Last week, Team Cook attended Hesperia’s “State of the City,” held by the Greater High Desert Chamber of Commerce. Led by Mayor Brigit Bennington, the event highlighted some of the exciting accomplishments and developments in the city.
Bennington said that supporting local businesses and creating new job opportunities is one of the city’s biggest priorities.
During 2022-2023 fiscal year, Hesperia had a total permit valuation of $280 million — a 44 percent increase over the prior year. This will result in an increase in local construction jobs, new housing, shopping and dining opportunities. Rosa Maria’s is opening its first High Desert location at Bear Valley Road and Cypress, and a new Dairy Queen is coming soon.
Additional highlights:
- The warehouse sector continues to explode. Hesperia’s Commerce Center on Caliente Road covers approximately 3.5 million square feet with Modway Furniture and Peloton Exercise Equipment as its tenants, and the Covington Group is building 2 million square feet of industrial space south of Main Street, between Highway 395 and the I-15.
- As more California residents seek affordable living outside the urban sprawl, housing is more important than ever. The 9,000-acre Silverwood development will boast more than 15,000 homes along with retail, office spaces, a library, post office, public schools and town squares. Additionally, it will feature 387 acres of parks and 166 miles of walking paths and trails. This master development is expected to bring in more than $7 billion in capital to improve the region’s infrastructure and services over the next 25 years. The first phase has approximately 2,000 homes, and models are expected to be open by mid-2024.
- San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey provided an update on emergency services in the area. The department will be opening Fire Station 306 to serve the new Silverwood development. Over the past year, County Fire has also added two extra ambulances into Hesperia. Munsey was pleased to hear that Desert Valley Hospital will be adding an additional 70 emergency room beds and 70 inpatient beds over the next 18 months. “A lot of hospitals don’t have enough beds right now, so having that vision is so important,” he said.
Congratulations to the Hesperia community on these exciting developments! It’s clear why the city is among the most desirable places to live, work and play in the First District!