la-quinta

La Quinta

La Quinta Soars with Service at its Core.

Andrea Carter Vision

la-quinta
One of the most anxiously awaited arrivals in La Quinta was the new Cinemark Century Theatres.
PHOTOS BY CHRIS MILLER/IMAGINE IMAGERY

A well-planned community such as La Quinta is always focused on public safety and environmentally conscious improvements. To do its part in relieving California’s drought, the City of La Quinta has removed 200,000 square feet from the Civic Center Campus, Fritz Burns Park, and several medians, and is in compliance with state water reductions. North La Quinta will see additional turf removal in the coming months.

Mayor: Linda Evans

Mayor Pro Tem: John Peña

Council Members: 
Kristy Franklin, Lee M. Osborne, Robert Radi

Year Incorporated: 1982

Website: www.la-quinta.org

With the award of a $3.2 million grant to hardwire all the traffic signals together within the city, La Quinta is able to better control the timing of stoplights. An Active Transportation Program grant will create pedestrian and bicycle corridors in the village, including roundabouts, pedestrian crosswalks, and more bicycle lanes. This will enhance safety in this high-traffic area of La Quinta.

Residents will encounter some detours with the widening of the Madison Street canal, which will expand the bridge and facilitate smoother travel in the area between La Quinta and Indio, especially during the Goldenvoice music and art festivals.

Century Theatres bring a new element of entertainment with 12 screens, XD technology, reclining seats that can be reserved in advance, and a lobby bar with beer, wine, and frozen cocktails.

Play time for La Quinta kids will be even more fun with the neighborhood parks at Velasco, Eisenhower, and Saguaro streets receiving upgraded park equipment.

The opening of La Quinta’s new one-stop shop for city business — known as The Hub — reflects the “service” theme that threads through a multitude of plans and programs for this vibrant community.

City leaders have pledged to serve its residents and visitors in every capacity — from new economic growth opportunities to more convenient and delightful ways to take advantage of La Quinta’s most revered amenities.

The Hub is an integrated center at City Hall that encompasses any service a business or resident would need. Before The Hub there were several different counters for each department. But after a 2-year process to relocate staff into one centralized area, city customers get a more streamlined and user-friendly system. An investment in permitting software upgrades the former complicated spreadsheet system into a more unified cloud-based operation that enables electronic plan checks. It has improved turnaround times substantially in the last 18 months — more than 90 percent of The Hub’s customer reviews have been positive. So whether you are looking to register your short-term vacation rental, apply for a business license, purchase a permit for your garage sale, or take a major development from start to finish — you will find friendly faces at The Hub to help you step by step.

The faster projects are able to move through the city’s approval system, the sooner they will be available for the public to enjoy. Several new businesses are eagerly anticipated. Beauty and skin care superstore ULTA and discount retailer T.J. Maxx are close to securing plans to share space in the old Circuit City building. Blaze Pizza is interested in expanding its presence in the Coachella Valley with another location in La Quinta.

Other new places to shop, dine, and be entertained have opened successfully in the last year, including the La Quinta Brewing Co. Taproom; Mélange restaurant at The Chateau at Lake La Quinta; Casa Mendoza in the La Quinta Village; Aldi grocery store; In-N-Out Burger, and, of course, the Cinemark Century Theatres, with their reclining seats and lobby bar serving beer, wine, and frozen cocktails.

Progress continues at SilverRock Resort as well. In May, grading will begin for the new five-star hotel; with entitlements should be done by the end of the year followed by 18 to 24 months of construction. A luxury-branded residential development is also planned, along with a conference center, hotel, a new permanent clubhouse, a promenade, and a community center.

Other city facilities are growing their programs and services. The Wellness Center has more than 3,000 memberships, far surpassing its initial goal of 1,000. The center provides people of all ages with opportunities for all kinds of physical activity, with state-of-the-art workout areas, fitness classes, and space for youth and teen programs such as karate and dance. The facility’s programs inspire creative, intellectual, nutritional, and social wellness.

Population

38,489
Total population

0.87%
Annual growth rate

47
Median age

Education

5,122
High school diploma

6,102
Bachelor’s degree

3,349
Graduate/professional degree

Income

$104,281
Average household income

$71,574
Median household income

(Above and to the right) X marks one of the most popular spots in La Quinta — towering crossed palm trees at In-N-Out. (Below) La Quinta welcomed the opening of Aldi in early 2016. The German grocery store chain is known for its no-frills, bargain basement prices.

The La Quinta Public Library is one of the busiest in the Riverside County library system. It offers everything from storytime hours and computer classes to movies and book clubs. The La Quinta Museum hosts a variety of exhibits and events to pique the interests of history buffs and cultural enthusiasts alike. Now through Dec. 31, the museum is featuring a traveling exhibit titled “By Design 2016.” It’s all about concepts and influences in fashion, interior, industrial and architectural design. The La Quinta Historical Society partners with the museum on several activities, and will again host events highlighting local sites such as the Haunted Hacienda and the La Quinta resort tour around the holidays.

Art remains at the heart of La Quinta’s culture. A new community art gallery has been installed at City Hall, showcasing works by local artists that are rotated every quarter. A new art event, Art on Main Street, will be held in Old Town La Quinta on select Saturdays from October to April, benefiting the La Quinta Historical Society and Old Town Artisan Studio. The 35th annual La Quinta Arts Festival will be held March 2-5 at picturesque La Quinta Civic Center Campus, attracting art lovers and tourists from around the country.

La Quinta is home to other signature events, as well. The CareerBuilder Challenge, the Coachella Valley’s only PGA TOUR event, is hosted at some of La Quinta’s legendary golf courses, including The TPC Stadium Course, known for its famous “Alcatraz” hole with an island green that Lee Trevino aced during the 1987 Skins Game. The event, scheduled for Jan.18-22, has something for everyone, so even those who aren’t necessarily golf enthusiasts can come out and enjoy great food, drink, concerts, and more. Since 1960, this event has contributed more than $56 million to Coachella Valley charities.

Employment

14.06%
Retail

13.01%
Accommodation and
food services

11.39%
Healthcare, social assistance

9.01%
Educational services

8.25%
Construction

7.08%
Professional, scientific,
tech services

6.42%
Arts, entertainment, recreation

5.47%
Services (excluding public
administration)

4.75%
business and Administrative
support

2.64%
Real estate, rental, leasing

Source: Esri

The La Quinta Chamber of Commerce, which has merged with other local chambers to form the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce, will bring back its best-loved events — the Taste of La Quinta Jan. 14, and the Hot Rod and Custom Car Show, Feb. 4.

An exciting new event coming to La Quinta is the city’s Brew in LQ Oct. 22 at SilverRock Resort. Attendees can sip varieties from several breweries while listening to music by live bands and DJs spinning, and sampling tastes from local food vendors. Games on tap include Giant Jenga, ladder golf and a corn toss.

Such events attract attention from future La Quinta residents. New residential options taking shape include 82 single family homes by Beazer Watermark at the northwest corner of Avenue 52 and Jefferson; 29 homes in the Cove at the Citrus development; and 130 single family units plus 100 condominiums with a community center at Signature at PGA West.

By homing in on ways to enhance service to everyone who loves La Quinta, new activities and amenities emerge that will only add to the city’s prestige and reputation for being the Gem of the Desert.