Banning approves 1.32M SF Commerce Center warehouse

What's happening

The Banning City Council approved the Banning Commerce Center, a speculative industrial warehouse of roughly 1.31 million square feet plus 39,600 square feet of office on 131 acres north of Interstate 10 and east of North Hathaway Street. The developer is Sansone Group, through JDJN Enterprises, LLC, according to the Record Gazette.

The council first approved the project on May 27, then rescinded and reapproved it on July 8 after the Center for Biological Diversity told the city it had not received proper notice of the environmental impact report. All votes were 5-0. The draft EIR was circulated in June 2024. Conditions include a $9 million developer contribution for transportation improvements.

• Size: About 1.32M SF on 131 acres
• Developer: Sansone Group (JDJN Enterprises, LLC)
• Location: North of I-10, east of North Hathaway Street, Banning
• Status/Timing: Approved and reapproved by City Council, 5-0
• Cost: $9 million developer contribution to transportation improvements

What it means for owners, tenants and investors

The project extends the Inland Empire's big-box pipeline east along the I-10 corridor into the San Gorgonio Pass, where land is cheaper than in the core western Inland Empire. Large users looking for single-building scale may see a new option, while environmental groups' attention signals continued legal scrutiny of large warehouses.

An entitled 1.3M SF warehouse site moves Inland Empire big-box supply further east on I-10.

What to watch

Any CEQA litigation following the reapproval, groundbreaking timing, and whether the building is marketed to a single user.

Imagery: Google Earth.