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Image:Sb_2004_dt_radissonhotalin_Downtown_San_Bernardino_001c.jpg|Downtown Hotel Tower 1
Image:Sb_2004_dt_radissonhotalin_Downtown_San_Bernardino_001c.jpg|Downtown Hotel Tower 1
Image:San_Bernardino_County_Arrowhead_Plaza.jpg|Court District of San Bernardino County called the Arrowhead Plaza
Image:San_Bernardino_County_Arrowhead_Plaza.jpg|Court District of San Bernardino County called the Arrowhead Plaza
Image:Andresen_Building_in_downtown_San_Bernardino.jpg|Andresen Building
Image:Andresen_Building_in_downtown_San_Bernardino.jpg|Andreson Building
Image:San_Bernardino_County_Records_Tower.jpg|San Bernardino County Records Tower
Image:San_Bernardino_County_Records_Tower.jpg|San Bernardino County Records Tower
Image:DSanBerdoo.jpg|CalTrans Building next to the San Bernardino County Law Library‎
Image:DSanBerdoo.jpg|CalTrans Building next to the San Bernardino County Law Library‎

Revision as of 17:45, 2 April 2010

Downtown San Bernardino
Neighborhood community
Nickname(s): 
Downtown, Central City
Motto(s): 
Arts and Entertainment
Map
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CitySan Bernardino
Elevation
1,059 - 1,500 ft (602 m)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)

Downtown San Bernardino is the central business district of San Bernardino, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered city is such that its downtown core is often considered a separate district. It is home to the city and county government buildings. The area officially termed "downtown" is defined as bounded by I-215 to the west, Waterman Avenue to the east, Baseline Street to the north, and Mill Street to the south.[1]

The California Planning & Development Report in 2007 ranked San Bernardino's downtown first on its list of the "Most Disappointing Mid-Sized City Downtowns in California," largely due to perceptions of poor public safety, a moribund mall and various failed redevelopment initiatives.[2] The San Bernardino County Sun's own reporters have referred to the area as a "urban nightmare," due to the high crime and urban decay surrounding it.[3]

Currently, the San Bernardino City Council is considering another redevelopment effort. The city’s Economic Development Agency presented the council with a draft of the Downtown Core Vision / Action Plan in 2009.[4] – a guide for revitalizing downtown San Bernardino for the next 10 years. The plan is the culmination of a year of research, community participation, and planning led by the city’s EDA and the urban planning firm EDAW. The city is discussing the construction of a new government center/civic plaza that will contain an ionic 24 story tower.[5] The county of San Bernardino is also considering a new 12 story court house, hoping to help the old 1926 congested court house and the downtown skyline.[6]

Parks

Seccombe Lake

Seccombe Lake is known as "The Duck Park" or "El Parque De Los Patos". It is a haven for homeless transients.[7][8] It is located at the corner of 5th Street and Sierra Way.

Meadowbrook Park

Meadowbrook Park is the main downtown park and is home to much activity. The park is located at the corner of 3rd Street and Sierra Way

Court Street Square

Court Street Square is a square in the downtown area used for the Main Street's events. Downtown San Bernardino is home to many festivals throughout the year including the annual Route 66 Rendezvous, in honor of mother road U.S. Route 66. Approximately 500,000 classic cars come from around the world for this event which takes place on the third weekend in September for four days and three nights of a classic car parade. Court Street Square is at the corner of Court Street and "E" Street.

Entertainment district

The historic California Theatre.
Former CinemaStar theater.

The city is planning an new district along Fourth Street. The key aspect of the plan is to make the area around the California Theatre and former CinemaStar site on Fourth Street as an area for entertainment and dining. Dining is all that is needed to make this into a reality, as well as the opening of Maya Cinemas, which is expected to open in mid 2010.[9]

Performing arts

The California Theatre of Performing Arts, in downtown San Bernardino, holds cultural events, including touring Broadway theatre presented by Theatrical Arts International, the Inland Empire's largest theatre company, and the San Bernardino Symphony. The historic Fox Theatre of San Bernardino is also located in the downtown area, next to American Sports University. The Fox Theater has been reopened and remodeled.

CinemaStar closure

Downtown San Bernardino had a large, luxurious, two story theater until it closed in September 2008.[10] Maya Cinemas was expected to open at the old site of the CinemaStar on February 27, 2009, and although it has so far failed to do so, they still have plans for a downtown San Bernardino theater.[11]

Norman F. Feldheym Central Library

Norman F. Feldheym Library

The Norman F. Feldheym Central Library is the flagship of the San Bernardino Public Library system. It opened on September 30, 1985, and is the city's fifth central library building since the first one was operated out of a rented house in 1891. Architects Gregory Villanueva and Oscar Arnoni designed the 64,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) $6 million facility, which was named in honor of the late Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym.[12] The library provides a number of cultural enrichment programs for youth and adults in the local community.[13] Partnering with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, the library supports a community Reading Festival for third-graders and their families.[14] The library also sponsors an annual book fair at Cal State San Bernardino, reading clubs, and an "Academy of Public Scholars" critical review club devoted to works of Continental philosophy.[15][16]

City Hall

San Bernardino City Hall

City Hall is a six story, glass-sheathed building designed in 1963 by César Pelli to reflect the urban environment around it. It is not sure what will happen to the current city hall when the new one begins contraction and opens, part of the downtown revitalization project.[17]

Originally opened as the Central City Mall in October 1972, the mall opened to fanfare and wide popularity, with anchor stores Harris’, J. C. Penney, and Montgomery Ward. In the late 1980s, the mall began to decline. Its name was changed to the Carousel Mall as part of a failed revitalization plan in the early 1990s.

