MURRIETA -- The city, Murrieta's mayor told business leaders Thursday, has finally overcome obstacles critics said were insurmountable.

In his State of the City address at Monteleone Meadows on Thursday, Mayor Doug McAllister said the feuds that splintered the City Council in past years are history.

"Today, we have a council that's united, yet are individuals," he said.

He added that a promising plan now exists for the Golden Triangle, after several collapsed proposals. The 61-acre property at the junction of Interstates 15 and 215, is considered by city leaders the most lucrative vacant property in Murrieta.

Speaking of the city's challenges that he believes have been addressed, McAllister said: "Yes, you have to work on it, make it solid … but now we're hitting our stride."

The Golden Triangle, the mayor said, will bring elite restaurants, shopping and recreation to the city -- following in the footsteps of other recently opened marketplaces, including Village Walk and The Orchard.

"Critical mass is going to happen," McAllister said. "It's going to spill into Murrieta."