The retail boom is following the region's housing boom in thefamiliar pattern of retail follows rooftops, Bauman says, pointingout that 24,000 new homes are being built in the community of MiraLoma alone as the Inland Empire continues as one of the fastestgrowing places in the nation for new home construction. Some retailcenters are even being built before the housing arrives, "inanticipation of the residential development," Bauman adds. He citestwo retail projects in North Fontana, one of 430,000 sf and anotherof 250,000 sf, that are both under way in "in anticipation ofhousing growth that hasn't occurred but is in an advanced stage ofplanning or pre-construction. In the Coachella Valley, known bestas the home of Palm Springs, the town of Indio is probably thefastest growing in a valley that "is just exploding right now,"Bauman says. Among the Indio projects is the Indio Market Place, a700,000-sf retail center currently inthe midst of its pre-leasingthat is expected for completion in fall of 2006 and for whichBauman is leasing agent.

Another project he is leasing, in Southwest Riverside County,indicates the types of tenants the Inland Empire is now attracting:Slated to open in the spring of 2006, the 340,000-sf center in thecity of Murrieta is called Village Walk and will be anchored byBabies R Us, Bed, Bath & Beyond, SportsMart, Levitz, and OfficeDepot.

Other national names popping up in the Inland Empire retailvenues include Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Linens NThings and a host of other national retail chains that areattracted by the growing population, demographics and availabilityof retail sites where they can build the types and sizes of storesthey want, Bauman observes.