Transit-oriented report creates a vision for 250-acre site in Ontario

A panel toured and studied the Meredith site in September. Members made their final recommendations in the report released Tuesday.

"The goal was to really enhance this part of the area as the new gateway of Southern California," said Karen Gulley with The Planning Center, and a member of the panel that worked on Ontario's site.

The recommendations are in line with the city's vision to develop the Meredith property as a lifestyle center with high-density buildings while creating a new urban downtown, said Greg Devereaux, Ontario city manager.

"Building a complete community will allow us to compete the best to get the investment that we need," he said.

It will also be essential when having to compete for transportation funding in Southern California, he said.

But Devereaux said he would like to see the Meredith property built with medium-rise buildings that are 12 to 18 stories as opposed to the low-rise buildings that are recommended by the panel.

"Our City Council has been a big proponent of density in the right places," he said. "For us, this should be the most dense site in the city, for a long period, if not in the Inland Empire."

The Meredith family has been involved in the discussion and is well aware of the city's vision for the property, Kroutil said.

The city has always made it clear to anyone interested in acquiring the site that the project would not be approved until it is consistent with the vision of the city, Kroutil said.

The project will have to be built in phases.

"The biggest challenge will be creating a transit-ready development," Devereaux said.

It will be many years before the Metro Gold Line extension comes through Ontario, which means there will be a period when the site will not rely on public transportation but the automobile, Devereaux said.

"The real issue is planning the structure to support the next level of development," he said.

In the report, a panel comprised of eight ULI members, made the following six recommendations to the city:

No. 1: Emerging economy

The next emerging economy will be vital to the developmental of Meredith property and the ability to accommodate a new growth industry - the knowledge worker. Those are engineers, teachers, lawyers, architects, nurses and the like.

Having transportation, residential, restaurants and office and entertainment close to each other would be the desired lifestyle for some workers, the panel felt.

"We target this group because they tend to live where they work. They prefer more urban and greener lifestyles, " Gulley said.

The city will need to expand its national and international market for businesses that employ knowledge workers and share the city's vision as the gateway to the Inland Empire, she said.

No. 2: Urban core

The site should have a core transit-oriented district with a distinct identity, offering an 18-hour day.

The new downtown should be built on 60 to 80 acres of the site, incorporating a European design with smaller blocks, intimate open spaces and use of public art pieces.

Family-friendly uses such as restaurants, day-care centers and cultural events centers should dominate the space.

The buildings would be low-profile: 6-10 stories.

City officials should view the transit plaza as the heart of the development, along with the connection between the green spaces and the remaining site.

The outlying areas of the new downtown would all be individually identifiable districts and would be a mix of office and residential uses.

No. 3: Intermodal connectivity

The key to the proposed Ontario development is a plan to extend the Metro Gold Line through the Meredith property, then south along the Cucamonga Creek Channel to LA/Ontario International Airport.

The city should use the station as the focal point for the urban core.

There is also a push for more public transportation in the area, such as long-term plans for high-speed rail that will connect to the airport.

There should be a transportation system that would connect the surrounding districts to the center transit plaza or the core of the development. This could be achieved through buses, bikes and pedestrian paths, the report states.

No. 4: Public benefits

Transit-oriented projects create new opportunities for the public including open spaces and new cultural uses.

Other benefits would be the creation of bicycle and pedestrian paths. It is also a chance to plan an area on the Meredith site that has open space, parks and other community gathering spaces.

Encourage civic and cultural uses such as museums and performing arts, the report states.

No. 5: Implementing and phasing

The panelists recommend that the city should develop a task force that helps gets everybody on board with the project. The current economy could be the perfect time for the city to identify transportation as a priority.

The panel advises that development first start in areas closest to the 10 Freeway and key intersections.

No 6: Funding sources

Such an undertaking would require enormous public support, not only from Ontario, but also from other planners in the region.

The city should seek funding opportunities such as economic stimulus, or air quality transportation improvement funds when they become available.

The public-sector will be key to attracting and maintaining private investment, the report states.