Long-Vacant San Bernardino Property Moves Toward 17-Acre Commercial Development
3 min read
The future Arden Guthrie development is will have multiple retail opportunities for grocery stores, fitness centers, anchor retail and professional services. Photo by City of San Bernardino
The City of San Bernardino is taking a step toward transforming one of its largest City-owned vacant properties into a new commercial economic development.
At its Aug. 19 meeting, the Mayor and City Council selected Upland based Panorama Development as the City’s preferred developer for the approximately 17.61-acre Arden Guthrie site, located near the intersection of Highland Avenue and the Interstate 210 Freeway and bounded by 20th Street, Arden Avenue and Guthrie Street.
“The development of the Arden Guthrie property represents a significant opportunity to attract new private investment, create jobs, expand commercial amenities and generate additional tax revenue for San Bernardino,” said San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran. “We look forward to working with Panorama Development.”
Panorama Development has been involved in projects including the 31-acre Shops at Jurupa Valley in Jurupa Valley and the Day Creek Square in Rancho Cucamonga.
The Arden Guthrie property is located near Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, which attracts approximately 14 million visitors annually, as well as the San Bernardino Soccer Complex, which hosts regional tournaments and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The site’s location adjacent to the 210 Freeway provides significant visibility and regional access.
“San Bernardino is open for business and is ready to move forward with this project. It is always exciting when development comes to San Bernardino,” said Mayor Pro Tem Kim Knaus.
Next Steps
Following the Council’s selection, the City and Panorama Development expect to enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement in the coming month.
An ENA is a short-term agreement that allows San Bernardino and a selected developer to negotiate exclusively on a proposed project and establish a framework for developing a potential final Disposition and Development Agreement.
During the ENA process, the City and Panorama will work together to further develop and refine the project’s concept, conduct due diligence and engage with community stakeholders. Panorama also expects to begin working to attract prospective businesses to the development.
The City and Panorama will also continue discussions with Caltrans regarding the possibility of providing additional access to the future development from the 210 Freeway off-ramp.
The conceptual plans presented during the City’s competitive selection process are preliminary and are subject to change. The final development will be shaped through negotiations, due diligence, environmental review, engineering, community input and the City’s entitlement process.
Panorama owner Wes Fifield said the development process could take approximately three to five years to complete.
The selection advances several of San Bernardino’s economic development priorities: capitalizing on San Bernardino’s strategic location and regional assets to attract investment, create employment opportunities, expand commercial offerings and strengthen the City’s tax base.
Transforming a Long-Vacant Property
The Arden Guthrie property has been vacant for many years and has a lengthy development history.
The City’s former Redevelopment Agency acquired the property in 2006 using a loan through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Between 2006 and 2009, the property was cleared and prepared for development.
The City attempted to develop the property in 2010 and 2024, however market forces at the time prevented potential projects from moving forward.
In September 2025, the City’s Economic Development Department released a new Request for Proposals seeking developers interested in transforming the property. Two development teams ultimately submitted proposals: Panorama Development, LLC. and Schneider Commercial Real Estate.
Following interviews and an evaluation of each proposal, both teams presented their concepts to the Mayor and City Council. After considering the proposals, the Council selected Panorama as its preferred development partner.
“This is an important milestone for the Arden Guthrie property,” said Economic Development Project Manager Stephanie Castro. “The partnership with a top-notch developer like Panorama will attract new businesses and investment to a prime property that provides prominent freeway visibility and close proximity to major destinations.”
