Palm Springs CA News and Events Summer 2013 News From Around The Town
What’s going on Around The Town? Check out our Palm Springs CA News and Events Summer 2013
The one burning question I hear on the phone all the time: What’s going on around town? Well I have answers.
First allow me to begin by saying I was just appointed to the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission. My role there will be multifaceted but my interest lie in water conversation, cycling infrastructure and recycling in general. I love Palm Springs and I work very hard at making this city a wonderful place to live, work, play, vacation and retire.
I keep my ear to the ground here by heading up one of the largest Facebook groups in the Palm Springs area. It’s called Palm Springs Neighborhoods Group and I invite you to JOIN if you would like to follow the latest issues, events and happenings in the area.
So the BIG item is the downtown redevelopment project of what was formerly the Desert Fashion Plaza Mall. The old mall is just about G.O.N.E. Yup, a pile of rubble.
So here’s the current status of the new downtown village.
During July, the demolition will be complete with the facades on Palm Canyon coming down and the construction fencing going up. Shortly after, they will cut the new streets through, lay in the utilities and once done, finish the streets. Next step will be to build the pads that will hold the new structures along the streets.
The city will also renovate the existing parking garage and get it ready in time for the opening of the first businesses late in 2014. We expect the new Kimpton Palomar Hotel to open in the first half of 2015.
The developers expect to announce in January, those tenants that have signed leases. There are about 40 letters of intent so far but no names forthcoming. What we are told is that many great shopping favorites will be showing up on Palm Canyon and New Market Street in the very near future.
And they will bring with them a new concept in retail marketing. Many of the great stores on El Paseo would love to have a presence in this new village. In order to do that, they are beginning to conceive of a new way to merchandise and sell. The concept is one where you will be able to browse and select merchandise, however you will the order it in the store then delivered to your home when and where you like.
This will allow stores to have more locations without having extensive overhead and they will be able to take advantage of the new business coming to Downtown and Uptown. Al of this is very exciting and bodes well for the future of Palm Springs.
So what else is going on?
Well how about a few bullets:
- Up to four hundred homes are going up on the site of the former Palm Springs Country Club along with a proposed new soccer park. New life for the North End
- A new hotel is planned across from the Palm Springs Convention Center. More on that later but the word is it will be special.
- Several other small developments are going in around various ares of town. All good news for those looking to buy new construction.
- The city of Palm Springs has some plans of its own. Look for further street paving and modernization; several new bike lanes are going in as we speak; and bike racks are coming to downtown as well.
- And that’s not all. Sustainability is working hard to green up the city. New recycling programs, a proposed plastic bag ordinance, water saving retrofits for homeowners, and work has begun to upgrade the city’s private electrical system making it ready for use in the 21st century.
- Look for a new median strip (parkway) along Tahquitz Canyon Way. Gone will be the grass to be replaced by colorful desertscape and native plantings. This is a joint effort between Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Indians.
And more. So much more. This post has gone on long enough but feel free to call me with any questions you may have. This is an exciting time to be living in Palm Springs. And if you aren’t a homeowner just yet, then there is no time like the present.
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Call: 760-660-0010