Ontario has set the stage to be a leader in the recovery becauseof what the city and the companies that have invested in it haveaccomplished in the past, according to the State of the Citypanelists: When the economy was expanding, millions of square feetof warehouse and distribution space were developed in Ontario inwhat has become one of the world's largest logisticshubs―the largest in the world, some speakers said. Inaddition, the city sat in the midst of an Inland Empire economicand housing expansion that was one of the most robust in thecountry. So it only stands to reason that, once the recovery buildsup a head of steam, Ontario is one of the cities best positioned tobenefit because of its logistics hub, its transportation networkand the city's commitment to fostering growth via long-rangeplanning.

That recovery is in its early stages, according to panelist RossDeVol, director of regional economics at the Milken Institute, whosaid that, in his view, the recession ended in August last year.Although the recession hasn't officially been declared over, DeVolsaid that a host of signs point to improvement in economicindicators like trade, jobs and housing. He said that upcomingreports on job growth will be pleasantly surprising, "especiallyhere in the Inland Empire."

DeVol forecast that "We're going to see new construction by thesecond half of the year" in the housing industry, and he cited asmall uptick in Southern California port activity at the end of theyear as a good sign for Ontario, where so much logistics activityis tied to the ports.