The Moreno Valley City Council on Tuesday night will consider a mega-warehouse proposal that has many of the city's residents at odds.
The World Logistics Center complex would take up nearly 41 million square feet - roughly the size of seven football fields - on an empty piece of land that stretches from Redlands Boulevard to Gilman Springs Road.
Opponents of the complex believe it would bring traffic and pollution, but supporters argue it would bring thousands of jobs to the area.
Kathleen Dale worries about the traffic the center could bring to neighborhoods, especially truck traffic. Her husband died of a brain tumor in 2004 and she believes diesel exhaust may have played a role.
"He worked 17 years in the shadow of the 60, 91, 215 interchange right next to a major rail line," Dale said.
According to a traffic study, the area could potentially see nearly 68,000 additional vehicle trips per day - 14,000 of them big rigs.
But supporters say Moreno Valley needs an economic boost and the mega business park could potentially bring more than 20,000 jobs to the city, which has an unemployment rate of about 10 percent.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
"Most of the citizens that live in Moreno Valley commute into to downtown Los Angeles and to Orange County and to other areas for jobs. If jobs were here they wouldn't have to commute," said resident Luke Fuller.
"I believe it's the right project at the right time in the right location," said another supporter, Debra Craig.
Still, opponents are skeptical.
"Even if it gets built it will not be a boom, it's not going to be that much money to the city of Moreno Valley," said Deanna Reeder.
