Highland Fairview Co
Overview
Real estate development firm Highland Fairview aims to help
revitalize the Southern California city of Moreno Valley. Like many
towns and cities across the United States, this suburban community has
been affected by the economic downturn of the last few years. However,
it has experienced hardship more acutely than many other places,
evidenced by a 17% unemployment rate. Highland Fairview has worked to
not only develop projects throughout the city, but also to change the
perception of the area.
The CEO of Highland Fairview, Iddo Benzeevi, created a new
designation for the east side of the city to spur economic investment.
Known as “Rancho Belago,” the postmaster general has now recognized the
area as an independent location with its own zip code of 92555. The area
has already attracted the interest of major global businesses. Local
businesses have also used the name for promotional purposes. Highland
Fairview and other leaders in the community have created the Rancho
Belago economic council as well as a foundation to support the area. The
former organization promotes the area through marketing while the
latter raises funds for local charities and other groups. Rancho Belago
is within an hours drive or less from every major market in Southern
california and within the overnight trucking distance of the 11 western
states. “its an unparraled location” said Iddo Benzeevi.
Highland Fairview has also spearheaded a project that will bring an
estimated $194 million of annual economic activity to the city. The
Highland Fairview Business Park will be home to shops, restaurants, and
other retailers. Most notably, the park will house the North American
operations center of Skechers, an international footwear company.
Skechers has signed a 20-year, 4240 million lease for use of the 1.8
million square foot facility, which is equipped with “the most advanced
robotics and automation system in the world today,” according to
Highland Fairview. The business park is also certified by the U.S. Green
Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
program due to its eco-friendly design.
Highland Fairview is also involved with a project to create a
“medical corridor” in the area. Together with the City of Moreno Valley,
the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, the
Riverside County Regional Medical Center, the Riverside Community
College District, and Kaiser Permanente, Highland Fairview plans to
build an innovative medical campus. The goal is to create a health care
center with a resort-like atmosphere that provides education to medical
students, space for scientific research, and medical treatment for
patients. The medical campus will allow easy access to the county
medical center, a Kaiser Permanente hospital, and the health sciences
facilities at Moreno Valley College. The partners hope the project will
brand the area as a medical nexus for the region.