The Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District broke ground Feb. 10 on the long-anticipated Civic Center and Emergency Operations Center, launching construction on a $12 million project that district leaders say represents the next step in the community’s growth while honoring its history of self-reliance.
Board President Rebecca Kujawa opened the ceremony by reflecting on the area’s roots and the cooperative spirit that shaped Phelan and Piñon Hills long before formal public buildings existed.
“Long before there were roads, neighborhoods, or public buildings here, this area was defined by the realities of living in the high desert — open spaces, small communities, and the constant importance of water and self-reliance,” Kujawa said. “Today’s groundbreaking represents the next chapter in that story.”
Kujawa described the Civic Center and Emergency Operations Center as more than a new structure, calling it a place where public services will be delivered locally and where emergency preparedness will be strengthened for future generations.
General Manager Don Bartz said the district’s path to this moment has been gradual. When the CSD first formed in 2008, it operated out of a steel building with just a folding table and a cell phone. The district later moved to leased space in the Stater Bros. Plaza before relocating to its current temporary building.
“It took about 10 years to get this building to this point,” Bartz said, noting that final design plans had to be revised after federal floodplain requirements required the pad to be raised several feet.
The new complex will house district administrative offices, including management of the community’s water system, as well as a multipurpose community hall with a commercial kitchen designed for meetings, events and gatherings. Bartz said the district currently does not have a large indoor space capable of accommodating community-wide events.
The Emergency Operations Center will be funded in part through a $2 million grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a $500,000 grant from San Bernardino County. The remaining project costs will be covered through district funding and other sources.
Assistant General Manager George Cardenas said the groundbreaking marked the culmination of more than a decade of planning, revisions, and coordination among architects, engineers, environmental consultants, and county officials.
Cardenas has worked for the district for 16 years and said the Civic Center project has been part of his work for most of that time. What began as a smaller concept grew over the years into a broader 20-acre civic vision.
“Today is not all about shovels in the ground or the heavy equipment behind me,” Cardenas said. “It’s about teamwork, partnership, and dedication that brought us to this moment.”
He said the project required years of meetings, redesigns, and collaboration before reaching the construction phase, crediting design and engineering partners who remained involved through its evolution.
“It only succeeds because of the people behind it,” he said. “This project proves that.”
Cardenas said seeing construction begin after more than a decade of work was a meaningful milestone for the district and the community it serves.
One of the more complex elements involved the mitigation of Joshua trees on the site. “We have 1,973 Joshua trees right behind me,” Cardenas said during the ceremony. Under state regulations, any Joshua tree measuring more than two inches in diameter is counted and subject to mitigation requirements. Approximately two dozen trees will require mitigation for the project to move forward, he said.
The Civic Center and Emergency Operations Center represent Phase 1 of a larger civic complex planned for the property. The 14,000-square-foot facility will be built at 9535 Sheep Creek Road and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete. Future phases include a 14-acre park expansion with ball fields, a bicycle track, an equestrian area, a splash pad, a dog park, and a gymnasium. Funding for those additions will be pursued separately through grants and partnerships, district officials said, and will not come from water rate revenues. Additionally, the Phelan Community Park is undergoing a park expansion, which includes updated walking pathways, pickleball courts and a community teaching garden and greenhouse, among other improvements.
Representatives from state and county offices attended the ceremony, including Miriam Muñoz on behalf of State Sen. Suzette Martinez Valladares and CJ Porter representing First District Supervisor Paul Cook. Muñoz presented a certificate recognizing the district’s commitment to emergency preparedness and community services.
The project follows years in which residents have faced wildfire threats, storm impacts, and power shutoffs, factors district officials said underscored the need for a dedicated emergency operations facility within the community.
Following the remarks, board members, staff, and invited officials gathered for a ceremonial turning of the dirt, formally marking the start of construction on what district leaders described as a long-awaited investment in Phelan and Piñon Hills’ future.
