One of the greatest challenges for Greater Los Angeles and Orange County will be to provide affordable housing for the workforce. A key reason is that residential land has gone through the roof in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. We believe the sky high land costs in these areas will push companies and their employees to the Inland Empire, which already has the infrastructure to support the next major metropolis in Southern California. The Victor Valley is the jewel of the Inland Empire, and is where the next major land boom in California is already underway. John Husing, a well-known economist, said the Victor Valley, between 2010 and 2020, will likely become the new center for California's distribution industry. He went on to say that as the large cities in the Inland Empire run out of room, the distribution needs of industry will look to the Victor Valley.

 

The Victor Valley is Now Part of the Famous E Corridor, and is the Fastest Growing Area in San Bernardino County

 

The e corridor is the corridor of the New Economy. It is comprised of key incorporated communities in the Inland Empire, including San Bernardino, Ontario, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Hesperia, Victorville, Adelanto, Apple Valley, and Barstow. This new area has three international airports, including Ontario International Airport, San Bernardino International Airport and the new Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville. This new Airport could become one of the most important international cargo airports in the nation.

According to the Victorville Daily Press, March 14, 2008, the Victor Valley is now the fastest-growing area in San Bernardino County and shows no signs of stopping.

 

 

 

The Victor Valley is within the following driving distances:

Los Angeles County (50 miles)
Orange County (63 miles)
Palm Springs (95 miles)
Las Vegas (182 miles)
Phoenix (371 miles)
San Francisco (416 miles)

 

 

According to 24-7 Press Release, August 12, 2010, Dr Pepper Snapple Group's new manufacturing and distribution facility in the City of Victorville is now operational. Located at the Southern California Logistics Airport, the 850,000 square-foot beverage manufacturing and distribution hub is the largest construction/manufacturing project completed in San Bernardino County, the largest county in California and one of the largest in the country. The facility is bringing more than 200 new jobs to the region. The facility serves as the company's Western manufacturing and distribution hub, bringing up to 40 million cases of product to California and parts of the Southwest. Expected to qualify for LEED certification, the facility houses a 550,000 square-foot beverage distribution center, five filling lines, office space and state-of-the-art beverage processing and support systems. It manufactures soft drink and juice brands such as Snapple, A&W Root Beer, Schweppes, Squirt, RC Cola, Mott's, 7UP and Hawaiian Punch. "The City of Victorville has created an environment in which we are well-positioned to thrive in the Western Region," said Larry Young, president and CEO of DPS. "The delivery of this state-of-the-art facility will allow us to offer a high level of customer service and grow our business." Plastipak Packaging, Inc., a global leader in product packaging, will supply the plastic containers for DPS's manufacturing facility as well as other major consumer product manufacturers. Plastipak's existing customers include Procter & Gamble, Pepsi, Kraft Foods, Kroger and Tropicana. "The relocation and expansion of DPS and Plastipak have laid the foundation for a vibrant industry cluster for the food and beverage industry in Victorville," said Keith Metzler, City of Victorville, director of economic development. "We have successfully delivered the infrastructure to serve the industry's leading suppliers, manufacturers and distributors."

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, August 11, 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $2.6 million grant to Southern California Logistics Airport to widen a taxiway and repave a connector leading to the runway. Widening the taxiway is needed to accommodate some of the newer aircraft using the airport, according to FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. Boeing has been testing a new version of the 747 jumbo jet at SCLA that's well suited to cargo operations, an airport official said. "We're fortunate that Boeing is doing flight testing on the new 747 at the airport right now," airport consultant Jim Worsham said. "That way we can say it's already been flying in and out of here." The new jumbo jet's test experience and the $2.6 million of improvements planned at SCLA could be a big selling point to cargo companies looking to expand their operations to the Inland Empire, Worsham said.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, May 26, 2010, Victor Valley College unveiled a project geared toward saving money, conserving energy and training students: the largest solar plant of its kind in North America. The 1-megawatt solar field, designed by Mountain View-based SolFocus Inc., should generate up to $22 million in energy savings over 25 years and provide one-third of the college's annual energy. That amount could produce enough electricity for 370 homes, according to SolFocus.

