COD estimates Palm Springs campus could be built by at least 2026-27
On Friday, the College of the Desert board of trustees will meet to discuss bond measures, as well as future projects such as the Palm Springs campus.
COD's Palm Springs campus has been in development since 2004 with almost $1 billion raised in tax revenue for construction, according to Palm Springs city spokeswoman Amy Blaisdell.
Check Out: COD Board of Trustees reaffirms valley-wide educational and development goals
The proposed campus has been the source of controversy due to its long delay, even prompting the city's mayor to call in during a COD board meeting last year to voice the community's concerns.
The agenda for Friday's meeting outlines the college's timeline for the Palm Springs campus. According to the college, the project could take an additional 4.5 to 5 years before it's complete.
Construction would begin sometime in 2024 or 2025, following a few more years of a feasibility examination, design & development, and additional approval.
The Palm Springs campus is set to be built on the land formerly known as the Palm Springs mall, located right across the street from Palm Springs High School on E Tahquitz Canyon Way and S Farrell Drive.
Original plans had construction on the campus starting in 2023.
The controversy surrounding the delays heated up after COD abandoned plans to build Roadrunner Motors, the college's automotive training facility, in Cathedral City. The Cathedral City expansion was in development for at least two years before the school suddenly announced that the plans were scrapped, shocking even city leaders.
“It is concerning to learn that College of the Desert has unilaterally decided, without any advanced consultation with local officials, staff or the public, to move funding away from the long-planned Roadrunner Motors project"
- Then-Cathedral City Mayor Raymond Gregory
In December, News Channel 3 I-Team Investigator Jeff Stahl spoke one-on-one with COD President/Superintendent Dr. Martha Garcia about the delays. Garcia began her tenure in August 2021, about two months before the controversy surrounding west valley project.
Garcia told Jeff Stahl that she came in expecting a number of projects to be underway, but they weren’t, at least not to the extent she’d expected.
Watch Jeff Stahl exclusive two-part interview with Dr. Garcia on the delays and future projects below:
COD's latest Palm Springs campus report continues to assure that the campus will be built.
COD is committed to this project and we still plan to focus the campus on the academic areas of Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Film, Media, Digital Arts, Healthcare, and Sustainability; plus, we will consider if other programs should be offered and any needed general education classes
- College of the Desert Palm Springs Development Project Update (3/18/22)
We'll have more coverage of the COD's project plans presentation on Friday. Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
