Coachella Mayor Hernandez previews State of the City address
Coachella’s State of the City address is coming up this Thursday, September 20th. It will be held at Spotlight 29 Casino.
Madison Weil sat down with Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez Monday and learned more about his goals for the upcoming year. He says he plans to discuss Coachella’s progress on three main fronts: public safety, economic development and infrastructure.
In terms of safety, he says he’s proud of the strides the city has made: “I’m very proud that in the last 20 months there hasn’t been a gang-related murder in the city. So crime has actually been pointing downward and trending downward.”
And the City of Coachella has some big projects on the horizon in hopes of boosting tourism and revenue: a new trendy hotel aiming to attract Millennials is set to open in time for festival season — it will have over 300 rooms, a pool, nightclub and restaurants. “At buildout we know it’s going to employ about 300 people, 300 residents from the Coachella Valley as well as the city,” said Hernandez.
Locals can also look forward to a new 20,000 square foot public library and adjacent park to enjoy. “It really does create a sense of space as well as a gathering spot for the community,” said Hernandez.
City officials are also working with the County of Riverside on a new Department of Public Social Services building and working on the construction of new affordable housing areas. Residents can also expect new cannabis dispensaries — and tax revenue — by the end of the year. “So Coachella, you know, we were one of the early players not only of the Coachella Valley but of California…so we’re continuing with our cultivation facilities but in addition we’re in the process of selecting the dispensaries that will go down the Grapefruit Corridor,” said Hernandez.
Tickets to the state of the city address are still available online for purchase. The mayor encouraged people to reach out if they have any specific concerns they’d like addressed. “I think that’s our job as elected officials as government workers we’re here to help we’re here to try to improve on the quality of life of our residents,” he said.
Hernandez says people can email email shernandez@coachella.org or call (760) 398-3502 to get in contact with him.
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