Background
The City of Ontario is launching a Civic Center Campus Expansion, a part of the broader Ontario Plan to reactivate downtown. This effort envisions a modernized Civic Center Campus, enhancing facilities for public employees, attracting more individuals to downtown, and optimizing available space.
The City's anticipated expansion initiatives include the construction of a City Services Building, a Civic Center Parking Structure, and establishing a new Fire Station 1. Additionally, the Civic Center is expected to include the following through public-private partnerships: the University of La Verne College of Health and Community Well-Being and the future home to the Ontario-Montclair School District Headquarters.
Situated at the City's core, the Civic Center is crucial in Ontario's downtown revitalization, encompassing high-density housing, dining, retail, services, public spaces, offices, and civic facilities. Through joint expansion efforts and collaborations, Ontario is committed to driving economic growth, promoting innovation, and fostering community development downtown.
Located on Euclid Avenue and between D and C Street, C-Block broke ground October 2022 and is now under construction. The mixed-use project will include approximately 150 residential apartment units and 4,500 square feet of ground floor retail.
The building will have an L-shaped, four-story structure design. One- and two-bedroom apartments will be organized around three green courtyards and an outdoor recreation area with pedestrian access to ground level commercial units on Euclid Avenue.
Anticipated for completion by December 2025, this development aims to bring vibrancy to the area while providing diverse residential and retail spaces.
The construction of a 2-story fire station at the corner of East D Street and North Sultana Avenue will replace the existing Fire Station No. 1 at 425 East B Street.
The new 27,835-square-foot fire station will be orientated towards the public streets, with six fire-engine bays running the length of the façade on East D Street and an additional 6-bays at the rear of the building providing drive-thru access. The facility will include administrative offices and conference rooms, several dorms, locker rooms, and spaces for exercise and recreation.
The future Fire Station 1 is set to break ground in November 2023 and to be completed by December 2024.
The Civic Center Parking Structure is set to begin construction in January 2024 and be completed by February 2025. The new 6-level public parking garage is planned to offer around 800 parking spaces for public and City use. The garage will be accessible via drive aisles connected to Sultana Avenue, C Street, and B Street. The roof deck is expected to feature carports supporting solar photovoltaic panels.
As part of the initiative to centralize City Hall services, a 60,000-square-foot, 3-story office building is planned south of the forthcoming Civic Center Parking Structure. This building will function as the City Services Building and is slated to commence construction in October 2024, with completion expected by January 2026.
The former Annex site will be repurposed as the Ontario-Montclair School District Headquarters location. This move will add a concentration of employees in Downtown Ontario and facilitate synergy between the City and school district.
The University of La Verne’s new 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art College of Health and Community Well-Being is set to break ground in April 2024.
The college is one of three pillars forming the regional hub on D Street between North Sultana and North Plum avenues. The others are the soon-to-be-renamed College of Law and Public Service and the Randall Lewis Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Social Impact. A bridge will facilitate the connectivity between the two colleges. Together, these institutions have a shared vision to graduate numerous students from the region who aspire to stay and work in the region.
ULV's project timeline anticipates the new college to be completed by June 2025.
