Massive Inland Empire Skechers DC gets water district certification

Massive Inland Empire Skechers DC gets water district certification Construction of a 2.4 million-square-foot Skechers distribution center in Moreno Valley has been given the go-ahead by the local water authority after the developer pledged an aggressive water saving program at an nearby housing development project.
   Developer Highland Fairview Properties said it would cut water usage at a 2,900-home community under development by using water-efficient landscaping in the new homes' backyards. The 162 acre-feet of water projected to be saved by the landscaping would easily offset the new DC's water usage, the Eastern Municipal Water District board said Wednesday in approving the plan. The water district certified that it could provide water to the Highland housing community project in 2005.
   Highland still requires city approval to begin construction on the Skechers DC, to be located in the eastern portion of Moreno Valley. Two additional DCs are proposed in the same area, but not yet approved. ProLogis is proposing a 2.2 million-square-foot DC on a 117-acre site west of the Skechers location and Ridge Property Trust has proposed a 1 million-square-foot DC on 50 acres between the two sites.
   Highland has hired a consulting firm to prepare the Skechers project's required environmental impact report, which could be ready for public review before the end of the year.
   The DC is expected to generate more than 1,000 jobs, though environmental groups have questioned the project's siting near a local high school. Highland signed Manhattan Beach-based Skechers to an 11-year lease for the facility, in what real estate experts have said may be the largest industrial lease in the nation.