Moreno Valley — Industrial & Innovation Market Report (Riverside County)
Headline
Moreno Valley sits at the center of the Inland Empire’s modern supply chain—nestled on the SR-60 / I-215 spine, next to March Inland Port (civilian cargo airport at March ARB), and backed by an unusually large pipeline of entitled industrial land. Translation: scale, speed, and serious operating advantages. marchjpa.comrcaluc.org
Market Drivers (the short list)
- Logistics & e-commerce concentration
The city brands itself a regional leader in industrial space, with long-running distribution clusters around the SR-60 corridor and Moreno Valley’s east side. Amazon’s ONT6 fulfillment complex anchors the labor and operations base (Nandina Ave / San Michele Rd). morenovalleybusiness.comAmazon JobsForest Shipping - Scale you can actually build
Moreno Valley’s project pipeline includes multiple fully entitled and moving-forward industrial parks, plus the long-planned World Logistics Center (WLC)—a 40.6M SF master-planned logistics ecosystem that cleared years of entitlement and litigation and has been positioned to proceed. That level of scale is rare in SoCal and underpins long-term absorption. morenovalleybusiness.commoval.govModern Distribution Management - Multimodal reach (truck, rail, air)
Immediate freeway access and adjacency to the March Inland Port Airport Authority (MIPAA) give operators optionality for time-sensitive freight and future air-cargo strategies—while still tapping the LA/Long Beach port complex via truck and rail. marchjpa.com - City strategy aligned with advanced industries
The City’s current Economic Development Strategic Plan prioritizes expansion of logistics and recruitment of higher-wage clusters: advanced manufacturing, aerospace/defense, AI, EV, green tech, and IT—helpful for diversifying demand and backfilling cycles. moval.govmoval.org
What’s Thriving (right now)
| Sector | Why It’s Hot |
|---|---|
| Logistics / 3PL / e-commerce | Deep labor pool, entitled land, near-airport option at March, speed-to-market sites. marchjpa.commorenovalleybusiness.com |
| Industrial manufacturing & value-add | City actively targets advanced manufacturing + supports concierge permitting & site selection. moval.gov |
| Aerospace / Defense adjacency | Proximity to March ARB and MIPAA creates supplier & MRO adjacency opportunities. rcaluc.org |
| Clean-tech / EV & automation | ED strategy calls out AI/EV/green-tech recruiting—pair that with large-format shells ideal for robotics-enabled fulfillment. moval.org |
Notable Pipeline & Place-Makers
- World Logistics Center (WLC) — one of the largest planned logistics campuses in the U.S.; positioned to proceed after years of environmental review and approvals. Expect phased deliveries and build-to-suit opportunities as infrastructure packages sequence in. moval.govModern Distribution Management
- Active City Project List — the city’s development docket includes multiple light-industrial and logistics buildings (e.g., Moreno Valley Business Park Building 5 ~220k SF), a good barometer for near-term deliveries. moval.org
- March Inland Port (civilian) — runway and facilities capable of handling the largest cargo aircraft; governance via MIPAA (multi-jurisdiction JPA). This is a differentiator when shippers need hybrid truck/air strategies. marchjpa.com
Market Mood & Momentum
- Demand quality: National retailers and 3PLs continue to prefer Moreno Valley for super-regional distribution because it balances rent with reach (IE location economics + labor scale). City marketing and monthly ED updates reinforce a pro-build, pro-jobs stance. morenovalleybusiness.commoval.gov
- Policy awareness: Like the rest of the IE, large-format warehousing draws scrutiny; Moreno Valley’s long planning runway (General Plan 2040 / ED Plan) has helped de-risk entitled sites relative to greenfield markets without frameworks. moreno-valley.ca.usmoval.gov
Investor Takeaways (why this pencils)
- Speed-to-occupancy: Entitled parks + experienced local review teams compress delivery timelines. moval.orgmoval.gov
- Scalable thesis: Ability to plant a 200–500k SF Phase I and grow into multi-building campuses as demand compounds. moval.orgmoval.gov
- Diversification upside: City is actively recruiting advanced manufacturing/tech—helpful for absorption breadth if ecommerce normalizes. moval.govmoval.org
Future Outlook (12–36 months)
- Phased industrial deliveries from existing business parks; WLC infrastructure/verticals to pace with market leasing. Watch tenant mix: omni-channel retailers, parcel integrators, cold-chain candidates. Modern Distribution Management
- Air-adjacent logistics gains mindshare as MIPAA visibility grows and shippers seek flexibility; even limited near-term lift can improve site selection narratives. marchjpa.com
- Higher-wage cluster wins (automation, EV supply-chain, aerospace suppliers) tied to the City’s targeted-industry outreach. moval.org
Useful External Links (no CRE competitors)
- City Economic Development (programs, site selection, incentives) – morenovalleybusiness.com. morenovalleybusiness.com
- City Economic Development Dept. – concierge assistance & resources. moval.gov
- Economic Development Strategic Plan (2024) – target clusters & policy roadmap (PDF). moval.gov
- General Plan 2040 – Economic Development Element (2025 update) (PDF). moreno-valley.ca.us
- World Logistics Center – EIR / entitlement documentation (PDF set). moval.gov
- March Inland Port Airport Authority – capabilities & governance. marchjpa.com
And your CTA for readers: argossy.com/properties/
Call Marie Cappello, Broker at (760) 507-1222