IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Audi, the German manufacturer and distributor of luxury automobiles, is coming to Ontario.
Workers are expected to begin grading on a five-acres of open space the company purchased on Inland Empire Boulevard between Archibald and Vineyard avenues, according to multiple sources.
No formal construction schedule has been set, but the 40,000-square-foot facility – which will be visible from Interstate 10 – will probably open during the fourth quarter of 2016, said Chuck Noble, principal with Lee & Associates in Orange.
Noble is representing the property’s owner, the Meredith Family Trust in Orange County. The parcel is part of the so-called Meredith Property, a 243-acre piece of commercial land at Interstate 10 and Vineyard that has sat undeveloped for years.
“This is another sign that Ontario is a good place to do business,” said John Andrews, the city’s economic development director. “We’re very pleased to be getting this.”
It was not known how many people work there or how much sales tax revenue it will generate, but automobile dealerships – especially high-end facilities – are much sought-after by cities because they do create major revenue.
Originally, Ontario officials had hoped to bring Class A office buildings to the Meredith site and use that as the starting point for future commercial development, but those plans were derailed by the recession and subsequent collapse of the local office market.
The Audi dealership is the second major project announced for the Meredith Property. In July, QVC, the video and e-commerce retailer, said it will build its first West Coast distribution center there.
That facility, which is expected to open for business during the third quarter of next year, is expected to employ up to 1,000 people at buildout, perhaps by 2020.
