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A judge has upheld Moreno Valley’s approval of the proposed World Logistics Center.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sharon Waters ruled that the city council did not circumvent state environmental laws when it approved the proposal based on the nearly 50,000 signatures gathered on its behalf, according to a city statement.
The project, which at buildout would be the size of about 700 football fields, was the subject of nine lawsuits, said Bill Curley, a Los Angeles attorney hired by the city to act as special counsel on the World Logistics Center.
All of those lawsuits alleged that the project, which received both strong support and bitter opposition within the community, violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
The council could have placed the project on the ballot, but decided to approve it unilaterally, without a public vote, based on the petitions gathered.
“The number of signatures showed pretty strong support within the community,” Curley said. “They [the council] approved it based on that, which they were allowed to do under state law, and the judge signed off on it.”
In a statement, Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez praised Waters’ ruling, calling it another step in making the World Logistics Center a reality. The project, which will be developed by Moreno Valley-based Highland Fairview, will create 30,000 permanent and construction jobs and pump about $2.5 billion into the local economy, according to city estimates.
Waters issued her ruling last week. Officials with Highland Fairview could not be reached for comment.
