I’m honored that Moreno Valley has been selected as one of just eight Cities from across the nation to participate in the 70th National Session of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.
For more than three decades, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) has helped mayors tackle major civic challenges through design. Design may not be an obvious choice for Cities grappling with the pressures of local governance, but it is through design that we can effectively address economic and community development, zoning and regulations, as well as housing and transportation.
This is an opportunity for us to showcase Moreno Valley – and our ideas for the future.
We are one of the fastest growing cities – from a non-residential perspective - located in one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. Developers are responding to the robust market and building millions of square feet for new industrial space, logistics and distribution facilities, hotels and commercial projects year over year.
We are home to significant hub facilities for large Fortune 500 and International Companies. We have three new hotels under construction – and more on the way.
We have created 17,000 new jobs – in just the last five years.
Our City has been recognized as the 3rd Most Fiscally Strong City in the Nation by the Fiscal Times.
When I think of all the great things about our City, it strikes me that for a City of its size – the second largest in Riverside County – that Moreno Valley lacks a central destination – or “downtown-like” Town Center.
We have places, but these are places that are places with a lower-case “p.” We are exploring the possibility of a PLACE with a capital “P.” A place that can foster more economic development and job creation. A place with venues for arts, culture and entertainment. A place with a design that integrates civic spaces such as a new library, Community Center, and other amenities.
As part of the City’s participation in MICD, we will be presenting a case study on the possibility of a Moreno Valley Town Center.
Experts in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, real estate development, transportation, and urban design will join this select group of mayors in the two-and-a-half-day discussions, and provide input on how we can overcome design and development challenges.
I look forward to sharing with you what we learn.