palm-desert

Palm Desert

Revitalizing the center of the valley with hospitality, events, and commerce.

Site Staff Vision

palm-desert
The 150-room Hotel Paseo, currently under construction, is poised to open in the fall of 2017.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINE IMAGERY

Vitality and opportunity characterize today’s Palm Desert, as energized hospitality and retail sectors combine with renewed emphasis on special events, arts, and culture to bring exciting changes to the city.

Already renowned as the “Rodeo Drive of the Desert,” Palm Desert’s El Paseo is poised for historic change this year as developers work to complete a new, 150-room, four-star boutique hotel that will be the first of its kind in the city.
Part of Marriott’s prestigious Autograph Collection, Hotel Paseo will feature a pool, spa, ballroom, dining, valet parking, underground parking garage, and 24-hour room service.

Mayor: Robert Spiegel

Mayor Pro Tem: Jan Harnik

Council Members: 
Sabby Jonathan, Van Tanner, Susan Marie Weber

Year Incorporated: 1973

Website: www.cityofpalmdesert.org

Located on just over 2 acres next to The Gardens on El Paseo and stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Tommy Bahama, and Louis Vuitton, this unique hotel is on schedule to open in September 2017 and will doubtlessly bring more visitors, energy, and activity to the Coachella Valley’s most celebrated shopping destination.

The news is also “electrifying” at the neighboring Gardens on El Paseo, where Tesla has opened a new showroom and retail space to sell its eye-catching and increasingly popular electric vehicles.

Tesla has opened a showroom selling its electric vehicles in this proven market.

Tesla’s new showroom offers a unique experience: Customers can learn about the benefits of owning an electric vehicle through interactive displays and, more important, by test driving Tesla vehicles.

Other exciting changes nearby include the development of El Paseo Square, which boasts a new Saks Fifth Avenue OFF Fifth store that features a curated mix of luxury designer fashions, accessories, and more. El Paseo Square is also home to several new businesses that opened earlier this year, including The Habit Burger Grill, Blaze Pizza, and Orangetheory Fitness. With more than $1.6 billion in retail sales, Palm Desert continues to be the retail hub of the Coachella Valley.

Entertainment and events are in full swing with a swanky new $6 million steakhouse and lounge. Set to open on El Paseo in 2017, Graftons will occupy a two-story, 9,000-square-foot building featuring a restaurant, two large bars, a spiral staircase, glass elevator, and roof deck with a high-end sound system.

Graftons will complement the hip, fashionable ambiance of the street that is home to its namesake signature event, Fashion Week El Paseo.

Fashion Week celebrated its 11th year in 2016 with a move to a new home atop the parking structure at The Gardens on El Paseo, next to Saks Fifth Avenue. Attendance topped 11,200 at the eight-day event, which raised more than $56,000 for seven local charities and is estimated to have had a greater than $2.7 million impact on the local economy.

Fashion Week once again was followed by the Palm Desert Food & Wine festival, also at The Gardens. The three-day celebration of all things delectable and quaffable included 29 celebrity chefs, 52 restaurants and food vendors, 79 wineries, vintners, distillers, and much more. More than 3,000 attendees raised over $7,500 for the James Beard Foundation.

The city’s focus on special events is also energizing changes at Westfield Palm Desert. The Coachella Valley’s only traditional mall has re-imagined the rooftop of its three-story parking structure to create an 88,000-square-foot open-air event space like nothing else in the region.

Offering unobstructed and unparalleled views of the surrounding valley and mountains, The Deck is envisioned as a popular new venue for everything from art festivals and concerts to pop-up restaurants and corporate events.

On Nov. 4, The Deck will host the return of STREET. Celebrating its second year, STREET is an interactive party that blends the worlds of street-inspired art, music, food, and fashion. Guests will help create art under the stars to the sounds of live indie blues and house music spun by professional DJs. A tempting variety of authentic street food will satisfy other appetites.

Population

50,417
Total population

0.9%
Annual growth rate

56
Median age

Education

7,283
High school diploma

9,088
Bachelor’s degree

5,354
Graduate/professional degree

Income

$78,828
Average household income

$52,379
Median household income

$1.6 Billion
Annual retail sales

California Board of Equaliztion

The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa is home to the only West Coast location for the Biggest Loser Resort, an award-winning wellness and weight-loss destination.

STREET is the kickoff event for Palm Desert First Weekend, a monthly celebration of arts and culture that occurs the first weekend of the month, November through May.
A new addition to Palm Desert’s special event mix is The Biggest Loser Race Series’ Half Marathon/5K debuting Dec. 4. The race will give participants a chance to mix and mingle with celebrity trainers and alumni from the popular NBC show. Palm Desert is the only West Coast location for The Biggest Loser Resort, an award-winning wellness and weight-loss destination. Located at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, The Biggest Loser Resort offers a results-oriented program structured to make getting healthy simple and achievable.

Graftons will be the newest entertainment destination on El Paseo in 2017, featuring a restaurant, two bars, and rooftop deck with a high-end sound system.

With its revitalized hospitality, retail, and special events, Palm Desert continues to grow while maintaining fiscal responsibility and preserving the uniquely wonderful quality of life enjoyed by residents and visitors. The economic activity happening today in Palm Desert places the community on course to continue its tradition of prosperity and innovation for years to come.

To learn more about business opportunities in Palm Desert, visit www.cityofpalmdesert.org or contact the City’s Economic Development Division at 760-346-0611.

Saks Fifth Avenue OFF Fifth opened along with several other new businesses in the newly renovated El Paseo Square shopping center.

Employment

12.65%
Accommodation and
food services

12.44%
Healthcare, social assistance

12.41%
Retail

7.08%
Professional, scientific,
tech services

7.06%
Construction

6.36%
Educational services

5.92%
Services (excluding public
administration)

5.86%
business and Administrative
support

4.65%
Arts, entertainment, recreation

4.60%
Real estate, rental, leasing

Source: Esri