1 OffIces (IN PROGRess): Bungalows on Olivewood

Avenue were moved to make way for a five-story office building and four-story parking structure. An agreement with the developer expired in November though, so the city plans to seek a new developer for the property. The city wants to move two Victorian homes currently on the property to square off the site. All but one of the bungalows that were moved have been sold.

Reviving downtown Riverside has been a major element of the citys Renaissance plan to achieve 30 years of improvements in five years. In three years, the Fox theater has been rehabilitated and the pedestrian mall refurbished. A live-work condo development stumbled but an office tower opened. Since the recession took hold, several plans havent budged. Here are the projects that have been finished or are still under consideration for downtown:
RESEARCH BY KImBeRLY PIeRceALL AND ALIcIA ROBINsON

DOWNTOWN EVOLUTION

converted into apartments. The city, which owns some but not all of the homes, plans to hire a consultant to look at what type of housing should go there.

28 cONveNtION ceNteR/HOteLs (futuRe): City officials are studying what improvements should be made to the convention center, including expanding it. A Hyatt Place is scheduled to be built near the Marriott Riverside in mid-to-late 2010.

Riverside county building at 14th and Lemon streets

2 feDeRAL cOuRt cOmPLex (futuRe): City officials

and others have suggested a federal court complex could go between 12th and 14th streets, but no moves have been made in this direction. Proponents of the idea, which has yet to receive federal support, would like both U.S. district and bankruptcy courts housed here.

29 sANtA cRuz mOteL (futuRe): The motel is a

historic building but city officials have been tracking crime reports. The motels owner rehabbed the rooms and as crime at the property has diminished, the city has placed its redevelopment lower on its list of priorities.

DAVID BAUMAN/THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

30 cvs/stARBucKs (fINIsHeD): The Starbucks and

CVS pharmacy have been open since 2006 and 2007.

county fleet services garage

23 fOx tHeAteR (fINIsHeD): Renovation of the Fox has been one

exterior and interior of the 1929 Mission Revival-style building of the priciest projects in the Riverside Renaissance initiative, while giving it new seating and the modern electrical and acousticosting the city as much as $32 million. The city restored the cal features needed in a regional performing-arts center.
Redwood Dr. Pine St.

3 GARAGe (futuRe): The county will continue to

Teq ues quit e

operate a fleet services garage here. The site was eyed for the district attorneys offices, but those moved instead to Regency Tower.

10 ReGeNcY tOweR (fINIsHeD): The domed, 10-story

Ave .

WILLIAM WILSON LEWIS III/THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Regency Tower was first envisioned as private offices and retail shops, but the county bought it for about

$130 million as the district attorneys new space. County workers began moving there in November.
Cedar St. Locust St. Brockton Ave.

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4 OffIces (futuRe): City officials previously said

theyd like medical offices here, but contamination on the site must be cleaned up before it can be developed.

RIVERSIDE

Fairmount Park

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36

38
Fairmount Blvd.

5 PARKING (futuRe): The city no longer plans

St.

to jointly develop a parking structure with the Riverside County Office of Education. The Office of Education would still like to convert its parking lot into a parking structure with more than 200 spaces.
Main St.

Riverside Community Hospital

County Office of Education

Chestnut St. Almond St.

16 9 12
White Park

24 20

Chestnut St. Fairmount Blvd.

31 m sOL (IN PROGRess): Developer Alan Mruvka

37 31 32 33 34
Orange St.
t. 2nd S

Northbend St. Wilshire St.

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23 22

26 25

29

30 28

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Orange St.

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Riverside City College

Family Law Court 8 Hall of Justice County Court House Detention Center County Admin office 7
. 11th St

Market St.

11 10

14
Orange St.

Main Street Mall

Main St.

19

Mission Inn Library

5th St.
4th St.
. 3rd St

39

Orange Grove Ave.

2
Bankruptcy Courts

Museum

built 10 live-work units on top of first-floor office and retail space, part of plans that originally called for more than 100 condos between Second Street and Fairmount Boulevard that was scaled back to 48 condos and a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. Mruvka finished the live-work units as the housing market began to collapse. Unable to sell the condos, he began leasing them in 2009. The rest of the project, including the proposed Fresh & Easy market, has not been built. In December, the bank took over the 10 live-work units and a trustees sale was scheduled for the rest of the m sol land.

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Law Library Lemon St.

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Mulberry St.

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Court of Appeal

Olivewood Ave.

The PressEnterprise RUSD

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18 13 17

34 HIstORIc vILLAGe (futuRe): The Redevelop-

Lime St.

Lime St.

27
Mulberry St.

44

County-controlled land Possible development sites Proposed development, under construction or recently built Downtown Riverside

60

ment Agency owns the properties where small businesses still operate. The developer of m sol has considered relocating historic homes from the site of m sol to this location. The city expects any development there to consist of housing.

Pl.

Pl.

6 PARKING (futuRe): A county parking lot will

remain here for the foreseeable future.
Vine St.

40
Metrolink
Commerce St. Vine St. Howard Ave.

Mulberry St.

35 36 fAIRmOuNt PARK (futuRe): Land sur-

91

rounds Fairmount Park that city officials say could be developed for park-related purposes.

