‘Our time is now,’ Riverside mayor says in annual address

In the annual State of the City address, Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson cited an emerging green technology economy and “unprecedented leadership on the state level” to indicate that “Our Time is Now” in Riverside.

Lock Dawson delivered the tone-setting speech Jan. 30 at the Riverside Convention Center.

The mayor said Riverside’s success stems from focusing on committed investments, partnerships and leadership that have led to a new sustainable technology economy in Riverside. She highlighted the private-public partnership that created the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture, which has infused $29 million into the local economy.

Lock Dawson also noted her position as chair of the Big City Mayors coalition that consists of the California’s 13 largest cities.

“We are not a city that settles, we are a city that seeks greatness,” Lock Dawson exclaimed during her address. “I did not run for mayor to sit back and let someone else decide our future. I ran for mayor to create our future. And if you are in this building tonight, I know you are with me.”

The mayor mentioned four sustainable technology companies that recently have become part of the local “high-tech ecosystem” that started to formulate four years ago when the California Air Resources Board relocated to Riverside, according to a city statement. Companies that either plan to relocate their headquarters to Riverside or are currently based in the city include:

• Ohmio Inc., which moved from New Zealand and manufactures self-driving, all-electric shuttles;
• Hyundai Rotem Tech, which plans to build hydrogen-powered trains for the LA28 Olympics;
• Voltu Motor Inc. plans to manufacture electric, medium-duty trucks; and
• GreenPower Motor Co. is set to build electric buses.

More than 1,600 new businesses opened in Riverside last year, adding 13,500 jobs, according to the city. New projects totaling more than $390 million received City Council approval, as new housing starts are set for the Mission Grove area and downtown near the Main Library.

Lock Dawson also pointed to the city’s 74 new police officers and a 25% reduction in violent crime. Local authorities seized 3,000 pounds of fireworks last Fourth of July, and the City Council has invested in new drone technology to make more progress in the future, the mayor reported.

Over 7,500 pieces of graffiti totaling an average of 20 per day were removed in 2024, and a new city ordinance prohibits camping near schools, shelters and parks.

“This is balancing compassion with the needs of our community,” Lock Dawson said.

The city spent a record $30 million for paving 51 miles of roads, with extra attention to high-traffic areas such as Chicago and La Sierra avenues, Market Street and Alessandro Boulevard. Additional investments are headed to the Museum of Riverside, a new Eastside Library, renovations to the Cesar Chavez Community Center and a new gym at Bordwell Park.

Lock Daswon noted that El Dorado Park is to be renamed Tim Strack Park in honor of the late Riverside Fire Department captain.

“This park will keep Tim’s memory alive for generations of Riversiders as a testament to the power of putting service before self,” she said.

The event also featured the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce’s presentation of its Hero Award to retiring UC Riverside Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox, who has significantly expanded the university’s profile since coming to UCR in 2013, according to the city.

Lock Dawson presented the Mayor’s Innovation Award to the Riverside Community College District for its Mapping Articulated Pathways initiative. MAP converts prior military training and work experience into course credits for veterans and working adults, officials said.

Lock Dawson credited the community with decades of work that has grown Riverside to become the 12th-largest city in the state. She recently was selected as chair of the Big City Mayor’s coalition, which officials said puts the city in an advantageous position to advocate for more housing production, a reduction in homelessness and other quality-of-life issues.

“This year, for the first time, Riverside is not just at the table with this powerful bipartisan coalition of leaders from places like Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego,” Lock Dawson said. “We’ve claimed the head of the table! This is a great honor, not for me, but for all of us who have worked so tirelessly to lift up our community to its rightful place in our great state.”

The mayor also spoke with pride about the city’s the top-ranked STEM school in California, as well as UC Riverside is a national leader in social mobility and the city’s No. 3 ranking in the nation for family-owned businesses. Time magazine ranks Riverside as a top destination in the country for millennials, she added.

Lock Dawson praised Riverside residents who represented the U.S. in the recent Olympic games — women’s water polo athlete Emily Ausmus, a King High School graduate, and men’s water polo conditioning coach Christopher Bates.

“It was a special moment to know two Riversiders donned our nation’s colors and competed against the best in the world,” Lock Dawson said.

The entire State of the City event is available for viewing on YouTube.

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