City cleared to try again with development of Carousel Mall site

The City of San Bernardino received welcomed news last week, when the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) closed their case against the City involving alleged violations of the Surplus Land Act (SLA) related to the redevelopment of the Carousel Mall property.

In a letter dated May 24, 2023, HCD stated that “it has determined that the City is not in violation of the SLA following its termination of the exclusive negotiating agreement with the San Bernardino Development Company to redevelop the Carousel Mall.”

In March, San Bernardino received a notice from HCD, alleging the City did not follow proper steps when trying to dispose of the Carousel Mall property.

The City Council voted on May 3 to terminate the City’s exclusive negotiating agreement with the San Bernardino Development Company, formerly known as RD-ICO, to redevelop the 43-acre Carousel Mall site. The action was anticipated to clear the way for the City to restart the development process in the near future.

Demolition of the Carousel Mall is underway and the City has said they will evaluate additional infrastructure improvements that may expedite the future development of the Mall site.

It is not known at this time how quickly San Bernardino will once again seek development proposals at the Carousel Mall site under the Surplus Land Act.