Indio Marketplace approved for remodeling and renovation
The planning commission of the City of Indio voted 5-0 to approve the design review for the new Indio Marketplace.
Project developers from the Haagan Company plan to start building in the Fall of 2021 and re-open the mall in the Fall of 2022. The project will include exterior and interior renovation of the existing mall. Landscaping will also be improved. There are no new buildings proposed.
"The marketplace is really the center of our community. And we really wanted to shine the light on this particular area," said the mayor of Indio Elaine Holmes. "It is a function of it being a gathering place for family and friends, that is the most significant component."
The Indio Marketplace, which used to be the Indio Fashion Mall, was built in the mid-1970s. According to a planning commission staff report, the City of Indio intended to expand the mall in the 1980s by buying properties south of it, but it never happened.
According to a press release sent by the project developers, the Haagan Company, the new marketplace design includes 40 retail spaces and a food hall with 10-12 restaurants. There will be brighter colors, natural lighting, a space for entertainment, and a splash pad for the kids.
Indio resident, Frida Herrera, grew up in Indio. She has made lots of memories at the marketplace.
"It'll help a lot to have it look nice, but it's going to be weird to not see it the way it is because I'm so used to it," said Herrera. "I get my hair cut here and everything. I come to this ice cream shop very often. So I mean, I just hope that the small businesses that are here get to stay here."
The marketplace will stay open for business during renovations. The Haagan Company said they asked every business owner in the marketplace if they wanted to stay during and after construction. The company said most of the businesses decided to stay.
The project developers want to bring renovations that stay true to the city's culture and history.
"This has been a vision and a dream for the city of Indio for many, many years," said Holmes.
