Downtown San Bernardino
Encyclopedia
Downtown San Bernardino is a district in San Bernardino
, California
, United States. It is home to city and county government buildings, as well as the city's central business district
. Downtown San Bernardino is bounded by I-215
to the west, Waterman Avenue to the east, Baseline Street to the north, and Mill Street to the south.
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. 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.
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. – 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 iconic 24 story tower. 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.
. 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.
, 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.
and will now take over and rehabilitate the theater, will open in Spring 2012.
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 64000 square feet (5,945.8 m²) $6 million facility, which was named in honor of the late Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym. The library provides a number of cultural enrichment programs for youth and adults in the local community. Partnering with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, the library supports a
community Reading Festival for third-graders and their families. 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
.
to reflect the urban environment around it. It is not sure what will happen to the current city hall when the new one begins construction and opens, part of the downtown revitalization project.
in October 1972. In the late 1980s, the mall began to decline due to reduced interest from businesses in close proximity to Inland Center
(which is closer to the 215/10 Interchange) and rising crime in the area. 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.
In response to the closures, the mall's owners developed a mixed-use concept to fill vacated retail outlets with offices. LNR Property Corp purchased the property in February 2006 with the intention of developing a high density residential and commercial project. In January 2008, after facing deadlock with the city, LNR Corp sold the Carousel Mall to M & D Properties for $23.5 million.
is located within the district.
San Bernardino
is the terminal station for Metrolink's
Inland Empire-Orange County Line
(to Oceanside via Orange County) and Metrolink San Bernardino Line
(to downtown Los Angeles
). Amtrak's Southwest Chief, operating from Los Angeles to Chicago has one daily train in each direction, which stops at the same station.
, and downtown is a major transfer point in the local bus system. Buses primarily serve the 4th Street Transit Mall, and provide local service throughout the region, as well as express service to Riverside. A Bus Rapid Transit project, called sbX, 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. There is also the MARTA bus which takes people directly from downtown to the communities in the San Bernardino Mountains
.
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. Currently the airline finished major construction, however there are no current commercial flight airlines occupying the terminals.
San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California is a large city in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California.San Bernardino may also refer to:-Landforms:*San Bernardino , a torrent that flows through the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States. It is home to city and county government buildings, as well as the city's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Downtown San Bernardino is bounded by I-215
Interstate 215 (California)
Interstate 215 is a long north–south Interstate highway in the Inland Empire region of Southern California. It is an auxiliary route of Interstate 15 , running from Murrieta to northern San Bernardino...
to the west, Waterman Avenue to the east, Baseline Street to the north, and Mill Street to the south.
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
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
, a moribund mall and various failed redevelopment initiatives. The San Bernardino County Sun
San Bernardino County Sun
The San Bernardino Sun is a newspaper in San Bernardino County, along with a heavy penetration into neighboring Riverside County. The SB Sun serves most of the Inland Empire in Southern California...
's own reporters have referred to the area as a "urban nightmare," due to the high crime and urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
surrounding it.
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. – 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 iconic 24 story tower. 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.
Seccombe Lake
Seccombe Lake is known as "The Duck Park" or "El Parque De Los Patos". It is a haven for homeless transients. 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 WayCourt 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 66U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. 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 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 Regal Stadium 14, which is expected to open in the spring of 2012.Performing arts
The California Theatre of Performing ArtsCalifornia Theatre (San Bernardino)
The California Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the historic Downtown area of San Bernardino, California. Originally a part of the Fox Theatre chain, it opened in 1928 and still houses its original Wurlitzer Style 216 pipe organ...
, 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
American Sports University
American Sports University is a private, non-profit sports business university in San Bernardino, California, currently seeking accreditation. It has been granted permanent approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education of the State of...
. The Fox Theater has been reopened and remodeled.
Opening of Regal Entertainment Group
Downtown San Bernardino had a large, luxurious, two story theater until it closed in September 2008. 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. Regal Entertainment GroupRegal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group also known as REG is a movie theater chain headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regal operates the largest and most geographically diverse theater circuit in the United States, consisting of 6,775 screens in 548 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia as of...
and will now take over and rehabilitate the theater, will open in Spring 2012.
Norman F. Feldheym Central Library
The Norman F. Feldheym Central LibraryNorman F. Feldheym Central Library
The Norman F. Feldheym Central Library also known as Central Library, is a large library located in downtown San Bernardino. The 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...
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 64000 square feet (5,945.8 m²) $6 million facility, which was named in honor of the late Rabbi Norman F. Feldheym. The library provides a number of cultural enrichment programs for youth and adults in the local community. Partnering with the San Bernardino City Unified School District, the library supports a
community Reading Festival for third-graders and their families. 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
Continental philosophy
Continental philosophy, in contemporary usage, refers to a set of traditions of 19th and 20th century philosophy from mainland Europe. This sense of the term originated among English-speaking philosophers in the second half of the 20th century, who used it to refer to a range of thinkers and...
