Politics & Government
Sports, Entertainment Project Planned Near 60/91/215 Interchange In Riverside
The project would feature homes, retail space, soccer fields, a "central park," hotel, sports stadium, and space for festivals.
RIVERSIDE, CA — The Riverside City Council Tuesday unanimously approved a partnership with a development firm to master plan a community near the 60/91/215 interchange featuring athletic fields, park-centered housing, trails and other amenities.
The "exclusive negotiating agreement" with GCS Development of Riverside, part of a Delaware-based limited liability company, aims to promote rehabilitation of an abandoned property to create the future "Riverside Sports Complex & Entertainment District," according to city officials.
"This project provides recreational opportunities that Riverside and our greater region have never had," Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. "It will create a dynamic destination that will energize our local economy and make Riverside the premiere hub for sports and entertainment."
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Funding allocations for the development have yet to be settled and will be part of ongoing council considerations as the project moves from conceptual stage to construction, officials said.
There was no estimate on how much time that may take.
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GCS Development intends to center the Entertainment District at the site of the former AB Brown Sports Complex, in the Northside borough, near the intersection of Main Street and Garner Road, north of the 60/91/215 interchange.
The grounds fell into disuse after 2018 but previously included an 18-field soccer facility utilized by the American Youth Soccer Organization.
As currently proposed, the Riverside Sports Complex & Entertainment District would feature 1,100 residential units, 193,000 square feet of retail space, six soccer fields ringing a "central park," a 108-room hotel overlooking a 5,000-seat stadium for rugby, football and lacrosse. There would additionally be a venue for indoor and outdoor festivals, as well as walking and jogging trails, along with bike paths.
It would be separate but complementary to the Riverside Adventure Center, which is currently in the planning stage, officials said.
"The promise of pairing the Entertainment District with the Riverside Adventure Center represents a generational opportunity in the Northside area and the city," Councilman Chuck Conder said. "We are honoring our rich sports history while launching Riverside into the future."