More than 100 people showed for the plant's grand opening ceremony at VVC in Victorville. The plant, which took two months to build, sits on 6-acres at the college's lower campus behind the ball fields near Fish Hatchery and Bear Valley roads. Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado headlined the ribbon-cutting event. "As I look back," Maldonado said, gesturing toward the 122 solar arrays lined neatly in rows like a grove of trees, "this is the future of California." Maldonado and other college and industry officials credited the project a step toward sustainability. The plant is estimated to reduce the college's carbon footprint by 1,700 tons of emissions in one year, and also a way to equip students for the work force.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, May 1, 2010, Victorville grew the most in San Bernardino County last year, gaining 2,829 residents for a 2.6 percent gain. The city started off the year at 109,268 residents and finished off 2009 with a population of 112,097, according to the California Department of Finance. Only one other city in the county, Grand Terrace, hit the 2 percent growth mark. Among High Desert cities and towns:

• Adelanto grew 1.1 percent, to 28,540 residents from 28,221 in 2009.
• Apple Valley grew from 69,748 to 70,040, for a 0.4 percent gain.
• Barstow also saw 0.4 percent growth, moving from 24,174 residents to 24,281.
• Hesperia increased from 88,041 to 88,479 residents for a 0.5 increase.

 

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, February 11, 2011, nearly half the home sales in the Victor Valley area are cash sales. Out of 386 homes sold in January, 45 percent of them were cash sales, according to data compiled by realtors in the Victor Valley. Local realtors said it's a good sign for the housing market. 'We've got a lot of investors buying homes (in the High Desert)' "It shows that the market has stabilized and people think the prices will go up." According to the National Association of Realtors, all-cash transactions accounted for 28 percent of U.S. home sales in 2010, up from 14 percent in October 2008.

 

 

According to LA.STREETSBLOG.ORG, September 20, 2010, it's worthwhile to check in on one of the few new highway projects in Southern California, the High Desert Corridor project. So what is the High Desert Corridor? Caltrans refers to the project as "multi-modal" because it will help move cars and trucks. The High Desert Corridor will accommodate an expected three to six fold increase in track between the Antelope and Victor Valley. The HDC will construct a new 50-mile east-west freeway/expressway and possible truck toll facility between Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The east-west segment would be an eight-lane freeway [including a High Occupancy Vehicle lane in each direction] from SR-14 past the Palmdale Airport to 50th St East along an alignment paralleling P-8 in Palmdale; a six-lane freeway/expressway from 50th St East to 240th St East past the planned Southern California Logistics Airport to I-15. While there's little written on this project compared to many of the other Measure R Highway Projects; it could have a gigantic impact on the way in which the region grows. Consider that the mammoth widening of the I-405 occurring in West Los Angeles will add 25% car capacity to the road, but this project will add between 300%-600% along a 50 mile stretch. Thus far, there's little vocal opposition to the project, while support comes in from as far away as Las Vegas. While Metro is optimistically broadcasting a 2020 completion date for the project, the hearings being held this month are just the beginning of the environmental process.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, February 12, 2011, Victor Valley College has spent more than $1 million on recent beautification and parking lot projects, projects that college officials say give the school a long overdue facelift as it prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The college has paid roughly $530,000 out of voter-approved bond money to resurface parking lots and fix potholes, and $614,000 out of its capital improvement funds, not bond money or general-fund cash, to install new landscaping throughout its main campus in Victorville, according to spokesman Bill Greulich. It's the first time the college has launched a major campus-wide beautification project in the past four decades, according to Greulich. Previous projects have included patch-work additions, whereas now the college has established a uniform look and standards for plants and other features, he said. Last spring interim President Christopher O'Hearn cited beautifying the campus among his top short-term goals.

 

 

According to the Victor Valley website, August 18, 2010, Victorville's a Pepper - and a lot of jobs are Pepper, too. Dr Pepper Snapple Group is firing up the assembly lines at its new, 850,000-square-foot production and distribution center on 57 acres at Southern California Logistics Airport. At full capacity, the center can churn out 40 million cases of beverages each year. But it's the jobs that those beverages equate to that have city officials buzzing about the plant. Company officials said that as of last week 217 jobs have been created at the plant, not counting its boost to nearby business and the construction of the massive facility. Officials say about 600 new jobs have been related to the business, said Collette Hanna, business development manager for Victorville. "It's humongous, huge," Hanna said. "Dr Pepper invested a little more than $120 million in the project. ... It's a major impact not only to the Victor Valley, but we've also learned this was one of the largest construction projects of its type in San Bernardino County."

