Progress being made on Downtown Palm Springs project

After years of planning and much debate, redevelopment in Downtown Palm Springs is coming to fruition and local business owners are ready for the finished product.

“I’ve been in Palm Springs 14 years and I’ve got to say what we’re seeing now is incredible,” said Brien O’Brien, owner of Brien O’Brien salon. “It’s really going to boost business and not only are we going to be attracting visitors, but creating jobs.”

City Manager David Ready said West Elm modern furniture and home dcor will be the first new business of the project to have its soft opening in September. The new Kimpton Hotel is expected to be completed and open at the beginning of 2017.

“You’re going to have the new park, the hotel and other new restaurants the combination of all these things will reinvent downtown Palm Springs for the next 30 years,” Ready said.

Although some of the development was controversial for many years, many people in Palm Springs agreed it was much needed.

“We’re super excited to finally see the progress there and get ready for an exciting new era in downtown Palm Springs,” said Joy Meredith, owner of Crystal Fantasy.

“It’s long overdue and breathing fresh blood into our local economy,” O’Brien said.