City showcases private investment: Tesla center, upcoming EV truck charging hub and airport growth

San Bernardino leaders highlighted private-sector investments and developer partnerships intended to spur jobs and reduce environmental impacts from logistics operations.

Developers described working closely with city staff on the Tesla collision and service center. Rodney Bowden, vice president with ViaWest Group, said the project succeeded because of "the quality of staff, the business friendly attitude of the city, and the fact that processes that can sometimes be risky from a development standpoint were de-risked by the focus and attention of the staff that the city of San Bernardino put on our project." Steven Schwartz, founding partner of ViaWest Group, also spoke during the event.

Council and staff noted larger clean-technology projects coming to the region. Councilmember Juan Figueroa and others described EV Realty's planned electric truck charging facility, which officials said will be capable of charging up to 76 big rigs at once, positioning it among the region's largest van or truck charging sites.

Officials also emphasized San Bernardino International Airport's role as a cargo hub and noted passenger-service activity from Breeze Airways; councilmembers said the airport is among the top 25 busiest cargo airports nationally and that staff are pursuing expanded passenger service.

Speakers framed the projects as part of broader efforts to attract private investment, support job creation and encourage more sustainable logistics operations. The city did not release full project financing details or formal incentive agreements during the presentation.