All the anchor stores and many of the businesses left. Harris closed in 2000, Montgomery Ward in 2002, and J. C. Penney finally closed in 2003. In response to the closures, the mall's owners developed a mixed-use concept to fill vacated retail outlets with offices. Today, the mall houses more than 300 San Bernardino County employees and 150 from the San Bernardino Unified School District. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. employs more than 400 in the mall and is downtown San Bernardino's largest private employer. As of 2006, about 65 retail stores were still open for business.[18]

Carousel Mall

LNR Property Corp purchased the property in February 2006 with the intention of developing a high density residential and commercial project, but the regional housing slump appears to have deterred the company from moving ahead.[19]

In January 2008, LNR Corp sold the Carousel Mall property. M & D Properties, based out of Lynwood, California, bought the property from LNR Corp. for $23.5 million. There are no plans as of yet of what M & D Properties will be doing with the property.[20]

Downtown universities

Main article: American Sports University

American Sports University is located downtown and all other San Bernardino universities are located outside of downtown, such as California State University, San Bernardino which is located northwest of downtown.

Transportation

1918 Santa Fe Depot on 3rd Street (Downtown). Amtrak and Metrolink commuter platforms are near the historic building.

San Bernardino is served by Metrolink. Lines include the Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line and the Metrolink San Bernardino Line. Amtrak's Southwest Chief, operating from Los Angeles to Chicago has one daily train in each direction that stops at the San Bernardino station.

Downtown bus

The City of San Bernardino is a member of the joint-powers authority Omnitrans, including downtown. A Bus Rapid Transit project, called SB-X, is planned from Cal State San Bernardino to Loma Linda. A bus transit center is planned in the vicinity of E Street and Rialto Avenue. Omnitrans buses stop at a number of bus stops throughout the downtown area. There is also the MARTA bus which takes people directly from downtown to the communities in the San Bernardino Mountains.

San Bernardino International Airport

The San Bernardino International Airport is expected to provide both domestic and international air services. It will provide growth to the city and the Inland Empire. Buses are expected to serve the airport, which lies two to three miles (5 km) from downtown.

Buildings

Main buildings

Rosa Parks Memorial Building view at street level
Rank Name Street Address Year Use
1 Rosa Parks Memorial Building 464 West 4th St., San Bernardino 1998 Government
2 Hotel & Convention Center 295 North E St., San Bernardino 1987 Hotel
3 St. Bernardine Plaza Fifth St., San Bernardino Residential
4 Vanir Tower 290 North D St., San Bernardino 1974 Office
5 San Bernardino City Hall 300 North D St., San Bernardino Government
7 303 Building 303 West Third St. San Bernardino 1966 Government
8 The Heritage Building 440 W. Court St. San Bernardino 1946

Other buildings

American Sports University's Fox Theatre
  • San Bernardino Employment and Training Agency Building
  • Andreson Building
  • American Trust Building
  • Bank Of America Building
  • Wells Fargo Building
  • Chase Building
  • First American Title Building
  • Building 505
  • San Bernardino County Center Building
  • County of San Bernardino Court 2 Building in 3rd Street
  • County Records Tower
  • Norman F. Feldheym Central Library
  • Medrobrook Tower
  • Vanir Tower next to City hall in "D" Street
    Vanir Tower next to City hall in "D" Street
  • DowntownSan Bernardino in 2004
    DowntownSan Bernardino in 2004
  • Building in Downtown called the San Bernardino Plaza
    Building in Downtown called the San Bernardino Plaza
  • Downtown Hotel Tower 1
    Downtown Hotel Tower 1
  • Court District of San Bernardino County called the Arrowhead Plaza
    Court District of San Bernardino County called the Arrowhead Plaza
  • Andreson Building
    Andreson Building
  • San Bernardino County Records Tower
    San Bernardino County Records Tower
  • CalTrans Building next to the San Bernardino County Law Library‎
    CalTrans Building next to the San Bernardino County Law Library‎

References

  1. ^ Advisory Services Panel (June 24–29, 2007), San Bernardino, California: Crossroads of the Southwest, Washington, D.C.: Urban Land Institute, retrieved 2007-12-26
  2. ^ Shigley, Paul (September 10, 2007), "California's Best And Worst Mid-Sized City Downtowns", California Planning & Development Report, retrieved 2007-12-17
  3. ^ Rayburn, Kelly (2006-03-30). "Urban nightmare targeted". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ [2]
  6. ^ [3]
  7. ^ Rogers, Robert (2006-10-08). "Homes plan not for homeless". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  8. ^ Kennedy-Ross, Selicia (2006-05-22). "In a day's work". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  9. ^ Andrew Edwards (2009-04-10). "Public sees plans for downtown San Bernardino". San Bernardino Sun. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  10. ^ Edwards, Andrew (2008-09-29). "SB cinema fades to black". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  11. ^ Edwards, Andrew (2009-01-04). "SB cinema fades to black". InsideSoCal. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  12. ^ "About Us" (PDF). San Bernardino Public Library. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  13. ^ Nolan, Michel (2008-03-02). "Librarian focuses on youth needs". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  14. ^ Nolan, Michel (2006-12-07). "Librarian makes big mark beyond books". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  15. ^ Minaya, Zeke (2008-06-21). "Cal State book fair honors disappearing independent booksellers". Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  16. ^ Schoenmann, Matt (2008-03-06). "Academy of Public Scholars is for Redlands bookworms seeking a challenge". Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  17. ^ "City of San Bernardino - City Halls of San Bernardino". www.ci.san-bernardino.ca.us. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  18. ^ Steinberg, Jim (2006-02-16). "Another transition for Carousel Mall, downtown". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  19. ^ Rogers, Robert (2007-11-01). "San Bernardino developing". San Bernardino County Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  20. ^ Brown, Josh (2008-01-16). "LA County developers taking on San Bernardino's Carousel Mall". Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
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