College of the Desert works to acquire Palm Springs Mall property for West Valley Campus
UPDATE: 6:46 p.m.
For about five years, Matt Christensen has worked at Camelot Theatres next to the Palm Springs Mall.
Throughout that time, he said the property has for the most part sat empty and abandoned.
“I came in at the very tail end when the mall was closing down and losing businesses,” Christensen said. “They were transplanted to other locations, so I never really got to see the full force of businesses pulled in by the mall. But I definitely saw what it did afterwards.”
But Wednesday afternoon, trustees with the College of the Desert (C.O.D.) talked about filling the property not with customers, but with students.
Board members said they hope to build a west valley campus to serve more students throughout the area.
“We have one goal in mind. What’s in the best interest of our students,” C.O.D. President Dr. Joel Kinnamon said. “We believe that, adjacent to the high school and to other partners, that this is a very compelling opportunity for some unique programs.”
But attorneys representing the property owner said they were against the thought of the college acquiring the site through legal action Wednesday, after not looking to sell the property in the past.
“This property owner bought the property for the opportunity that it provides,” Attorney Michael Kehoe said. “Like every other person who buys property looking for an investment in an opportunity that it could provide to him, and the potential for development it provides.”
But others like Christensen said the project would help not just stimulate minds, but also the local economy.
“We’re just looking forward to getting something in here,” Christensen said. “And the school would be the best bet for us.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, members also unanimously passed a bond measure of more than half of a billion dollars that will go towards helping fund resources and projects at the college.
Board members decided to postpone the resolution on whether to take the Palm Springs Mall until August 17.
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ORIGINAL STORY: 2:19 p.m.
The College of the Desert Board of supervisors is starting to discuss the possible acquisition of Palm Springs Mall property through eminent domain for the West Valley Campus Project.
Board members said they would be able to open the campus in about three to four years.
The project would be about 330,000 square-feet and would require demolishing the mall in order to begin phase one.
KESQ and CBS Local 2’s Zak Dahlheimer was at the C.O.D. board meeting on Wednesday and he’ll have all the details behind the potential future plans of the West Valley Campus in Palm Springs on CBS Local 2 at 5:30 p.m. and KESQ at 6 p.m.
