County supervisors unanimously approve Coachella Valley Arena
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Coachella Valley Arena, the 11,000 seat arena set to be constructed near Palm Desert.
Construction is already underway on the site of the arena, 43-acres of unincorporated land near Palm Desert just north of the I-10 freeway next to the Classic Club Golf Course.
The arena will bring an American Hockey League Team to the valley and will host concerts and other entertainment events year-round. The arena is projected to bring in $140 million in business spending annually, $108 million in direct spending from visitors per year, and 1,600 jobs for the local economy, according to studies done by the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau.
"This is, in my opinion, a game changer for our county, in the Fourth District and even more so, for Thousand Palms, an area that has struggled for a very long time,” said Supervisor Manuel Perez. “The fact that this is going to bring $11 million in state and local tax revenues for our county and will be helpful to the immediate area, that’s why we have so much support for this project. There are so many reasons why this is so important, one that I would like to express is the community benefit aspect, especially that our schools and our youth will have access. With California State University, San Bernardino Palm Desert Campus down the street, it will provide jobs, part-time and full-time jobs for our students."
The groundbreaking date for the arena is expected to be announced soon. The arena is expected to be completed and open by fall 2022.
