Well in the Desert to Relocate Temporarily

Well in the Desert serves hot meals five days a week

PALM SPRINGS — Well in the Desert is on the move — again. The City Council on Thursday decided to temporarily move Well in the Desert to the former Palm Springs Boxing Club. The move is only until a long-term location is developed on East Ramon Road. The move comes on the heels of complaints from neighbors about crime and a diminished quality of life,

The former Boxing Club was one of seven potential locations the Council considered.

The Booing Club won favor because the property is already controlled by the city and has a building that has been used in the past for homeless services. The Boxing Club is located near the airport at 225 S. El Cielo Road.

The vote was 4-0. Mayor Christy Holstege was ill and did not attend the meeting.

The Boxing Club site has an existing 2,132-square-foot building that was previously used by the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission as a temporary overnight shelter.

Well in the Desert, a nonprofit, provides space for counseling and employment services, case worker services, and general administrative functions. Individuals who are reluctant to accept emergency shelter or transitional housing can visit drop-in facilities, such as Well in the Desert, to find a temporary safe haven.

Well in the Desert, which serves hot meals five days a week and bag lunch on Saturdays. has operated at 441 S. Calle Encilia under a conditional use permit since June 2017.

The Palm Springs International Airport owns the property the former Boxing Club as an asset, which means it must either be purchased or leased at a fair market price for non-airport uses. A total of 210 residents live in a 500-foot radius of the property, which is also near public transportation and commercial businesses.

While the Boxing Club was identified as the site that could be utilized the fastest, another city-owned property located just east of 4144 E. Ramon Road was identified as the site that would potentially have the least secondary impacts on surrounding residents and businesses.

Buildout of the East Ramon Road location could take anywhere between 12 months to two years, according to Development Services Director Flinn Fagg.