City officials were keen on the success of the facility, especially when they realized they had a chip that could help lure the beverage giant: a wastewater treatment facility. The company needed one to treat the wastewater that comes out of the beverage manufacturing process. So, Victorville invested $30 million to build the facility, not only with Dr Pepper Snapple Group in mind, but future manufacturers, Hanna said. It paid off. The Victorville plant has become the company's fifth and final national manufacturing and distribution hub in a move toward a "hub-and spoke" system of facilities across the country. In such a system, the company creates efficiencies by staying closer to the markets it serves. "Their commitment to build this wastewater facility was an important piece," said Eric Gold, director of engineering for Dr Pepper Snapple. "We looked at several different areas, and the thing that came out on top was their pro-business environment." It didn't hurt that Victorville and Southern California Logistics Airport, where the facility is located, are right smack near both the 15 Freeway and Highway 395 - convenient trucking lanes. The facility seems to be paying off for Dr Pepper Snapple, too. In attracting the bottle manufacturer Plastipak, the company no longer has to worry about producing and shipping certain products from the East Coast. They can be bottled and shipped from Victorville, and there was a ready and willing labor pool to do it, workers who once commuted to outlying areas to work.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, August 22, 2010, they may not have traditional pilots, but five Predator planes will soon have a permanent home at Southern California Logistics Airport. The Air Force has been paying $6,636 per month for nearly two years to lease Hangar 868 at SCLA as a temporary base for training missions with the MQ-1 Predator Unmanned Surveillance System. But the $4 million hangar set to break ground at former George Air Force Base on Tuesday will be the Air National Guard's first designed specifically to serve as a base for the in-demand Predator system. A ground-breaking ceremony for the hangar is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at SCLA, with military and community officials expected to attend. The new hangar will take roughly a year to build.

 

 

According to Victorvillecity.com, January 3, 2011, an Adelanto company is looking to move into abandoned munitions bunkers at Southern California Logistics Airport, where it can test decoy flares and other prototypes for clients that include the Department of Defense and NASA. "One of the new projects that will be kicked off in this new location will be to conduct research and development on a new class of decoy flares," said Kevin Mahaffy, president of Exquadrum, Inc. "When enemies fire anti-aircraft missiles at our military aircraft, these flares are deployed to confuse the missile and save the aircraft and the lives of those onboard." To make ventures like that one feasible, Mahaffy is moving headquarters for his research and development company from a 10,000-square-foot building on Rancho Road to a series of bunkers at former George Air Force Base. The bunkers were rated for bomb blast and were previously used by the Air Force to store potentially explosive material, a staff report included in Tuesday night's Victorville City Council agenda states, making the buildings a fitting environment for Exquadrum's test facility.

Exquadrum has done work in the past for the US Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency, with projects that include hypersonic wind tunnel technology, satellite thrusters and biological weapons neutralization, with rocket motor systems tested at the El Mirage and Lucerne Valley dry lake beds. "Another new project that we will be kicking off at that location early next year is for NASA," Mahaffy said. "We will be conducting research and development of a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle technology. This UAV will be launched from another aircraft. It will then inflate and go on to fly its mission of conducting earth observation, science missions."

 

 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LOGISTICS AIRPORT SCHOOL OF AVIATION GRADUATES BECOME FULLY-CERTIFIED A&P AIRCRAFT MECHANICS

According to Victorvillecity.com, January 19, 2011, a class of 43 is the first graduating class from the Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) School of Aviation, with full certification in general aviation mechanics, and the more comprehensive power plant and airframe mechanical training. The graduation takes place on January 19, 2011, 7:00 p.m., at Victor Valley Community College Performing Arts Center. John Hardell, President, SCLA School of Aviation, will be conducting the ceremony.

