Why New Industrial Development in the Inland Empire is Pushing Further East

The Inland Empire has long been a magnet for industrial development — thanks to its proximity to ports, highways, and massive consumer markets. But in today’s market, finding viable development sites is getting significantly harder.

Most of the low-hanging fruit is gone. Prime parcels are either entitled, built out, or overpriced. That’s pushing developers further east — into less developed areas with larger parcels but critical infrastructure gaps.

The challenge? Understanding truly deliverable power loads has become increasingly complex. Sites may look good on paper, but when it comes time to bring in electricity, you’re met with delays, limited transformer capacity, or no existing service at all.

And it’s not just power. Water access is a make-or-break factor. We recently reviewed a site where the water department required 3 miles of trenching just to make a connection — an instant deal-breaker.

As development moves east, due diligence has to go deeper. Infrastructure isn’t just a line item — it can define whether a project is viable or not. You must find your costs before taking down the land!