The City of Palm Springs and the Board of Trustees of the College of the Desert (COD) are pleased to announce that plans are in the works for the much anticipated new West Valley Campus to move from its current proposed location to a new site in the heart of the city at the Palm Springs Mall.
The City asked the College to reconsider the idea of using the mall location after Southern California Edison cancelled plans to develop a solar park on half of the 119-acre campus site proposed off of Tramview Road. Subsequently, the College made an offer to the owner of the mall and hopes to negotiate a purchase. Currently, the mall is partially leased with no firm redevelopment plans in place.
The mall site had been one of the preferred sites originally considered by the City early on in location discussions for the new campus. The site offered significant advantages due to proximity to existing infrastructure, access to public transportation, and adjacency to Palm Springs High School, the Palm Springs Public Library and the Camelot Theater. The location was ultimately not proposed due to the high cost of acquiring the mall and relocating major tenants like Gottschalks, True Value, Ross, Vons, Office Max and many more.
“This new site, located in the heart of the city, is truly the best location for the West Valley Campus,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet. “The city is experiencing a tremendous renaissance and it makes perfect sense that students have access to all of the wonderful things our city has to offer right in the heart of Palm Springs.”
“The COD Board of Trustees remains firmly committed to the development of the West Valley Campus,” said COD Superintendent /President Joel L. Kinnamon. ”The solar park project was a crucial component of the college’s plans. With that partnership and source of revenue no longer available – there is no doubt that relocating the campus to the Palm Springs Mall is the right solution at the right time for the benefit of our students.
