Housing market picking up in Coachella

An area of raw desert south of I-10 in the northeast part of Coachella is the site of the valley’s largest housing project now in the works, according to Coachella City Manager David Garcia.

“We’re excited about it and we think it’s going to have a huge impact on our community,” said Garcia.

Garcia said a Las Vegas developer bought the land and plans to build a community called “La Entrada” that includes around 7,500 homes.

The project is in the early stages and construction is expected to begin in about four to five years.

But there are other indicators the city’s housing market is on the rebound.

The city says a number of housing projects that were abandoned during the height of the recession will get back on track and be completed.

“There’s enough confidence by developers and by banks — because these are all financed. There’s enough confidence by banks they’re going to be able to make money on these products,” Garcia said.

Aside from housing, the city is enjoying new renovations downtown and for the first time in decades, new parks are being built.

“Activity is starting to pick up. It’s been a slow recovery and we’re positioning the city for doing things smarter, hopefully,” said Luis Lopez, the city’s development services director.