The SCLA School of Aviation was formed in 2006 with the intent of educating Victor Valley residents in aircraft mechanics, making them ready for employment as jobs become available with companies located at SCLA. With this graduating class, nearly 50% are either already employed or will soon be employed by SCLA companies. Other graduates have found employment at other area airports or aviation companies, including Lockheed and the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Barstow. Only eight graduates are still being placed by the School, as part of the service offered is assistance with job placement. "We are very proud of being able to educate a workforce, providing quality job opportunities for our residents, leading to a better quality of life while also improving the economic condition of the Victor Valley", said Keith Metzler, director of economic development and SCLA. The school provides Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified courses. Upon certification, graduates are qualified to perform service or make repairs on all types and sizes of private and commercial aircraft. The school is funded by the State of California, the County of San Bernardino, the City of Victorville and private investors. Graduate earning potential ranges from $40,000 to $100,000 annually.

 

 

According to VegasInc, July 12, 2011, the U.S. Transportation Department has given the green light to developers of DesertXpress to begin preliminary engineering for the $6 billion, 186-mile high-speed rail project that would link Las Vegas with Victorville, Calif. The approval, known as a record of decision, is the final step in the arduous process of preparing an environmental impact statement on the controversial project. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office issued a news release announcing the record of decision. This "announcement is about one thing: creating good-paying jobs right here in Nevada," the Nevada Democrat said in the release. "This major step forward for the privately sponsored DesertXpress project will create more than 32,000 jobs in Southern Nevada and boost our economy by providing another way for tourists to visit and enjoy this great state."

DesertXpress officials are counting on extending their line from Victorville to the California system with a 50-mile link west to Palmdale. Currently, that's the only plan in place for passengers to travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The Federal Railroad Administration has overseen the environmental review process, which began in 2006. The process was complicated because the route crossed land administered by the Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and Surface Transportation Board, and each agency had to sign off on the plan. The twin-track route would run primarily within the Interstate 15 right-of-way, with trains reaching speeds of about 150 mph. Company officials have estimated ticket prices to average $50 each way. An estimated 26 percent of Las Vegas visitors come from Southern California.

A UNLV report says the DesertXpress project would produce an estimated 17,469 primary jobs and 16,432 secondary jobs in Clark County by 2013. The project also is expected to result in 50,000 jobs in Southern California's San Bernardino County. DesertXpress officials said they were encouraged by the publication of the record of decision, which would enable the Federal Railroad Administration to review a $5.9 billion federal loan application. In an emailed statement, a representative of the company said, "With the continued support of federal, state and local leaders, DesertXpress is committed to becoming our country's first true high-speed rail line."

 

 

According to the San Bernardino Sun, January 16, 2010, Boeing officials have confirmed that the company's much-anticipated 787 Dreamliner will go through rigorous flight tests at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, which could be a financial boon to some of the city's retail businesses. "Victorville is on the list," said Boeing's Yvonne Leach during a Wednesday interview. "That's the plan as of today." Boeing has chosen SCLA as the "primary site" for the test program and will test three aircraft there, city documents state. The airport would reap $150,000 in landing and fuel-flow fees. Up to 300 people affiliated with the test program - most likely Boeing employees - could be stationed at SCLA, according to a permit application for facility use that was filed with the city. "We're looking forward to local hotels, restaurants, rental car agencies, gas stations and other businesses maybe getting an additional infusion from this," a Victorville spokesperson said. "You want the airplane to experience everything the plane could experience in its flight in a compressed period of time," Gunter said. "The test airplanes are wired with sensors and all types of test equipment that aren't on a normal airplane. We're monitoring in very precise ways."

Worsham said SCLA's 15,100-foot runway, large open areas and sunny weather are optimal for testing planes. Boeing has tested aircraft there since 2003, but testing the Dreamliner could be "big business for the High Desert," he said. Boeing has orders for 840 of the jets and plans the first delivery to Japan's All Nippon Airways in late 2010. The Dreamliners being tested are the first of three 787 models that Boeing hopes to roll into the market in the future.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, January 29, 2010, a part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the local workforce, Victor Valley College has secured an $837,500 federal grant to train 150 auto and aircraft technicians, as part of a vital expansion of the Southern California Logistics Airport School of Aviation Technology. VVC is the only agency in San Bernardino County of 13 agencies across California to earn a share last week of $10.7 million in federal stimulus funds through the "Industries with Statewide Need" program." This grant for the school is critically important," said Victorville Economic Development Director Keith Metzler, who oversees operations at SCLA. "It's vital to the continued success of the school. It's certainly going to allow us to expand our programs." The aviation school is an 82-week program that will make its students licensed A&Ps, or airframe and power plant technicians authorized to do maintenance, repair and overhaul work on commercial aircraft.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, January 12, 2010, if a Beverly Hills-based company has its way; Victorville may well become the "Gateway to China." Yasheng ECO-Trade Corporation has been working for more than a year on plans to develop a massive logistics center near Southern California Logistics Airport, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As planned, the "Yasheng Asia Pacific Cooperative Zone" would initially house operations for some 50 Chinese companies, SEC documents state, creating a centralized location to finish production on goods imported through the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports and then market, sell and distribute those products.

