 3.7 billion dollars. It gets its water from the Orville Dam near Sacramento. It's been estimated that the Feather River Project can bring enough water to service the water needs of 20 million Californians. Work on the Mojave Water Agency's $53 million pipeline project is on schedule, and the water-spreading basin in Lenwood is working as planned. The entire pipe is already in the ground along Community Boulevard and the next segment will take the pipeline up and around Barstow.

Work on the Mojave River Pipeline Project began in March 1997. The pipeline parallels the Mojave River and is designed to carry water as far as Newberry Springs from the California Aqueduct near Baldy Mesa. Water began flowing into the Lenwood water recharge basin on April 3, 1999. The Lenwood recharge site is roughly the halfway point of the project, which is scheduled to arrive in Newberry Springs by 2006.

According to the San Bernardino Sun, October 13, 2005, the 76-mile Mojave River Pipeline, linking the aqueduct south of Adelanto to Newberry Springs, is in its final phase of construction. "We expect to complete the pipeline by late December 2005, so water can start to flow in January," said Kirby Brill, General Manager of the Apple Valley-based Mojave Water Agency, which is building the line.

 

 

The Barstow area offers the following employers:

• Santa Fe Railway's company payroll is $23.7 million.
• United States Marine Corps Logistics Supply Base payroll $103.9 million annually.
• Contel Corporation's annual payroll is $30 million.
• Bendix's annual payroll is $13.2 million.
• Edward's Air Force Base economic impact estimated to be $2.2 billion. - Payroll is over $500 million.
• Fort Irwin Training Center- Army payroll $141 million.

 

Situated to the south of Barstow, the town of Helendale is home to the gorgeous private lake community of Silver Lakes

 

Situated to the south of Hinkley and Barstow and to the north of Victorville is the Town of Helendale. Helendale has the gorgeous Silver Lakes Development. Silver Lakes is a planned private lake community of 3000 home sites that are currently about half built out. Silver Lakes has two man made lakes. One being 112 acres for swimming and fishing and the other is 165 acres for boating activities. There is also a 27-hole PGA Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. Many beautiful homes have been built along the fingers of the lakes and along the fairways of the golf course. The homes in Silver Lakes are some of the most gorgeous ones in the High Desert. Silver Lakes also offers Horseback Riding - Sailing - Boating - Fishing – Racquetball - Lighted Tennis Courts - Shopping and 24 Hour Security. There is also the Inn at Silver Lakes, which is a 50-room hotel.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, February 10, 2011, input from local residents on where they want to divert traffic, build new mountain trails and locate shopping centers is guiding the future development of the Helendale area, as San Bernardino County officials advance a key planning document. The county in May hired consultants to draft for Helendale a Specific Plan - a design document that establishes a community vision and addresses permitted land uses and development standards, transportation issues and infrastructure plans. Both county and local officials have said they envision Helendale growing as a bedroom community with high-end housing. Their goals include major transportation improvements to provide easy freeway access to the now-isolated area. "It's going to be a nice upscale place. I foresee it as executive housing for our future companies that come into Southern California Logistics Airport and other industrial areas," said 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who initiated the planning process at the county level. "I don't think we're going to see any major shopping center or anything, but we'll see some local retail."

 

 

According to the Desert Dispatch, December 16, 2010, an area 20 miles from Newberry Springs was identified as one of 24 prime "solar energy zones" in a draft of a plan designed to speed the development of alternative energy projects. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said that the analysis will help speed the development of renewable energy projects on public lands and determine where the best sites are for solar energy projects. "This proposal lays out the next phase of President [Barack] Obama's strategy for rapid and responsible development of renewable energy on America's public lands," said Salazar in a statement. "This analysis will help renewable energy companies and federal agencies focus development on areas of public lands that are best suited for large-scale solar development."

The study names 24 prime solar energy zones in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Mexico and Utah. Part of the study was conducted on a 23,950-acre parcel of Bureau of Land Management land near Pisgah, in an area between Newberry Springs and Ludlow on both sides of Interstate 40. The three other sites studied within California include BLM land in Riverside and Imperial counties. The BLM partnered with the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy in order to complete the study, which has been in the planning stage for two years. The study took into account environmental, social and economic impacts that any future solar projects would have. The sites that received the recommendation for the solar zone project were designated to be the most appropriate for development because they had the highest solar energy potential and the lowest amount of environmental and resource conflicts, such as water usage. A total of 22 million acres of BLM land would be available for solar development, including 677,400 acres within the proposed Solar Energy Zones. The areas were rated according to the solar insulation scale, which is the amount of kilowatt hours the sun produces per square meter each day. The areas had to score a 6.5 or greater on the solar insulation scale in order to be considered ideal for solar development. The Pisgah area scored about an eight on the scale.

 

 

Located to the east of Barstow, Newberry Springs is an oasis of beautiful lakes in the High Desert.

Newberry Springs is located approximately 20 miles east of Barstow. It is accessible via I-15 and I-40. Encompassing about 117 square miles, it is probably the only area in California that offers 5 professional championship ski lakes, several private ski lakes, and five jet ski boat lakes.

 

Newberry Springs can boast about the Horton Water Ski School, which has been regarded as one of the finest water ski schools in the world. The beautiful Wet Set Village in Newberry Springs has shade trees, flowers and manicured lawns, and has featured water ski tournaments that have been shown on ESPN. Another lake in the Newberry Springs area is the privately owned Cheyenne Lake, which offers water skiing and jet skiing.

