For Immediate Release:
January 17, 2007 / BNSF: Lena Kent at 909.386.4140
Victorville: Yvonne Hester at 760.955.3251
Stirling: Jennifer Little at 949.863.1910 x27
BNSF Railway and City of Victorville Agree to Explore Rail Intermodal Project
Victorville,California, January 17, 2007—City officials approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the BNSF Railway Company (BNSF), setting the stage to explore development of a major intermodal logistics facility at Southern California Logistics Airport (SCLA) in Victorville.
The MOU was unanimously approved at the January 16 Council Meeting. Victorville Mayor Terry Caldwell prefaced the announcement saying, “Good things come to those who wait and lay the groundwork for the future.”
“I am pleased to announce the City of Victorville and BNSF are working together to bring intermodal rail service to SCLA ,” said Caldwell. “This MOU with BNSF is a major milestone in our effort to convert an abandoned Air Force base into a vital, thriving industry.”
According to the terms of the MOU, BNSF and the City have entered into exclusive negotiations to explore the development of an intermodal rail facility at the former Air Force base, now Southern California Logistics Airport.
“BNSF constantly reviews its need for capacity expansion across its network. Today, we signed a MOU with the City of Victorville to further explore the possibility of establishing intermodal operations in Victorville on the site of the Southern California Logistics Airport,” said John P. Lanigan, BNSF Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
The development of the intermodal facility will be a critical component in the development of the 3,500-acre Southern California Rail Complex at SCLA.
According to City officials, the rail complex is a solution to the growing distribution needs and supply chain congestion of Southern California. SCLA will benefit the regional transportation system by offering rail, ground and airfreight distribution.
In 1992 when the former George Air Force Base closed, City officials looked to the civilian conversion of the facility to replace lost jobs and generate new employment opportunities for the VictorValley. Estimated jobs lost as a result of the base closure range from 5,000 to 8,500.
For Mayor Pro Tem JoAnn Almond, BNSF’s MOU with Victorville means one thing: an opportunity to create more economic benefits for Victorville’s families.
“Logistics is one of the most stable, enduring industries there is,” said Almond. “No matter what happens, goods will have to be moved. And that means that the working families who live in Victorville will be able to have decent, high-paying jobs, and be able to spend time with their children and spouses, not having to worry about putting food on the table.”
According to Councilman Bob Hunter, the significance of the rail line and its impact on developing the intermodal facility is key to attracting the job generators. “This is a major vote of confidence for Victorville from BNSF that we have what it takes to become a significant intermodal facility, said Hunter. This message will not be lost on industries seeking to relocate.”
The 3,500-acre complex near BNSF’s anticipated facility includes plans for 20 million square feet of manufacturing and distribution uses estimated to generate approximately 20,000 jobs. This component will be developed by Stirling, a private sector partner and will be integrated with the anticipated facility.
Southern California Logistics Airport is jointly managed by the Southern California Logistics Airport Authority (SCLAA) and Stirling, a Foothill Ranch, CA-based full-service value-added development company specializing in master-planned communities and major land renovation.
Councilman Rudy Cabriales also focused his comments on jobs. “Bringing in transportation, manufacturing and distribution facilities creates jobs at all levels. We want our work force to work at home, shop at home and play at home. We need to keep our residents invested in the community to maintain a high quality of life.”
“To me, hands down, the darkest time in the history of Victorville was the closure of George Air Force Base,” said Mike Rothschild, Victorville City Council Member and former fighter pilot. “That was such a tremendous hit to our local economy, it was hard to imagine how we could recover. BNSF’s potential development of an intermodal facility could help ensure that we are never again dependent on a single entity for our survival the way we were dependent on that base.”
About BNSF
A subsidiary of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (NYSE:BNI), BNSF Railway Company operates one of the largest North American rail networks, with about 32,000 route miles in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is among the world's top transporters of intermodal traffic, moves more grain than any other American railroad, carries the components of many of the products we depend on daily, and hauls enough low-sulphur coal to generate about ten percent of the electricity produced in the United States. BNSF is an industry leader in Web-enabling a variety of customer transactions at
About Southern California Logistics Airport
Southern California Logistics Airport, the former George Air Force Base in Victorville, Calif., is an 8,500-acre multimodal transportation hub supported by air, ground and rail connections. The City of Victorville and Stirling have a public/private partnership agreement to redevelop the former George Air Force Base into SCLA, the largest fully-integrated commercial development in the region, which is anticipated to bring more than 30,000 jobs to the area. SCLA offers 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations with onsite U.S. Customs. It has been designated a Foreign Trade Zone and a Local Agency Military Base Recovery Act Zone by the federal government. SCLA has two intercontinental runways and can accommodate all current-flying commercial and military aircraft with 24-hour, seven-day-a-week air tower operations and emergency response capabilities comparable to that of the world’s largest airports. Please visit SCLA online at