Allowing a city-hired contractor to fix the Moreno Valley Mall’s fire code issues would expedite the shopping center’s reopening, City Attorney Steven Quintanilla said Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (File photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) A contractor hired and overseen by Moreno Valley would fix the fire safety issues that have shuttered its mall for a week under an offer proposed by the city in hopes of reopening the shopping center more quickly. To spare taxpayers, the city would levy a special assessment on the Moreno Valley Mall to recoup the repair costs, City Attorney Steven Quintanilla said Friday, Feb. 27. RELATED: Closure is Moreno Valley Mall managers’ fault, city officials say at meeting Mall ownership must agree to the proposed deal. In a statement delivered via text message on Friday, mall spokesperson Dave Oates said: “We’re open to exploring all options to reopen the mall as soon as possible.” “We’ve been working around the clock to do so and have already resolved key issues raised by the city,” Oates said. “As members of our team stated in public comment at last night’s Moreno Valley (City) Council session, we want to work alongside city staff and council members to make this happen.” In a phone interview, Quintanilla said he relayed the proposed deal to the mall’s attorney Friday, the morning after the special council meeting to discuss the beleaguered two-story complex off the 60 Freeway. The city ordered the mall closed due to what officials described as serious fire code infractions that could lead to a catastrophic, deadly blaze at the 34-year-old, 87-acre property. These issues, including ripped-out sprinkler systems, problems with fire alarms and storage blocking exits, persisted for years despite multiple warnings to the mall, according to officials who identified nine violations — five, now that four have been fixed — that had to be addressed before the mall could reopen. The closure leaves at least hundreds of mall workers uncertain when they’ll get a paycheck. It also threatens the livelihood of mall business owners, many of whom invested thousands of dollars into their shops. At least one school operates out of the mall, as does a city library branch. The mall is closed, with the exception of JCPenney, Macy’s and Harkins Theatres. Related links Closure is Moreno Valley Mall managers’ fault, city officials say at meeting Moreno Valley Mall owed city almost $700,000 as of January, letter states 9 violations led to Moreno Valley Mall’s closure, councilmember says Most of Moreno Valley Mall closing; city says conditions are unsafe Moreno Valley to turn former Sears store into a museum Quintanilla described the proposal as a kind of settlement agreement. It wouldn’t open the mall overnight, but it would speed the process because the city wouldn’t have to deal with the “middle man” of a mall-hired contractor, he said. “We can move a lot faster and more efficiently if the city was handling everything,” he said. Quintanilla said the city already has a contractor in mind — the same one hired to build Moreno Valley’s first-ever museum in what used to be the mall’s Sears. That contractor is familiar with the mall, having identified fire safety issues that led to the closure, he said. The contractor would work in partnership with the city’s fire chief and fire marshal, who would have to sign off on the repairs before reopening, Quintanilla added. A special assessment on the mall to cover the repairs’ costs — treated like property taxes — means the city jumps to the front of the line of the mall’s creditors and would get repaid first, Quintanilla said. ...read more read less