Iron Lofts mixed-use development in Seventh Street East Historic District
Summary
300 new homes on a former scrap-metal brownfield near downtown, with the historic Barley Mills building saved as a clubhouse. It rezones industrial land to mixed-use right where the council keeps hearing 'we never build housing.'
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Jul 14, 2026.
Impact analysis
Private development on remediated brownfield land; no direct city cost cited.
Renters and homebuyers near downtown, plus the East Side neighborhood getting a blighted site cleaned up.
Potentially nearby residents and historic-resource advocates concerned about scale and the Seventh East Historic District.
Mentions & discussions (3)
City Council — July 14, 2026
300 new homes on a former scrap-metal brownfield near downtown, with the historic Barley Mills building saved as a clubhouse. It rezones industrial land to mixed-use right where the council keeps hearing 'we never build housing.'
Planning Commission — May 21, 2026
A 7-acre site on Commerce Street could go from business/office park zoning to mixed use, adding 291 apartments and 9 live/work units near downtown. The project would also fold in a historic Structure of Merit building.
Cultural Heritage Board — May 20, 2026
291 apartments plus 9 live/work units on a former recycling site, reusing the historic Barley Mills building as an amenity. Board members weighed compatibility with the historic district and pushed for preservation details.
Related development
Iron Lofts Mixed Use Development
Turns a blighted industrial brownfield into roughly 300 homes near downtown, UCR, and major job hubs, with the historic Barley Mills building reused as an amenity. Parking falls 86 spaces short of the old requirement, allowed under state law AB 2097 because of the transit corridor location.
Iron Loss Mixed-Use Development
Adds much-anticipated housing near downtown and the Metrolink station, cleans up a contaminated site, and steps building heights down gently toward single-family neighbors.
Planning Case PR-2023-001469 (Mission Inn Avenue / Commerce Street mixed-use)
The change would allow mixed-use urban development on a downtown-adjacent block currently zoned for business park uses.
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