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, November 10, 2009, the United States Chamber of Commerce awarded the Victorville Chamber of Commerce with Four-Star Accreditation this week for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures and positive impact on the community. U.S. Chamber executives say the accreditation validates a chamber as having programs that benefit their local economy and positively influence action in their community." Achieving our second 4-Star Accreditation is very exciting," said Accreditation Chairperson Pat Caldwell, in a prepared statement. "Nine different committees worked hard to assure that we are meeting the U.S. Chamber's standard of excellence." Mayor Caldwell said it is very rewarding to be involved in an organization that is so successful and that contributes so much to the community.

 

 

According to Inland Newspapers, October 30, 2009, a high speed rail is coming to the Inland Empire. The only question is, will it run through San Bernardino or Riverside County. "It'll be a whole new system of transportation that will employ hundreds of thousands of people," said San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris, who serves on the board of San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the county transportation planning agency.

The 800-mile, $45 billion high-speed train system will haul passengers from Los Angeles to San Diego, via the Inland Empire. Several routes are proposed in the Inland region. Tracks can run parallel to the 10 Freeway and then bend north, running adjacent the Metrolink line, or run parallel to Holt Avenue in Ontario. The tracks can then either continue east into San Bernardino or run south, parallel to the 215 Freeway. Or they can run south from Ontario, adjacent the 15 Freeway, through Riverside County, Donahue said. The project is aimed at complementing existing Metrolink and Amtrack services, as well as multiple high-speed rail and rapid transit projects planned for the San Bernardino Valley in coming years. "Those systems are designed to be what we call feeders into the high-speed rail, so it's very important we have those light rail and bus services that will feed into the high speed network," Donahue said. "The more of those feeder systems are available, the greater the ridership will be."

 

 

According to the Victorville Daily Press, June 9, 2009, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told the Los Angeles Times that he’s now backing the DesertXpress Project from Victorville to Vegas. Senator Reid said the privately funded DesertXpress is cheaper and closer to starting construction than the government-funded Maglev, according to a report in Tuesday’s L.A. Times, and that the Victorville-to-Vegas project now seems like the most viable option. DesertXpress is expected to cost between $3.5 and $4 billion. The train will travel up to 150 mph, cost $110 round-trip and drop visitors in Vegas in roughly an hour and 20 minutes, according to DesertXpress President, Tom Stone. The project could start construction in Victorville in early 2010 and take four years to complete, with a possible future connection to Palmdale.

 

 

 

12 Key Points you must know about the Victor Valley

 

Population. The SANBAG Victor Valley Area Transportation Study of July 2006 stated that the population of the Victor Valley had grown to approximately 335,000 residents. According to the Victorville Daily Press, May 11, 2005, the Mayor of Victorville predicted that the population of the Victor Valley would reach 1,000,000 residents by 2013. According to the Victorville Daily Press, March 14, 2008, the Victor Valley is now the fastest-growing area in San Bernardino County and shows no signs of stopping.

 

 

Southern California Logistics Airport, located in Victorville, is now operational, and home to many global billion-dollar companies like Boeing, General Electric, Swiss Global Cargo, Pratt & Whitney, Catellus Development Corporation, Pasha Group, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1999, the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority reached an agreement with Stirling Enterprises for a $418 million development plan for this Airport. Stirling is the developer of this Airport. SCLA could become one of the largest international cargo airports in the nation.

 

 

Wal-Mart's $80 million Consumer Products Distribution Center is now operational on 320 acres in the Victor Valley, and serves all Wal-Marts and Sam's Clubs in Southern California. It is estimated to create 900 jobs. With revenues of over $351 billion in 2006, Wal-Mart is the world's largest company and retailer, and has been ranked number 1 on the Fortune 500 for 2006. Wal-Mart employs 1.9 million people worldwide.