Mission Inn Ave.

University Ave.

43
La Cadena Dr.

32 33 RAINcROss PROmeNADe (IN PROGRess): What had been a collection of auto dealers, auto-repair shops and other properties will be 141 condos and townhomes developed by Mark Rubin when the first phase is done. The development is expected to be
finished by March 2010. Rubin intends to sell them as condos but may rent them if he cant find buyers. Rubin plans to build another 141 condos and townhomes behind the first phase.

N
41
Parking lot

37 LONG-teRm DeveLOPmeNt (futuRe): Originally

thought to be a good place to develop a small medical office complex and townhomes, the city has stepped back to revisit what will be built there eventually.

Commerce St.

42

38 mARKet stReet GAtewAY (IN PROGRess): A

developer already has offices at this site, with plans for four restaurant and suites.

39 LONG-teRm DeveLOPmeNt (IN PROGRess): 7 cOuNtY LAND (futuRe): The county has no cur-

rent plans for this land, which includes the public defenders office and administrative center.

Home to a toxic Superfund site, a number of automobile businesses and a shuttered assisted living facility, this property is considered a possible long-term development site by the city with no specific plans in place at this time.

40 tRANsPORtAtION (IN PROGRess): The Riverside

planned to move its law library to this area. The Provident Bank building is owned by the county now, and an eminent domain case on adjoining parcels is still working through the courts.

LAw LIBRARY (futuRe): Riverside County had

Transit Agency and the city have been acquiring the land to serve as a new hub for buses.

41 mIxeD use (futuRe): City officials would like

9 PRIvAte BusINess (futuRe): El Sarape Restaurant continues to operate next to White Park. Nothing else is currently planned for this site.
ARTIST RENDERING COURTESY OF REGIONAL PROPERTIES

to see apartments, offices and places to shop here, but there are environmental and other problems to contend with. The city has been in talks with a new developer.

42 HOmes AND BusINesses (futuRe): Homes and

businesses: Townhomes and offices are part of the citys vision for this spot but at this time there is no specific plan.

14 ARts BLOcK (IN PROGRess): UC Riversides

17 OffIce (futuRe): Some officials would like to see offices

here in future, but the city does not own the land.

plans for an arts block were delayed but are now progressing, with construction of the Culver Center of the Arts under way. The Sweeney Art Gallery was relocated here but will temporarily close from March to October.

expressed concern about the height of the project. The developer is also considering replacing the condominium element with office space instead.

43 OffIces (futuRe): The owner of the 4.5-acre

18 DOwNtOwN fIRe stAtION (IN PROGRess): Plans to shift

15 RIveRsIDe scHOOL fOR tHe ARts (futuRe): 11 PARKING (fINIsHeD): The city continues to

the downtown fire station to another part of the site and add offices, retail space and parking are still going forward. But the project has lagged because the city failed to win an early round of stimulus funding.

24 RetAIL (futuRe): The city envisions a 21 LIBRARY/museum (IN PROGRess): Designs are being
drawn up for a larger downtown library and an expansion of the museum, both on their current sites, but the city does not have the funding so it is unclear when construction would begin.

neighborhood commercial district where downtown residents can shop at the former Victoria Market.

property had been in escrow with a developer who wanted to raze the old buildings and put in offices and possibly some retail but that fell through. Currently there are no specific development plans for the site.

operate the 500-space Orange Square parking garage, which opened in November 2005.

Riverside City College is working on plans for a three-story facility where K-12 and college students could study the arts. Construction will depend on availability of state and local funds.

19 PeDestRIAN mALL (fINIsHeD): A $10 million renovation

of the pedestrian mall officially debuted at the Festival of Lights in late November.

26

44 HIstORIc HOmes (fINIsHeD): Historic bungasays private property where tenants include a gymnastics business and a graphics company could be bought by the city and developed eventually.

fOx tHeAteR NeIGHBORs (futuRe): The city

lows from Olivewood Avenue were moved here. All but one have been sold.

13 cItRus tOweR (IN PROGRess): After the city

12 seNIOR HOusING (futuRe): The city is looking into

acquiring the building that currently houses an adult store and developing it into senior housing.

bought the land for $2.1 million in January 2007, developer Mark Rubin bought it for $1.2 million in May and plans to build Citrus Tower, a six-story office building. He is currently negotiating with a tenant and plans to start building in January.

16 LONG-teRm DeveLOPmeNts (futuRe): The city

still has long-term plans to redevelop these properties, which now house a mix of businesses.

20 tRANsIt ReLOcAtION (IN PROGRess): Greyhound Lines

continues to operate a bus station here while awaiting development of a multi-modal transit center near the Vine Street Metrolink stop.

22 25 fOx PLAzA PROject (IN PROGRess): The citys

SOURCE: CITY OF RIVERSIDE, COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE

Redevelopment Agency bought the Stalder Building in 2003 for $1.16 million. Tenants were moved out to make way for proposed condominiums and lofts, retail space and an underground garage but nothing had been built yet. Development plans for the building have been downsized after the community

27 New HOusING (futuRe): City officials have

pitched the area to developers for a new housing development. There is currently a mix of single-family homes and houses