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City of Calimesa receives market analysis recommending housing, medical and industrial priorities
Summary
Consultants presented a phase‑one market and economic development analysis recommending the City of Calimesa prioritize housing, medical office and industrial opportunities and to pursue targeted site strategies and business‑attraction outreach.
Consultants from Cosmock Companies told the City of Calimesa City Council on Tuesday night that the city’s best near‑term economic opportunities are tied to housing, medical office and selected industrial uses rather than large retail developments.
The analysis, presented by Ken Hearer, president of Cosmock Companies, and Andrew Perez, vice president, covered demographics, retail and industrial inventories, and “15‑minute” trade‑area demand and recommended Phase 2 work to evaluate eight priority opportunity sites and prepare implementation steps.
“Housing has been thought of as sort of a loss leader…we really are in a position these days to say that housing actually is an economic driver,” Ken Hearer said. He and Perez urged officials to consider residential development, medical uses in neighborhood centers and lower‑density industrial or logistics space that fits the I‑10 corridor market.
The study reported that Calimesa’s retail inventory is modest—about 373,000 square feet—with vacancy that dropped after the pandemic and currently sits near the mid‑single digits. Industrial rents in and near Calimesa have risen and vacancy is low; consultants said industrial demand is being driven by distribution and e‑commerce. Cosmock also noted rising interest in medical office and urgent‑care uses located close to neighborhoods.
City Manager Will (City Manager) introduced the presentation as the city’s first step in a renewed economic development effort. Council members asked about telework, arts/entertainment uses, and whether medical facilities could anchor mixed‑use centers; consultants said medical users increasingly locate in neighborhood centers and that hospitals or medical groups can be strong anchors if the demographics and daytime population support them.
Cosmock recommended the city pursue: (1) a Phase 2 site‑by‑site analysis and prioritization; (2) targeted outreach to developers and brokers (including industry conferences); and (3) evaluation of financing and infrastructure tools, such as tax‑increment approaches, when needed to unlock projects.
Mayor Molina and several council members said they welcomed more detail on opportunity sites and requested copies of the consultant slide deck and follow‑up work. The council received the report and directed staff to file it for future phases of the economic development program.
The consultants and staff said next steps will include a strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats review of the eight candidate properties and further public and stakeholder outreach.