 

 

Major Distribution Centers. Goodyear Tire Manufacturing built a multi-million dollar 830,000 Sq. Ft. distribution center in Victorville. Mars Candy built a $20 million distribution center in Victorville, very close to the Goodyear facility on Hesperia Road. In Victorville's Foxborough Industrial Park, Conagra Foods built a 207,000 Sq. Ft. cold storage facility and Nutro Pet Products is building a $60 million, 650,000 Sq. Ft. distribution center.

 

 

 

 

Two Major Power Plants. First Major Power plant in 10 years in California at a cost of $450 million is now operational in the Victor Valley. Moreover, a Second 500-Megawatt Solar/Gas-Fired Power Plant shall be built at the northern edge of the Southern California Logistics Airport.

 

 

 

 

Major Completed Freeways: I-15 that goes south to San Diego and north to Las Vegas, Hwy 395 which goes south to Mexico and north to Canada, and Hwy 18 and Hwy 138. The Victor Valley is about an hour and fifteen-minute drive from Disneyland and Los Angeles. Caltrans will spend $178 million on I-15 expansion and add a third lane to reduce the freeway congestion along this highly traveled freeway in the Victor Valley.

 

 

Major shopping Malls Host Major Multi-Screen Movie Complexes that include national retailers such as Best Buy, Circuit City, Mervyn's, Sears, JC Penney's, Costco, Harris/Gottschalks, Lowe’s Home Improvement Center, Home Depot, Big 5, Staples, Old Navy, Petsmart, Officemax, Pier 1 Imports, Toys R US, several Wal-Mart locations, and many other national chain stores. The Victor Valley Mall has over 100 Stores, and is located on 60 acres at the Bear Valley Road interchange off the I-15 Freeway.

 

 

 

 

 

National Chain Restaurants like Cask N Cleaver, Marie Calendar's, McDonald's, Starbucks, Applebee's, KFC, Hometown Buffet, Red Robin, Baja Fresh, Red Lobster, Bob's Bigboy, Coco's, Denny's, Olive Garden, and the Outback Steakhouse.

 

 

 

Famous Supermarkets and Drugstores such as Ralph's, Hughes, Albertson's, Stater Bros., Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Sav-On and Longs.

 

 

 

 

Famous Hotel Chains such as Hilton, Marriott, La Quinta, Best Western, Red Roof, Ramada, Travelodge, Howard Johnson Inn, Days Inn Suites, Super 8 and Holiday Inn.

 

 

 

 

A Proposed High Speed Maglev Train is being considered which could take passengers from Anaheim to the Victor Valley and Las Vegas at speeds of 300 MPH, and travel the 269 miles between Anaheim and Las Vegas in just 86 minutes. According to the San Bernardino Sun, November 16, 2005, Congress has authorized spending $45 million for the Maglev Train Study in the current Federal Transportation Bill. Victorville Mayor Rothchild stated that the Maglev Train will make us less oil dependent, bring more business along the route through the Victor Valley, and reduce congestion on the highly traveled I-15.

 

 

An Impressive Educational System that includes the Victor Valley Community College and the Victor Valley Union High School which includes 10 High Schools in its system. Apple Valley can boast of its modern, state of the art 180,000 square foot Granite Hills High School that has over 2000 students. In addition, there are Elementary Schools and Junior High Schools in the Victor Valley. The high quality of education is a magnet for bringing new residents and new housing developments to this thriving region.

 

 

These airports, industries, shopping malls, national retailers, hotels, restaurants, homebuilders, and school systems do an extensive amount of demographic research before committing funds to a new area. The existence of their completed developments proves their strong belief in the future of the Victor Valley.

 

 

Massive 1 Million Sq. Ft. Logistics Project underway at SCLA in 2008

According to the Victorville Daily Press, March 9, 2008, work has begun on what is being called the largest speculative industrial project ever built in the High Desert. Stirling Capital Investments is developing the 1-million-square-foot warehouse-distribution building at SCLA in Victorville, Stirling Vice President Brian Parno said. Construction on the 46-acre site started in February and is expected to be finished in December 2008. Despite the current economic slowdown, Stirling Capital officials still view the High Desert as a solid industrial market. “You don't build a logistics facility like this one for one year; you build it for 50 years." "You're a lot better positioned to do that in the High Desert than you are in Riverside or Ontario even if you could find a large-enough parcel," Parno said. "Down there you're more restricted to serving Southern California." The Victor Valley is a better option.

