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Council hears district plan for convention center upgrades, stakeholders to refine financing and connectors
Summary
Staff outlined a multi-year plan to modernize the Palm Springs Convention Center and create a connected downtown 'district,' presenting cost estimates, phasing options, hotel inventory and projections of long-term economic impact; council and staff formed stakeholder working groups to refine financing and urban-design details.
City staff presented a convention-center and district initiatives briefing to the City Council at its March 27 meeting, describing a multi-year program of facility upgrades, streetscape/connectivity improvements and financing discussions intended to boost economic return from conventions and downtown visitation.
Wayne Olsen, chief economic development officer, summarized three planning inputs: a CSL (Connection Sports & Leisure) future study, a master plan prepared for ASM Global by HMC Architects, and an economic-impact analysis. Staff described a district concept — a branded planning area linking the convention center to downtown via four connector corridors (Tahquitz Canyon Way, East Andreas Road, Amado Road, and Alejo Road) — and listed potential corridor interventions including dedicated lighting and wayfinding, public art installations and activated outdoor event spaces.
On the facility, staff outlined proposed capital work including expanded outdoor event space, added public circulation and social areas, upgraded systems and potential reconfiguration to allow simultaneous events. A high-level cost estimate staff presented for the full suite of convention-center improvements was about $98 million in an earlier plan; staff said a compressed schedule and coordination with stakeholders could reduce some costs while accelerating deployment over the next three to four years. A phased construction approach was shown that would allow parts of the center to remain open during work to preserve lease income and event bookings.
Staff discussed hotel inventory nearby — a concentration of nearly 950 keys within a block (including a 410-key Renaissance and a 257-key Hilton) and roughly 2,360 keys citywide usable for group bookings — and said some studies point to a potential future need for an additional 400–500 blockable hotel keys in the district to serve larger conventions.
Economic projections cited by staff suggested large multi-decade returns: over a 30-year horizon, staff quoted figures (from the CSL economic work) including roughly $1.4 billion in direct spending, $3.4 billion in economic output and about $250 million in tax revenue. Staff said the improvements could generate roughly 1,300 jobs and tens of millions in annual wages. Council members asked for careful phasing, attention to design quality and options for financing including updates to the city’s Municipal Code section that governs hotel incentives (staff cited Code 5.26) and potential TOT or TBID changes.
The city manager said stakeholder and working-group meetings are already underway and scheduled; staff proposed continuing to refine sequencing, financing strategies, district design and a schedule for design and construction. Council members on the working group praised the collaborative process and emphasized the broader community benefits of improved walkability and placemaking around the convention center.
No formal council action was taken; staff requested authority to continue working with stakeholders and consultants to develop an implementation plan and recommended returning to council with financing options and a design-development schedule.
