San Pablo construction to begin as Palm Desert reimagines downtown cultural center

Construction will soon get underway on Palm Desert’s “Vision San Pablo” project, reimagining a downtown cultural center at the heart of the city.

Crews ceremonially broke ground on May 1, but the project’s first phase of construction begin on July 1st, and gear up after the Fourth of July holiday.

The project aims to make the San Pablo area of Palm Desert more friendly to pedestrians by widening the sidewalks and narrowing the roads, enhancing bike paths and cross walks, and ultimately facilitating more foot traffic and business.

The first phase of the project, taking place from Highway 111 to Fred Waring Drive, is expected to cost about $8 million.

Separately, on El Paseo, the city hopes to make pedestrian traffic easier by adding mid-block crosswalks on the long stretches of road.

Additionally, city council approved last week funding of $1 million over the course of 5 years toward The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens to bolster educational programs and attractions — adding to Palm Desert’s focus as a cultural center point of the valley.

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.