When it's finished, Southern California Logistics Center at SCLA will create approximately 24,000 jobs, along with another 18,500 supporting jobs in surrounding communities, Victorville Mayor Terry Caldwell said in a release. Mayor Caldwell is also chairman of the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority. The project will generate about $3 billion a year in economic activity, Mayor Caldwell said in the release. Stirling Capital is based in Foothill Ranch in Orange County. It is operated by Dougall Agan and Chris Downey, both of whom have developed more than $3 billion worth of projects in Southern California, according to the release.

The 2,500-acre Southern California Logistics Centre is part of Southern California Logistics Airport. SCLA is an 8,500-acre freight transportation hub made up of air, rail and ground components. The Southern California Logistics Airport, which handles cargo flights only, covers 2,500 acres. The planned 3,500-acre Southern California Rail Complex will feature 20 million square feet of distribution and manufacturing space at SCLA. Stirling Capital's 1-million- square-foot building will be located about three miles from Interstate 15, one of the busiest freight corridors in the United States, Parno said. The building will be attractive to any company looking for a western United States distribution hub.

The building, which will join four similar light-industrial structures at the logistics center developed by Stirling Capital, will cost about $5 million to construct. All five buildings will cover about 6.5 million square feet on 350 acres, according to a Stirling Capital release. About 200 people are expected to work in the new structure, Parno said. CB Richard Ellis will market the development. The building could handle up to four tenants, but Stirling Capital - which specializes in master-planned communities and major industrial land renovations -- would prefer to lease to one tenant. It's going to be the biggest light-industrial building in the High Desert, without question."

The President of Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services' Victorville office said he knows of no larger logistical building in the High Desert than Stirling Capital's latest project.” We’re going to recommend it to any of our clients who are looking for industrial space." "We'd be crazy not to. It's a tough market, no question about it, but I would expect it to fill up pretty quickly. There's a good labor pool to draw from up here."

 

 

Victor Valley's population is predicted to grow to 1,000,000 by 2013

According to the Victorville Daily Press, May 11, 2005, the Victor Valley will be home to a million people within eight years. That's the prediction of Victorville Mayor Mike Rothschild, who based the forecast on market research accounting for the addition of a rail spur and a resulting surge of homegrown businesses at Southern California Logistics Airport and elsewhere. The Mayor said:” We’ll be creating a job market independent of the L.A. market," he said. "(The rail spur and Southern California Logistics Airport) will bring in 7,000 to 15,000 jobs directly. And there will be a spin-off of 40,000 to 50,000 of other jobs as restaurants, barbers and such opening up."

Independent research indicates that Mayor Rothschild may not be far off the mark — at least not by too many years. Apple Valley spokeswoman Kathie Martin, citing figures compiled by the Southern California Association of Governments said there would be 1 million more people in Victor Valley by 2020. The population of the incorporated communities of Adelanto, Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley totaled 273,404 as of January 1, 2005, and that did not include the unincorporated areas such as Phelan, Silver Lakes, Spring Valley Lake, Wrightwood, Pinion Hills and Lucerne Valley, where tens of thousands more live.

Mayor Rothschild's prediction comes on the heels of a report released last week by the California Department of Finance showing that three of the four fastest-growing communities in San Bernardino County in 2004 were in the Victor Valley. In terms of percentage, Victorville was the eighth-fastest growing city in California behind Colma, a small town in the Bay area, according to the Department of Finance report. However, with 8,326 new residents for a 10.7 percent population increase, Victorville was the second fastest-growing city among those with a population of over 50,000. Yuba City, north of Sacramento, was No. 1 at 13.5 percent. Adelanto grew by 9.5 percent (2,023 new residents) in 2004, while Hesperia (5,370 new residents) grew by 7.6 percent. Apple Valley (2,141 new residents) grew by 3.5 percent, while Barstow (195 new residents) grew by 0.8 percent. Hesperia spokeswoman Kim Summers cited the building of 16,000 homes in the new community of Rancho Las Flores within the next three years as evidence that the growth rate will continue in that city.

