Redevelopment Agency

Successor Agency to the Ontario Redevelopment Agency

For more than 30 years the Ontario Redevelopment Agency has worked diligently to improve the quality of life for all the people that live, work and play in Ontario. On February 1, 2012 the tools in the “Redevelopment Toolbox” were eliminated. After a longstanding battle with the State of California the decision was made by the California Supreme Court to abolish redevelopment across the State. This was a fierce blow to the powerful effect that redevelopment activities brought to the community. Redevelopment was one of the most effective ways to breathe new life into deteriorated areas plagued by social, physical, environmental or economic conditions which acted as a barrier to new investment by private enterprise. Through California Community Redevelopment Law communities had the ability to focus their attention on reversing trends of physical and economic deterioration through financial investment, in turn, revitalizing the overall climate of the community. By partnering with the private sector to acquire property, build public improvements and infrastructure, clean-up contaminated soil and do other things necessary to improve the conditions of the property it created a chain reaction where the ultimate economic output was larger than the original public investment.

Over the last several years the Ontario Redevelopment Agency invested over $16 million in public facilities and vital infrastructure, generated thousands of jobs, and helped create over 4,000 affordable and senior housing units. Like the accomplishments above, the former Ontario Redevelopment Agency has many success stories to tell and is very proud of the positive impact the successful work program had on the community. The Agency is hopefully a new era of economic development tools will emerge allowing its passionate and committed staff to continue to improve the quality of life for City of Ontario residents, businesses and stakeholders.

Pursuant to Assembly Bill 1X 26 the City Council, as Successor Agency to the Ontario Redevelopment Agency, and a newly formed Oversight Board will be responsible for the winding down of the Agency’s existing obligations and liquidation of assets. Policies and procedures will be adopted to ensure the dissolution of the former Redevelopment Agency is accomplished in a transparent, pragmatic, and consistent manner.