ONTARIO - It is an important juncture for an empty lot on the southeast corner of Holt Boulevard and Euclid Avenue.

A longtime business owner has agreed to purchase the city-owned lot, for $527,000 to build a three-story building office.

Sam Chebeir's company, Westates de Oro, will be building a 57,930-square-foot commercial office, including 43 on-site parking spaces. In his agreement with the city, the developer must provide a total of 222 parking spaces.

But the move may be more than a just a business deal, the city may have a new champion in its efforts to revive the downtown.

"I really believe the city has done an excellent job in developing the downtown," Chebeir said.

Chebeir who has been doing business in Ontario for about 30 years has other manufacturing developments in the city.

"It was very important to me to make sure the downtown started moving in the right direction," he said. "It's a personal thing, more than anything else, because of my love for the city."

The 1.23-acre property, which has been vacant for more than a decade, has been problem site through the years. It originally served as the site of the Ford Lunch diner, a fixture in the city in the 1930s. A bank was the last tenant to occupy the land. But a flaw in the building's design caused it to start sagging and it was eventually torn down.

Officials have attempted in the past to fill the vacancy.

"I'm very happy it's finally moving forward, we've been looking at that site for a long time," said Councilman Alan Wapner.

Mayor Paul Leon still recalls the last proposal brought to the council several years ago, a Starbucks drive-thru. The project was denied because city officials saw the potential for the site, Leon said.

"I see this as a coming of age for this property," he said. "We've held out for it, and I'm thankful it's happening."

In recent years, Ontario has put an emphasis on invigorating its downtown.

Already, 300 residential units have risen along Holt Boulevard east of Euclid, all of them apartments, after 140 units originally designated as for-sale townhomes were converted to apartments due to minimal interest.

John Andrews, the city's economic development director, said the site has long been viewed as a prime candidate for office building.

"The thinking is, and I support this, for the downtown to be able to attract people, in addition to residents, you need to add a daytime population of workers that are going to look for place to eat, a place to shop," he said.

Kudos to Ontario resident Laura Lee Bredehoft, a student at North Carolina-based Barton College, who was recently named to the Dean's List.

Barton College named 35 students to the President's List and 248 students to the Dean's Listfor fall semester 2011. President's List students compiled a perfect 4.0 grade point average; Dean's List studentsachieved a grade point average of 3.3 or better on a four-point scale.