 

Newberry Springs is also known for its agriculture. Irrigated by the Mojave Aquifer, the largest aquifer in the Western United States, Newberry Springs produces some of the best pistachios in the world. The climate in Newberry Springs is mild and ideal for many crops, including pistachios, apricots and alfalfa. Newberry Springs is also known for its farming operations, which include ostrich, buffalo, duck, turkey, catfish, and tropical koi fish. The average high temperature in the summer is 100- 110 degrees. In the winter, lows generally get into the 20's, but a dry cold temperature.

 

Kramer Junction is located to the west of Barstow at the junction of U.S. Highway 395 and State Highway 58

Kramer Junction is located at the junction of U.S. Highway 395 and California Highway 58. Highway 395 can be taken from San Diego to Northern California, and Highway 58 leads to Barstow and Bakersfield, connecting easterly to the I-15 interchange to Las Vegas and westerly to the 14 and 5 Freeways. According to a Caltrans publication, dated January 15, 2002, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) propose to construct a 4-lane expressway on Highway 58 between the Kern County line and 7.5 miles east of

Highway 395 in San Bernardino County. The proposed expressway would include a diamond interchange at Highway 395. There is a large traffic count passing through Kramer Junction every day, which explains why Caltrans is considering this expressway and why more and more gas stations and fast food restaurants are locating there.

 

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, February 8, 2011, a proposed solar energy facility near Kramer Junction was approved by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Tuesday. The planning commission had previously approved the project last October, but members of the Local 477 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said they had specific environmental concerns about the project, including the water supply needed for the project and concerns about drainage and animals in the area.

The facility will be located on the south side of Highway 58 in Kramer Junction, about 1.5 miles west of Highway 395. The project has an estimated cost of $140 million. LightSource Renewables LLC is based in San Diego and currently has one other project awaiting approval in the Imperial Valley. The Kramer Junction project will be about 40 megawatts and should produce enough energy to power 18,000 homes.

 

 

Kramer Junction already has 4 major gas stations

Station Name	Highway	Junction	Zip Code:
CHEVRON	2852 HWY 58	KRAMER JUNCTION	93516
SHELL	HWY 395/HWY 58	KRAMER JUNCTION	93516
UNOCAL	6158 HWY 58	KRAMER JUNCTION	93516
MOBIL	HWY 395/HWY 58	KRAMER JUNCTION	93516

 

 

Chinese company announces $100 million major distribution center with a payroll of $2.67 million at Kramer Junction in 2006

According to the Victorville Daily Press, May 7, 2006, a Chinese company is planning a $100 million global distribution center at Kramer Junction with an annual payroll of $2.67 million. The Yasheng Group has purchased 81 acres of land at U.S. Highway 395 and State Highway 58. The company is a diverse conglomerate with products ranging from sodium sulfite to plastic industrial pipe to hops (it claims to supply the most hops to beer-makers in China), said Michael Larivee, General Manager of the Company’s United States operations.

The project is planned in three phases. First, Yasheng plans to build a logistics center for its own use, including a dry storage palletized area as well as a controlled-temperature and bulk-staging area for repacking and labeling. The second phase will involve an expansion of the first phase, and the third phase will involve offering logistics services to other companies — both from the U.S. and China.

“The reason they chose the location at Kramer Junction is because it was close to the Southern California Logistics Airport.” The Chinese Company plans to use SCLA for imports and exports, providing a direct link between the High Desert and China. The 24-hour U.S. Customs office at SCLA would help companies bypass the congestion in Los Angeles and Ontario.

San Bernardino County’s Economic Development Manager, Christopher Jicha, wrote a letter in December 2005 offering assistance through the entitlement process — including a general plan amendment and traffic studies. According to David Zook, spokesman for First District Supervisor Bill Postmus, the Project is expected to have an annual payroll of $2.67 million and generate more jobs in the economy as local companies take advantage of the export services offered at the Distribution Center.

Marianne Venieris, Executive Director of the Center for International Trade and Transportation at Cal State Long Beach, said she was not surprised the Chinese are flexing their logistics muscle in the northern Inland Empire. “If you think a few years back, who would have thought that there would be a distribution area in the Inland Empire because everything was scattered around the port?” she said. “Now that they’re to capacity, people are looking at inland ports.”

 

The famous solar energy plants at Kramer Junction

Kramer Junction is well known for its five solar energy plants. These plants work with thousands of mirrors that attract the sun’s rays and heat a turbine to produce low cost energy. The Kramer Junction Company (KJC) operates the five 30-Megawatt solar thermal electric generating facilities at Kramer Junction. KJC has a 30-year exclusive contract to provide power to Southern California Edison (SCE). The designed total combined output of these plants is approximately 165 Megawatts at full capacity.

 

 

 

Solel owns three of the world's largest solar power plants, which are located at Kramer Junction, Harper Lake, and Daggett. These plants produce about 354 Megawatts of solar electricity, which accounts for about 90% of the world's solar thermal power production. Solel is considered a major world player in the solar thermal power market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edward's Air Force Base

Situated to the west of Barstow and Hinkley and to the northwest of Victorville and Helendale lies Edward's Air Force Base. It’s where the Space Shuttle is launched, and the home of NASA and a myriad of private companies and industries. Edward’s has been at the cutting edge of space exploration and weapons development. Edward’s land area of 530 square miles encompasses portions of San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Kern Counties. It has an annual payroll in excess of $500 million, and is one of the largest employers in the High Desert. No doubt that the proximity of Barstow to such a Goliath as Edward’s Air Force Base can only help the growth of the Victor Valley in the 21st Century.