South Mill Creek-mixed use

[The Voice of Reason]

The City of Bakersfield was awarded a $3,750,000 federal Section 108 Loan and a $750,000 Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grant to be used for land assembly and to assist with the development of the $80 million South Mill Creek mixed use project. Planned components of the mixed-use project include; 65,000 square feet of commercial development including retail, restaurants, entertainment, recreation and neighborhood services, 80 units of affordable town-home style high rise two and three bedroom rental units and 35 upscale market rate urban style condominiums. The Redevelopment Agency currently has site control of approximately 5.5 acres which has been earmarked for the affordable housing rental component. The additional 4.5 adjacent acres is privately owned and will be acquired by the Redevelopment Agency for the project. The project will generate 156 new full-time equivalent jobs, will replace a contaminated auto wrecking yard and auto body shop in addition to a partially converted warehouse and predominantly vacant dilapidated commercial building with several abandoned partial structures. In February 2007, the Bakersfield Redevelopment Agency issued a Request for Statements of Qualifications and Development Proposal (RFQ) to 70 potential developers for the construction of the 10 acre mixed use residential/commercial development to be located on property between South