Staff Reports

Norco – The CarMax auto dealership, approved in January 2019 for the southeast corner of Second Street and the I-15 Freeway, began construction in the fall of 2019. Like many development projects and economic activities, it was placed on hold in March 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a decision made by the Virginia-based Fortune 500 Company.

As you drive by the site, you may notice chain link fences and unfinished concrete block walls. The chain link fencing is a temporary measure to secure the site while construction is temporarily suspended and is in no way representative of the final landscaping design, which will be strictly conditioned by the City. Although CarMax has not yet notified the City of the date when construction will resume, hopefully building crews will soon be back on site and the project will fully take shape. When finished, the dealership is expected to be one of Norco’s largest sales tax generators, and the walls that buffer the automotive facility from the surrounding residential neighborhood will be attractively landscaped, with sloping berms mitigating the impact of the commercial use.

CarMax has made a strategic decision to enhance its presence in California, a primary focus of its overall expansion plans, and the Norco dealership is critical to the company’s ability to effectively serve western Riverside County. Because of the company’s unmatched size and its ability to distribute inventory across a national network, automotive industry analysts view CarMax as uniquely positioned to succeed when demand for cars begins to accelerate after the COVID-19 Pandemic passes. For more information, contact the City of Norco at (951) 270-5623 or info@ci.norco.ca.us.