.
City Hall
City Hall is a six story, glass-sheathed building designed in 1963 by César PelliCésar Pelli
César Pelli is an Argentine architect known for designing some of the world's tallest buildings and other major urban landmarks. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects listed Pelli among the ten most influential living American architects...
to reflect the urban environment around it. It is not sure what will happen to the current city hall when the new one begins construction and opens, part of the downtown revitalization project.
Carousel Mall
Carousel Mall originally opened as Central City MallCarousel Mall
This article is about the mall in San Bernardino, CA. For the shopping center in Syracuse, NY, see Carousel CenterThe Carousel Mall, also known as Central City Mall, is a mixed use two story mall located in San Bernardino, California along the city's former main downtown street.-As Central City...
in October 1972. In the late 1980s, the mall began to decline due to reduced interest from businesses in close proximity to Inland Center
Inland Center
Inland Center is a regional shopping mall owned and operated by Macerich, located in San Bernardino, California along the southwest border adjacent to Interstate 215 and the city of Colton...
(which is closer to the 215/10 Interchange) and rising crime in the area. Its name was changed to the Carousel Mall
Carousel Mall
This article is about the mall in San Bernardino, CA. For the shopping center in Syracuse, NY, see Carousel CenterThe Carousel Mall, also known as Central City Mall, is a mixed use two story mall located in San Bernardino, California along the city's former main downtown street.-As Central City...
as part of a failed revitalization plan in the early 1990s. All the anchor stores and many of the businesses left.
In response to the closures, the mall's owners developed a mixed-use concept to fill vacated retail outlets with offices. LNR Property Corp purchased the property in February 2006 with the intention of developing a high density residential and commercial project. In January 2008, after facing deadlock with the city, LNR Corp sold the Carousel Mall to M & D Properties for $23.5 million.
Downtown universities
American Sports UniversityAmerican Sports University
American Sports University is a private, non-profit sports business university in San Bernardino, California, currently seeking accreditation. It has been granted permanent approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education of the State of...
is located within the district.
Metrolink
San Bernardino (Amtrak station)
The Santa Fe Depot is a Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal in San Bernardino, California, United States. It currently serves one Amtrak and three Metrolink lines...
is the terminal station for Metrolink's
Metrolink (Southern California)
Metrolink is a commuter rail system serving Los Angeles and the surrounding area of Southern California; it currently consists of six lines and 55 stations using of track....
Inland Empire-Orange County Line
Metrolink Inland Empire-Orange County Line
The Inland Empire–Orange County Line is a commuter rail line run by Metrolink in Southern California. It runs from San Bernardino through Orange County to Oceanside in northern San Diego County....
(to Oceanside via Orange County) and Metrolink San Bernardino Line
Metrolink San Bernardino Line
The San Bernardino Line is the busiest of Southern California's seven Metrolink lines, running from Downtown Los Angeles east through the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire to San Bernardino. It is one of the three initial lines on the original Metrolink system...
(to downtown Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
). Amtrak's Southwest Chief, operating from Los Angeles to Chicago has one daily train in each direction, which stops at the same station.
Downtown bus
The City of San Bernardino is a member of the joint-powers authority OmnitransOmnitrans
Omnitrans is a public transportation agency in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The largest transit operator within San Bernardino County, it serves the San Bernardino Valley. The agency was established in 1976 through a joint powers agreement and today includes 15 cities and...
, and downtown is a major transfer point in the local bus system. Buses primarily serve the 4th Street Transit Mall, and provide local service throughout the region, as well as express service to Riverside. A Bus Rapid Transit project, called sbX, 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. There is also the MARTA bus which takes people directly from downtown to the communities in the San Bernardino Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
.
San Bernardino International Airport
The San Bernardino International AirportSan Bernardino International Airport
San Bernardino International Airport is a public airport located two miles southeast of the central business district of San Bernardino, California, in San Bernardino County, California, USA. The airport covers and has one runway. It is currently a general aviation and cargo airport located on...
is expected to provide both domestic and international air services. It will provide growth to the city and the Inland Empire
Inland Empire (California)
The Inland Empire is a region in Southern California. The region sits directly east of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Inland Empire most commonly is used in reference to the U.S. Census Bureau's federally-defined Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, which covers more than...
. Buses are expected to serve the airport, which lies two to three miles (5 km) from downtown. Currently the airline finished major construction, however there are no current commercial flight airlines occupying the terminals.
Main buildings
| Rank | Name | Street Address | Year | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosa Parks Memorial Building | 464 West 4th St., San Bernardino San Bernardino, California San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States... |
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
- 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