PALM SPRINGS — This is no trick. In fact, it’s a treat that has been several years in the works. Ground will be broken Oct. 31 on the Downtown Park.

The Downtown Park is made possible by Measure J tax dollars.

Palm Springs voters in 2011 approved Measure J, a dedicated 1% sales tax increase to maintain local community services and revitalize downtown. The measure went into effect April, 2012.

The public is encouraged to join the Palm Springs City Council at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31 for the ground breaking of the new 1.5-acre park. The Downtown Park is located across from the Palm Springs Art Museum on Museum Drive and Museum Way, in the heart of the Downtown Development Project.

The ground-breaking ceremony will include remarks from members of the City Council, Police Chief Bryan Reyes, park designer Mark Rios from the Santa Monica-based design company Rios, Clementi, Hale Studios and the Fast-Track Construction team.

Following public outreach and an online community survey, the new Downtown Park is anticipated to be an “urban oasis” that will include two grassy lawn areas, palm groves, a water feature that replicates the city’s famed Tahquitz Canyon waterfall, public restrooms, and a new downtown police substation.

The new park, which is located on the site of Palm Springs pioneer Nellie Coffman’s original Desert Inn, is expected to be complete as soon as fall 2020.

“The goal of the park is to help connect residents and visitors to a natural urban oasis in the heart of our downtown while at the same time highlighting Palm Springs’ unique culture and magical beauty,” City Manager David H. Ready said in a news release. “The City Council expects this new park will be an incredible and uniquely Palm Springs amenity for everyone to enjoy.”

For more information about the project, click here.

Image Sources

  • Downtown Park: City of Palm Springs