The City of Murrieta and Impact Southwest Riverside County (Impact SWRC) are proud to announce the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency (EDA) is awarding a $2.4 million grant to the City of Murrieta to support extensive improvements to the Murrieta Innovation Center (MIC), creating a hub for science and innovation in the region. The funds will support a new wet lab, a cleanroom, a new dry lab, and the renovation of existing office and conference spaces to the MIC, shared U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo in a statement released on Tuesday.
California’s thriving life sciences industry is a source of pride and an important economic driver in hubs throughout the state,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “This grant for Murrieta will support pioneering startups and entrepreneurs in the region, fostering innovation and propelling job growth well into the future.
This investment will strengthen business growth and create high-paying jobs in the region through supporting entrepreneurs in the life sciences, specifically biotech, medtech, and healthtech. The City of Murrieta and Impact SWRC will support the EDA investment with $607,478 in local funds.
Receiving this grant from the EDA means that more than $3 million will be invested right here in the Murrieta community. It will support high-paying jobs and will help carve the path for life-changing medical advancements solidifies Murrieta as the home of innovation in the region. The Murrieta City Council is incredibly proud of our team for securing these funds and is proud to support this grant with a local match,” shared Murrieta mayor, Jonathan Ingram.
The funding this grant brings will allow the construction of only the second wet lab in all of Riverside County and the first in the Southwest Riverside County area. City of Murrieta’s Director of Economic Development, Scott Agajanian, stated “The Murrieta Innovation Center has been successful in showing that Southwest Riverside County is home to many high concept, investable startups with an entrepreneurial culture and capable innovators. These life science companies will immensely benefit from the new resources that will be made available by this grant.”
Patrick Ellis, President/CEO of Impact Southwest Riverside County, added “This investment in the Murrieta Innovation Center is a game-changer for so many startups and entrepreneurs. The addition of the wet lab, dry lab, and cleanroom will create a space for them to truly innovate and alleviates precious time and energy it takes to commute to San Diego, Irvine, or Los Angeles.”
Murrieta city manager, Kim Summers, expressed thanks to the EDA for their foresight and support of Murrieta’s vision. “Our City Council and staff have worked diligently over the past decade to ensure that Murrieta is seen as the hub of innovation in this region. Receiving this grant will allow us to further expand the services and opportunities we can offer in the life science field, which means more innovation is to come from our community, and we couldn’t be more proud,” shared Summers.
The next step will be a request for proposals (RFP) for the design of the new wet lab, clean room, creative office space, and MIC renovations. Sign up to receive RFP updates at murrietaca.gov/Bids.aspx.
To see the full press release from the Economic Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, please visit their website.
About Murrieta (www.murrietaca.gov)
Murrieta’s more than 115,000 residents live in one of the safest cities in the U.S., with top-ranked schools, 52 parks, and a dynamic business environment. Central to all of Southern California, Murrieta is truly the gem of the valley. With a median age of 36 and an average household income of $122,207, Murrieta boasts a well-educated population and a strong labor force. Ranked the fiscally healthiest full-service city in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles counties, Murrieta’s future is undoubtedly bright.
About Impact Southwest Riverside County (www.impactswrc.org)
The mission of Impact Southwest Riverside County (Impact SWRC) is to positively impact Southwest Riverside County through education, resources and programs that elevate all businesses and residents. Impact SWRC is focused on building a vibrant and inclusive Southwest region built by education, collaboration, and innovation. Impact SWRC is a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2015 by the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce.
About the Murrieta Innovation Center (www.innovatemurrieta.org)
The Murrieta Innovation Center (the MIC) is Southwest Riverside County’s leading incubator focused on life science startups. The MIC is a dedicated building established by the City of Murrieta in 2012 to better serve the entrepreneurial and start up community in the region. In 2020 the City of Murrieta contracted local 501(c)3 Impact Southwest Riverside County to manage the MIC. To date the MIC has nine biotech startups operating out of the center.