HomeMy WebLinkAbout5ACITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: FEBRUARY 10, 2022 NEW BUSINESS
SUBJECT: COLLEGE OF THE DESERT PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
FROM: Justin Clifton, City Manager
SUMMARY:
This agenda item is to provide an opportunity for a presentation and discussion on plans
by College of the Desert to build new college campuses in Palm Springs and throughout
the Coachella Valley. Superintendent/ President Dr. Garcia and other College of the
Desert staff will present plans concerning the Palm Springs Campus and address
questions from Council.
BACKGROUND:
The College of the Desert has been in a phase of significant planning, financing and
development of new college facilities since 2004 when voters passed the first of two
significant bond measures that raised almost $1 Billion in tax revenue. That phase
extends to today, where recent events have caused growing concerns over stalled plans
to develop a West Valley Campus in Palm Springs and a recent announcement by the
College to abandon plans to build Roadrunner Motors, an automotive training program in
Cathedral City.
Since these developments, numerous City and resident stakeholder groups have become
engaged in advocating that the Colle ge maintain commitments to build facilities in the
West Valley, while also honoring the commitment to build facilities throughout the
Coachella Valley. Stakeholder groups that have become engaged include the Palm
Springs Roundtable, the Palms Springs Architectural Alliance, the Palm Springs
Hospitality Association and the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. A
group of residents also recently formed a group named Promises Made, Promises
Broken, which aims to help ensure the College builds the campuses promised.
In addition to the stakeholder groups outlined above, a City liaison team consisting of
Council Members Kors and Holstege and City Manager Clifton have had bimonthly
meetings with College Trustees Perez and Stafan and College Superintendent/ President
Dr. Garcia. Those meetings have been a cordial and productive platform for City
representatives to express concerns voiced by members of the community. College
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City Council Staff Report
February 10, 2022 – Page 2
College of the Desert Capital Plans
representatives have committed to ongoing conversations, and to the Palm Springs
campus generally, but questions remain about the scope, scale and timing of the Palm
Springs Campus.
.
The timeline below provides a high -level summary of the key historical milestones
between 2004 and the present day:
March 2, 2004: Valley voters passed Measure B, a $346.5-million bond measure for
capital improvement projects, including building a West Valley Campus.
Feb. 22, 2006: The City Council adopted Resolution No. 21518, expressing its support
and commitment to a proposed campus site of the West Valley Education Center within
the City of Palm Springs, at a 115-acre site located at the northwest corner of Tramview
Road and North Indian Canyon Drive.
June 6, 2007: The City Council adopted Resolution 21921, expressing its intent to apply
to the Bureau of Land Management to acquire a 115 -acre site located at the northwest
corner of Tramview Road and North Indian Canyon Drive for recreation facilities and the
future campus of the West Valley Education Center of the College of the Desert.
Sept. 21, 2007: The College of the Desert (CoD) voted to select the Palm Springs site for
the West Valley Campus. (Staff Report, 5.A, Nov. 14, 2007)
July 21, 2010: City Council Adopted Community Redevelopment Agency Resolution
1406, approving the direct purchase of 119.3 acres of land located at the northwest corner
of Tramview Road and North Indian Canyon for $2,102,000; approving the property
transfer and development agreement between the City of Palm Springs Community
Redevelopment Agency and the Desert Community College District, which transferred
that property to CoD at no cost to CoD. (City Council Minutes)
April 2014: College of the Desert, abandoning plans to build at the north Palm Springs
location, announced plans to transform the mostly vacant Palm Springs mall into a West
Valley Campus with room for 3,000 students.
Nov. 8, 2016: Valley voters passed Measure CC, a $577.9-million bond measure to
rehabilitate and construct new facilities, including the West Valley Campus.
April 2018: College of the Desert acquires the Palm Springs Mall building for $22 million.
Oct. 2019: College of the Desert adopts a Facilities Master Plan: Vison 2030 that
identifies the Palm Springs Campus and Roadrunner Motors plans, among others
throughout the Valley.
Fall 2021: College of the Desert Capital Projects Reports to the Citizen’s Bond Oversight
Committee identify approximately $9 million of an estimated $345 million spent on the
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City Council Staff Report
February 10, 2022 – Page 3
College of the Desert Capital Plans
Palm Springs campus, with construction slated to commence in fall of 2023. The same
report identifies approximately $4.8 million of an estimated $28.5 million spent on the
Roadrunner Motors project, with construction slated for summer 2022.
Fall/ Winter 2021: College of the Desert informs Cathedral City that it is abandoning plans
to build Roadrunner Motors due to cost overruns and informs Palm Springs that the West
Valley Campus is on hold pending verification of certain feasibility work.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:
• College of the Desert has emphasized a commitment to the Palm Springs Campus ,
but it remains unclear if the scope, scale and timeline of the project will change.
• Certain feasibility work for the Palm Springs Campus will be performed over the
next 5-7 months. City representatives have asked that City leaders and/or Palm
Springs stakeholders be included in the process.
• College of the Desert representatives have, only recently, indicated that it may be
problematic to use bond funds for a “learning hotel,” an innovative component to
the proposed hospitality program.
• College of the Desert has committed to transparency and participation, but it
remains unclear what parts of the feasibility work and future decisions regarding
the Palm Springs Campus will be conducted in open, public sessions.
• College of the Desert has indicated there may be advisory committees with Palm
Springs stakeholders helping to guide future decisions, but it remains unclear the
composition and role of these committees in future planning.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
The FY21/22 Strategic Priorities include Economic Development. The focal point of
economic development efforts is to advocate for a robust Palm Springs Campus and other
regional facilities that could be used by Palm Springs residents. These facilities are critical
to the City’s future as institutions of higher education provide the education, technical
skills and workforce development needed to support current and future employment
opportunities. The scope and scale of the Palm Springs Campus has been more than 17
years in the making and will likely constitute the most significant development of higher
education opportunities in the West Valley for decades to come.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
REVIEWED BY:
City Manager: Justin Clifton
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