Kelly Grady shared this photo from her peacfeul morning walk at Ryan Bonnaminio Park.
Wednesday Gazette: February 26, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! We're preparing the March edition of our Raincross Rundown, featuring our curated selection of Riverside's most interesting events from our calendar. Have an exciting March event you'd like to recommend? Reply to this email and tell us what makes it special!
Riverside Approves Negotiations for $200M Adventure Sports Complex on Former Northside Golf Course Site
Council unanimously backs olympic-caliber complex promising jobs, recreation, and community revitalization.
The former Riverside Golf Course, closed since 2009, is now set for transformation into the Riverside Adventure Center following City Council's approval of exclusive negotiations with Adrenaline Sports Resorts.
Riverside City Council unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Adrenaline Sports Resorts Collaborative for a proposed $200 million adventure sports complex on a long-closed golf course. The project could transform the 126-acre Northside neighborhood site and potentially attract Olympic events to the city.
Driving the news: The six-month negotiating agreement marks the first step toward developing the former Riverside Golf Course, which has remained unused since 2009 and costs taxpayers $1.6 million annually to maintain.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. How many years has Riverside missed taking their shots? Let's take it," said Councilmember Sean Mill.
The vision: The Riverside Adventure Center would include whitewater rapids, a wave garden lagoon, climbing walls, zip lines, an amphitheater, trails, retail spaces, a hotel, and 722 housing units with 25% designated as affordable housing.
Economic impact: City officials project the development could create approximately 2,800 jobs and attract 500,000 visitors annually while saving the city $1.6 million in yearly maintenance costs.
Olympic potential: The facility would be designed to Olympic standards, positioning it as a potential venue for future Olympic trials and emerging sports events during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Community concerns: Despite unanimous council support, some residents expressed reservations about the project's scale, traffic impacts, and compatibility with residential areas.
"This is not what we have spent so many years working for," said Erin Snyder, a 40-year advocate for the Northside community.
What's next: The agreement requires ASR Collaborative to provide a $75,000 deposit to cover city expenses during the negotiation period, which can be extended twice for additional six-month terms.
Federal Policy Shift Impacts Riverside Refugee Organization
Human Migration Institute of Riverside navigates challenges after January executive order suspends resettlement program.
A Venezuelan refugee family has been separated after Customs and Border Protection detained and deported the father despite his valid documentation. Deivy, 34, was sent to Peru while his pregnant wife and 11-year-old son remain in Riverside, highlighting challenges faced by legal migrants.
Driving the news: The Human Migration Institute Riverside (HMIR) is fighting for Deivy's case after being pressured to withdraw his asylum application under threat of indefinite detention by Houston CBP officials in September 2024.
Despite disclosing his tattoos early in the vetting process and following all legal procedures for refugee resettlement, Deivy was separated from his family who had been approved by both U.N. and U.S. agencies.
Why it matters: A January 2025 executive order suspending the United States Refugee Assistance Program (USRAP) has drastically reduced Deivy's chances of timely reunification with his family.
HMIR's finances are significantly strained as the organization relies on funding tied to refugee resettlement through government grants and private donations.
"Now, more than ever, we need the community's support," said HMIR Resettlement Director Sedef Altug.
How to help: Riverside residents can support local resettlement efforts through HMIR, which provides resources and volunteer opportunities.
UC Riverside received a record 70,578 freshman applications for fall 2025—a 23.2% increase driven by the new UCR Choice Program—maintaining its position as a top UC campus for California, low-income, and first-generation student applicants.
Former California Baptist University standout Taran Armstrong has signed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first Lancer to earn an NBA contract and the first Tasmanian-born player to make an NBA roster.
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