 

The phenomenal growth record of the Victor Valley

Health Care: The dynamic population growth of the Victor Valley has resulted in great strides in health care with the impressive multi-story Kaiser Permanente Building in Victorville. The recent $40 million expansion of St. Mary Regional Medical Center in Apple Valley has provided advanced levels of service in cardiology, radiology, surgery, emergency care and patient care.

 

 

 

 

Car Dealerships and Auto Mall: The population growth of the region has also brought new car dealerships around Interstate 15, including Valley Hi Toyota and Honda, Rancho Motors, Sunland Ford, and the recently announced, new Suzuki dealership. The CEO of the Suzuki dealership said: "This will be one of the largest stand-alone Suzuki dealerships in the entire nation." The Japanese carmaker was looking for another Southern California location, and they chose Victorville, because of the excellent demographics in the Victor Valley. According to the Daily Press, June 24, 2003, the city of Victorville is building an auto mall on the land previously occupied by the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum. The property is situated between Interstate 15 and the soon-to-be-extended Civic Drive, and from the Victorville Superior Court north to Roy Rogers Drive. The museum building will be torn down and Civic Drive extended in the near future. Greiner Buick-Pontiac-GMC, Hi Desert Kia and Victorville Motors Inc. have committed to moving from their current locations to the planned mall space. Victorville City Councilman Mike Rothschild said the mall would connect with interstate 15 and use massive freeway signage to draw customers. The Vice President and General Manager of Victorville Motors, Tim Watts, said he hoped to be open by March 2004. Hi Desert Kia officials said they were aiming for an April 2004 opening date. Greiner Buick-Pontiac-GMC estimated doors would open by August 2004. City Councilman, Mike Rothschild, said that the 80 acres of city-owned land would be utilized for new-car dealerships because of their sales tax potential. "If you can have one type of business, you want new-car dealerships. They are the king of the sales tax," Rothschild said.

 

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company: Goodyear located in the Victor Valley last year, and developed an 830,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in Victorville. Goodyear's Vice President, Gerry Holthaus, commented on why Goodyear chose the Victor Valley. He said that: "Victorville was the most cost effective location from the standpoint of labor, land and infrastructure to locate a logistics center of this size."

 

 

 

 

Victor Valley's Southern California Logistics Airport: SCLA

The former "George Airforce Base" in Victorville has been converted into an international cargo airport. It is located just 50 miles from Los Angeles County, and only an hour and fifteen-minute drive from Disneyland and Orange County. It is strategically positioned in Victorville off Interstate 15, which is traveled extensively by motorists going to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. In 1999, the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority reached an agreement with Stirling Enterprises LLC for a $418 million development plan for this Airport. SCLA was created by Stirling Enterprises. SCLA boasts two ten thousand feet runways and a 9000-foot runway. One runway has been extended to 13,000 feet. Now the Department of Transportation has approved a $2.85 million dollar grant to extend the main runway to 15,500 feet, giving it one of the longest runways in the United States. Congressman Jerry Lewis was also instrumental in obtaining a previous $4.85 million dollar grant for runway extension.

 

 

Why is the Victor Valley growing?

The answer is prohibitive government regulations and expensive land costs in the larger cities are pushing companies and new residents to the Victor Valley.

 

Government Regulations

In Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego Counties, businesses have to deal with all the requirements of the South Coast Air Quality Management Agency (SCAQMD) and other agencies, where it could take up to 2 years to get a permit to begin development. In the Victor Valley businesses can expand with the friendly, cooperative Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and other government agencies, which have a reputation for being very, very pro-business.
 

Affordable Land

 

In Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange Counties, housing is still expensive. In the Victor Valley, the median comparable new home is still more affordable. In Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange Counties, undeveloped commercially zoned land parcels are still listed at very expensive prices. Even in the Inland Empire, undeveloped land values have already become very costly. Commercially zoned vacant land in Ontario, Chino Hills and the Moreno Valley has become out of reach. On the other hand, the Victor Valley, located in the Inland Empire North, offers reasonably priced property in a dynamic growing region.

 

Professional Land Corporation specializes in choice, close in land parcels in prime locations in the Victor Valley. Many of these properties are zoned residential, industrial or commercial. Prime acreage parcels can be purchased with affordable long term financing.