🏛️ MVM CIVICS 101 — Economic Development
What Does Economic Development Do?
The short answer
Moreno Valley’s Economic Development Department works to attract businesses, help existing businesses and support job growth.
It markets Moreno Valley, helps businesses look for locations and guides them through City processes.
It does not decide what project a private property owner or developer will propose. It also does not approve every development project or control whether a particular business opens in Moreno Valley.
What is economic development?
Economic development is the City’s work to strengthen the local economy.
That work can include:
- Attracting new businesses
- Helping existing businesses stay or expand
- Supporting job growth
- Promoting available business locations
- Connecting businesses with information and services
- Supporting job training and employment programs
- Helping businesses work with City departments
- Promoting Moreno Valley as a place to do business
The department’s goal is to attract businesses, support local employers and help create more job opportunities for residents.
Does Economic Development recruit businesses?
Yes.
To recruit a business means to invite and encourage it to open or expand in Moreno Valley.
Economic Development staff may contact businesses, developers, real estate professionals and property owners.
Staff may provide information about:
- Moreno Valley’s population
- The local workforce
- Available properties
- Possible customers
- Business opportunities
- The city’s location and transportation connections
The department can explain why Moreno Valley may be a good location for a store, restaurant, office or other employer.
But the City cannot force a private company to come.
The company makes the final decision about whether to open, move or expand in Moreno Valley.
Can Economic Development bring a particular business to Moreno Valley?
The department can try, but it cannot promise that the business will come.
Businesses consider many things when choosing a location, such as:
- Whether the right property is available
- Rent or land costs
- The number of possible customers
- Traffic and visibility
- Building and operating costs
- Available workers
- Competition
- Money available for the project
- The company’s own plans
Residents may ask the City to recruit a certain store or restaurant. Economic Development can contact the company and provide information.
The final decision belongs to the business.
Does Economic Development choose what gets built on private property?
No.
A private property owner or developer decides what project to propose.
Economic Development staff may help a business find possible properties. Staff may connect a business with a property owner or explain the City’s development process.
But Economic Development does not choose which private business the owner must propose.
If an owner submits an application for a certain project, the City reviews that application. The City does not replace it with another private business that staff or residents might prefer.
Does Economic Development approve development projects?
Not by itself.
Economic Development staff may help a business or developer, follow the project’s progress and help the applicant communicate with City departments.
The project may need review by:
- Planning
- Building and Safety
- Public Works and Engineering
- Fire Prevention
- Moreno Valley Utility
- Other City departments or public agencies
Depending on the application, the final decision may be made by City staff, the Planning Commission or the City Council.
Helping an applicant through the process is not the same as approving the project.
Does helping a business give it special treatment?
Not by itself.
Economic Development was created to help businesses and encourage investment in Moreno Valley.
Staff may provide information, arrange meetings and help an applicant understand City requirements. Those services are part of the department’s job.
However, the project must still go through all required reviews. It must follow zoning rules, building and fire codes, environmental requirements and other laws.
Helping a business through the process does not guarantee approval.
What is “site-selection assistance”?
Site selection means choosing a possible location for a business.
Economic Development may provide information about:
- Places available for stores, offices or industrial businesses
- Vacant land
- Buildings or spaces for rent
- Zoning rules
- Traffic and customer information
- Population and workforce information
- Nearby roads and utilities
The business, property owner or developer decides whether to pursue a location.
Helping a business find a possible site does not give the business ownership of the property. It also does not give the business permission to build or operate there.
What does “business retention” mean?
Business retention means helping businesses that are already in Moreno Valley stay and succeed.
Economic Development staff may:
- Meet with local business owners
- Connect them with programs or services
- Help with questions about expanding
- Connect employers with job and training services
- Help businesses contact the right City department
- Provide workshops and business advice
- Identify problems affecting local businesses
The City cannot guarantee that a private business will remain open. The owner still makes the company’s financial and business decisions.
Can the City offer incentives?
Sometimes.
An incentive is a benefit offered to encourage a business to open, expand or hire local workers.
An incentive might include:
- Financial help
- Help with certain fees
- Job-training support
- Help finding or hiring workers
- Another benefit allowed by law and City policy
Economic Development staff may manage these programs or recommend an agreement.
A large incentive or agreement may need City Council approval.
An incentive does not allow a project to ignore zoning, safety or other legal requirements.
Does Economic Development create jobs?
Economic Development helps create conditions that may lead businesses to open, expand and hire employees.
Private employers decide whether to create jobs and whom to hire.
It is more accurate to say that Economic Development supports and encourages job creation.
The City also operates the Business & Employment Resource Center, or BERC. The center connects job seekers and employers with job information, workshops and other services.
Economic Development and Community Development are not the same thing
The names sound similar, but the departments have different jobs.
Economic Development works to attract and help businesses. It also supports jobs and private investment.
Community Development reviews planning, zoning, building, neighborhood-code and other development requirements.
The two departments may work on the same project. But helping a business is different from reviewing whether its application follows City rules.
We will explain Community Development in a later installment.
Who sets the City’s economic development priorities?
The City Council sets policy, approves the budget and may approve major business programs or agreements.
The City Manager oversees City operations.
Economic Development staff carries out the City’s work to attract and assist businesses.
The basic structure is:
City Council sets policy → City Manager oversees operations → Economic Development staff carries out the work
The key point
Economic Development works to attract and assist businesses. It does not control private business decisions or approve every development project.
A business decides whether it wants to come to Moreno Valley. A property owner or developer decides what project to propose.
The applicant then submits the proposal to the City. The proper City departments, officials or boards review it and take action.
Understanding these separate roles helps residents direct questions, criticism and credit to the right place.
Official sources
- Moreno Valley Economic Development Department
- Choose Moreno Valley
- Site Selection and Maps
- GO MoVal Business and Development Assistance
- Entitlement and Permitting Assistance
- Business & Employment Resource Center
About MVM Civics 101
MVM Civics 101 explains how Moreno Valley local government works in plain language. It is intended to explain governmental roles and processes—not to support or oppose any candidate, official, project or political position.
This article provides general educational information based on official records and authoritative sources. It is not legal advice. Moreno Valley Matters® is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Moreno Valley.
If you identify a possible factual error, please send us the specific statement and an authoritative source supporting the correction. Documented errors will be corrected transparently.
Last reviewed: September 1, 2026