Ivda Ratifies Staters Accord

San Bernardino County Sun04/15/04

IVDA RATIFIES STATERS ACCORD Brown: `First big step’ to airport move

By CHRIS H. SIEROTYStaff Writer Thursday, April 15, 2004 – LOMA LINDA – The Inland Valley Development Agency board, meeting here Wednesday, unanimously approved an agreement with Colton-based Stater Bros. Markets to build its new corporate headquarters and distribution facility at San Bernardino International Airport.“This is the big first step,” said Jack Brown, Stater Bros. chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We are excited about bringing this project to San Bernardino.” The agreement calls for Stater Bros. to purchase from the IVDA much of the land the grocery chain needs to build its $200‚million project. Stater Bros. will pay $4.3‚million for the IVDA land.The company will also be required to purchase land not owned by the IVDA and relocate all tenants and business owners. Stater Bros. has also committed to build the 1.8‚million-square-foot facility, and obtain all building permits required by the city of San Bernardino.Stater Bros. needs to reach an agreement with 14 tenants who would be relocated for the project to be completed. Brown said the company was working to relocate the tenants. The IVDA and the airport agency are seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to swap about 46.6 acres of land for IVDA land so it can be developed by Stater Bros.Tim Sabo, the IVDA’s attorney, said board members were scheduled to meet with federal officials Tuesday to discuss the transfer of airport land.Stater Bros. will control almost 30‚percent of Hillwood’s agreed space and has agreed to absorb about 30‚percent of the master development costs.Stater Bros. attorney Bruce Varner declined to disclose the agreement’s costs. At Wednesday’s IVDA meeting and public hearing at Loma Linda City Hall, David Raley, former CEO of Norton Community Credit Union, criticized the proposal. “Warehouse is not good job creation,” Raley said. “I am not speaking against Stater Bros. But we can do better than create 10 jobs per acre.”IVDA board member Dennis Hansberger, who is chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, assured Raley that additional hearings would be held.“Today we only started the process,” said Hansberger. “Stater Bros. has to come back to us for final approval.”Colton City Councilman and John Mitchell, a Colton councilman, said his city was going to lose a great asset.“Because of the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly, we could not find a place that would work” in Colton for Stater Bros., said Mitchell. “This, however, is a win, win situation for the county.”Brown said Stater Bros. will have $3.4‚billion in sales this year, placing the company on the Fortune 500 list.“Hopefully, that will help attracts other who want to come to the Inland Empire,” he said. Brown expects the complex to be completed in summer 2006. Stater Bros. now occupies 14 buildings in Colton, Mira Loma, Bloomington and Redlands.