The council member’s comments came a day after city officials shut down the mall with the exception of two department stores and a movie theater.

“There’s hundreds of violations, but nine of them are preventing it from reopening,” Baca-Santa Cruz, whose district covers the mall and surrounding area, said by phone Friday afternoon. “For example, there’s no backup generator. If there was a power failure, the whole place will go dark, and that’s a safety violation.”

Baca-Santa Cruz said there’s no immediate timeline for resolving the violations, though she added that, since the mall is privately owned, the responsibility falls on management.

“This was no surprise to the owner,” according to Baca-Santa Cruz, who said the city had been in “constant contact” with the building owner.

“As a council member, I can say that we will come out and reinspect daily, if needed more than once a day,” Baca-Santa Cruz said. “We want it to open up quickly. Our first priority is public safety.”

A notice of violation shared by Baca-Santa Cruz lists the problems identified by the city. Among other things, the notice lists smoke alarms, fire doors and emergency lighting as areas in need of fixes.

A Feb. 5, memo shared by Baca-Santa Cruz offers some details. The memo from Riverside County/Cal Fire Deputy Fire Marshal Edgar Gonzalez to Matthew Illbak — described as the “building owner” — outlines items that must be “inspected, tested and maintained” throughout the mall complex, including fire sprinklers, fire alarms and exit lighting.

Moreno Valley officials announced Thursday that most of the mall would be closed that evening to address what they described as “numerous health and safety code violations (that) have been identified as posing significant risks to tenants and customers alike.”

How long the closure lasts depends on “how quickly the property owner addresses and resolves the identified life-safety concerns,” according to a Q&A on the city website.

Mall management did not respond to a request for comment Friday. The day before, management announced on Instagram it was “actively working to get these issues resolved.”

Mayor Ulises Cabrera declined to elaborate on the mall’s alleged infractions. The city set up the Q&A website to explain what was happening and offer help, but details about what motivated the closure were limited. Late Friday night, City Attorney Steve Quintanilla shared emails with several documents detailing the issues that led to the mall’s closure.

Officials said the mall would stay shuttered until repairs are done. JCPenney, Macy’s and the Harkins Theatres will remain open. The department stores have enough exits and their fire protection systems are independent of the mall’s, according to the city.

More than 1,000 people worked at the mall as of 2024, according to a city economic development document. The mall’s closure means many if not most of those workers will likely go without a paycheck for an undetermined period.

The mall is off-limits to walkers who had used the two-story complex for exercise. Also, the city library’s mall branch is closed, but patrons can go to Moreno Valley’s Main Library and Iris Plaza Branch.

The 87-acre mall opened in 1992, about eight years after Moreno Valley incorporated. It is run by IGP Business Group, a parent company of Moreno Valley Mall Holding.