Aryana Noroozi
On Monday, May 12, the March Joint Powers Authority (JPA) will vote on a controversial warehouse development that has drawn fierce opposition from residents in Riverside’s Mission Grove and Orangecrest neighborhoods.
The meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Riverside County Administration Center, marks the return of the West Campus Upper Plateau project — now rebranded as the “March Innovation Hub.” Despite a new name and a modest reduction in scale, the proposal still includes more than 3.5 million square feet of warehouse space, raising alarms about traffic, pollution, noise, and its proximity to homes, schools, parks, and day-care centers.
Opponents argue that the project remains fundamentally unchanged from the version that drew more than 500 residents at last year’s March JPA meeting to voice their objections, prompting commissioners to table the project.
These community members say the rebrand does little to address long standing concerns about air pollution, traffic congestion, noise, and the disruption of local wildlife habitats. At a public meeting in April, some residents questioned the “innovation” label, noting that developers were unable to explain how the warehouse complex would deliver technological or economic innovation to the area.
“This is the same unacceptable project which the community has been united in opposing,” said Jen Larratt-Smith, chair of Riverside Neighbors Opposing Warehouses (R-NOW), a local grassroots group formed in response to the original development. “Building giant warehouses in the middle of an established and thriving residential neighborhood is bad land use policy. It will forever damage the character of our community.”
The March Joint Powers Authority was created in the 1990s to oversee the redevelopment of land surrounding March Air Force Base, which was downsized to a reserve base. Its eight-member commission includes representatives from Riverside, Perris, Moreno Valley and other cities across Riverside County. As of July 1, the JPA’s land use authority will be transferred to the County of Riverside — a timeline that some residents fear could add urgency to the vote.
Meeting Details:
What: March JPA vote on March Innovation Hub warehouse project
When: Monday, May 12, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Riverside County Administration Center, 4080 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92501