EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 63, NO. 40
July 09, 2026
Launchpad Collective Breaks Ground on 32-Unit Affordable Modular Housing Project in San Bernardino
IECN.com
CBU Tres Pasos Program Helps Inland Empire Students See Themselves in STEM Pg. 4
PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Launchpad Collective leaders, partners and community members break ground July 7 on a 32-unit affordable modular housing project at 125 W. Baseline St. in San Bernardino.
By Manny Sandoval
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aunchpad Collective broke ground July 7 on a 32-unit affordable modular housing project at 125 W. Baseline St., a development its founder said is intended to become a model for housing, economic opportunity and neighborhood reinvestment along the Baseline corridor.
The project is expected to be completed in April 2027, with the first residents moving in shortly after. Launchpad Collective founder and CEO Robert Carrillo said the development will include 22 studios, six two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units, with apartments ranging from about 500 square feet to about 1,000 square feet.
as a mixed-income development under Assembly Bill 2011 and San Bernardino’s transit-oriented development framework. The site will not include parking, an approach he said reflects the area’s transit access and the city’s push for more walkable communities. For Carrillo, the project is not only about
Carrillo said the project is being planned
Housing, Cont. next pg.
Fiesta Village Closing July 11; Nickelodeon Pizza Staying Open With Famous Chorizo Avocado Pizza Redlands Theatre Festival Bursts Into Summer With Outdoor Comedy and British Farce Pg. 5
Free Summer Sundays Heat Up Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech with Salsa, Zines Pg. 8
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PHOTO MANNY SANDOVAL Fiesta Village Family Fun Park will close July 11 after more than 50 years as a Colton and Inland Empire destination for birthday parties, picnics and family outings.
By Manny Sandoval
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iesta Village Family Fun Park, a longtime family destination for Colton and the Inland Empire, will close its doors for good July 11 after more than 50 years in business, while neighboring Nickelodeon Pizza is making clear that it remains open.
PHOTO MIKE PRIETO Nickelodeon Pizza remains open in Colton for dine-in, phone and delivery orders as owner Mike Prieto works to preserve the restaurant’s longtime recipes, including its famous chorizo avocado pizza, while expanding digital order opportunities.
Current Fiesta Village owners Michelle and Patrick O’Brien announced the closure last week, saying the decision was difficult after decades of serving local families, schools, employees and community partners. “After more than 50 years of serving the Inland Empire, Fiesta Village Family Fun Park will be closing its doors,” the ownership team said in a statement. “This deci-
sion has not been easy.” The park’s roots date back to 1974, and the O’Briens said their goal over the past 25 years was to preserve Fiesta Village as a welcoming place for connection, celebration and joy. As word of the closure spread, some community members also raised concerns about Nickelodeon Pizza, a neighboring Business, cont. next pg.