Newly obtained letters between the City of Moreno Valley and the Moreno Valley Mall suggest that the shopping center may have known about the fire code violations for months before being red-tagged last week.
In a letter sent to the shopping center owner last month, the Moreno Valley city manager stated that the fire marshal had someone monitoring the mall around the clock for potential fire hazards tied to unresolved violations on March 20, 2025. City officials also referenced an unsolicited offer from mall ownership to design, build and finance a new Moreno Valley City Hall.
“What it looks like, what the city is saying they received some kind of communication for the mall owner offering to cut some kind of deal,” said Matt Silver, commercial real estate attorney. “And the city, I think rightfully so, is saying no deal. We need to stay focused on these life safety issues. We need to focus on getting these fire issues and other building problems, big stuff, to make the small safe for the residents of Moreno Valley.”…