Dawn Crawford vs San Bernardino's Dirty County Politicians and  Officials

San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris on Thursday asked city residents to find hope for the future in long-running projects that he said are about to bear fruit

Delivering his State of the City address in the waiting room of the restored Santa Fe depot, the mayor held off from proposing the new initiatives that marked his speech a year ago, and said he will continue emphasizing the city's historic and future role as a gateway to Southern California.

With work on a passenger terminal at the former Norton Air Force Base nearly complete, he promised regularpassenger air service within the next few months. At the same time, local transit agencies are moving forward on plans for a regional transportation hub, Morris said.

 

Vocational education and recreational opportunities are improving, the mayor said.

A year ago, Morris urged his audience to expect a business boom, including a redesign of the 130-acre National Orange Show grounds with new retail, residential, hotel and entertainment uses and a plan by LNR Property Corp. to replace the struggling Carousel Mall with hundreds of town homes, condominiums and lofts.

Since then, the housing market has plummeted, LNR has sold the mall property to a buyer that has yet to announce its development plan, and there has been no further word on plans for the Orange Show. With tax revenues down sharply, city officials face a $7 million deficit in the current fiscal year.

Morris alluded to that shortfall only briefly Thursday, saying he is confident that he and the City Council will fill the gap.

"Tonight, let's use our imaginations not to scare ourselves to death, but to inspire us to life," he said.

In an interview, the Rev. Terry Elliott, chairman of the city Human Relations Commission, said he wants to see more tangible progress.

"How long do we have to keep imagining?" he asked.

City Councilman Rikke Van Johnson said Morris is moving forward. One example, he said, is Morris' clear commitment to making the Santa Fe Depot one of the city's cultural and economic hubs.

"I'm not one of those doom-and-gloom people," Johnson said. "Things are getting better."

Reach Chris Richard at 909-806-3076 or crichard@PE.com