Commerce Pointe Menifee Business Park Breaks Ground

From left: City Council member Greg August; Dennis Fitzpatrick, project development manager for PacTen Partners; Mayor Scott Mann; Peter Aylward, asset manager; Councilman Matt Liesemeyer; Councilman John Denver; City Manager Rob Johnson.

A major development in the economic growth of the City of Menifee took place today when officials broke ground on Commerce Pointe Menifee I and II -- the first business park project ever in the community.

Nearly 10 years in the making, the project was realized after developer PacTen Partners weathered the recent recession and followed through with plans to develop two adjacent business parks totalling 825,000 square feet. Bordered by Interstate 215 on the east and Zeiders Road on the west and south of Scott Road, the site will accommodate about 50 buildings designed for manufacturing and warehouse use.

"This will not be a distribution center," said Dennis Fitzpatrick, project development manager for PacTen Partners. "This will be a place for medium size businesses owned by people who live in town and for those looking for a good place for their workforce."

Work has already begun on grading the site, a large open field between the freeway and rural homes and farms. Betty Bouris lives across the street from the site on a farm she has lived on for more than 60 years. She was among those who attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

"I'm accepting of this project because I live between two of the biggest cities in the area and having this here is logical," Bouris said, referring to Menifee and Murrieta. "This has been our vision since 1987, when I served on the community planning committee before incorporation.

"After living 63 years on a dirt road, I finally get a paved road to my house. I've seen the plans. The area will be well landscaped and the people who live in back of this get to keep their rural lifestyle. This creates jobs. We want our people to stay here in Menifee."

Zeiders Road has never been paved except for a short stretch leading north from Keller Road to near the Bouris farm. Now a paved road will provide an adequate entrance south from Scott Road. In addition, Ciccotti Street will be extended eastward from Zeiders Road onto the project site, providing an entrance between the two business parks.

Menifee Mayor Scott Mann was among those who took part in the groundbreaking ceremony.

"This is truly a historic day for the City of Menifee in a lot of ways," he said. "This is the result of entitlers, asset managers and economic developers working together as a team. So many business owners who want to expand are already eyeballing this property. This will mean more property and sales tax revenue for the city and more jobs."

Asset manager Peter Aylward noted the significance of this day, considering the delays the project faced during the recession.

"The sun came out today," Aylward said, pointing to the blue sky which followed a foggy morning. "For years, there's been a cloud over this project. In 2008-09, nobody wanted to think about building. We hung in there and the city worked hand in hand with us."

Local dignitaries attended a groundbreaking ceremony on the 50-acre site of Commerce Pointe Menifee I and II.

The area outlined in red is the site of the Commerce Pointe project east of Zeiders Road and south of Scott Road.