COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
W
hile the City of Palm Springs has enjoyed a storied history, its future looks even brighter. With a businessfriendly local government fueling the growth and transformation of the city, residents, visitors and business
owners are once again heralding Palm Springs as the hippest, happening place in Southern California.
Nestled beside the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the city of Palm Springs is enjoying a renaissance, of sorts.
An eclectic mix of new and unique restaurants, shops and galleries are popping up all over town. Major new hotel and
residential projects are well underway and the downtown streets are bustling with residents and international visitors
from all walks of life enjoying the town’s cool village vibe.
So how is Palm Springs able to execute so many exciting projects while others cities struggle in the wake of a recession and California legislation that resulted in the dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies throughout the state?
Measure J
management of both the iHub Incubator and Accelerator programs
The campus is currently comprised of large industrial space and offices
on a site formerly occupied by the Palm Springs Unified School District
near the Palm Springs International Airport. The Accelerator Campus
is specifically intended for advanced iHub clients who are ready to
conduct research and development; as well as prototype, manufacture
and commercialize their products or services.
The resulting Downtown Revitalization Plan is well underway. The
once vacant indoor Desert Fashion Plaza has been demolished to make
way for a sleek new Kimpton Hotel with a magnificent rooftop pool
and a vibrant, open-air shopping center with a wide new boulevard
leading to the Palm Springs Art Museum.
Over the past three years, the City of Palm Springs has provided significant support for the iHUb program in the form of funding and facilities. In September 2013 the Palm Springs City Council committed
an additional $1 million for the full development of the Palm Springs
Accelerator Campus. The Desert Health Care District also committed
$500,000 to retrofit one of the buildings at the Accelerator Campus,
which will be dedicated to the advancement of Medical Technology.
In November 2011 Palm Springs voters approved “Measure J”, a local
revenue measure to maintain local community services and economically revitalize our Downtown. This initiative, that took effect in January 2012 has helped the City raise tens of millions of dollars for capital
improvement projects.
Many other projects being funded from Measure J funds are already
well underway all across the city. From parks and recreation facilities,
to roads and infrastructure, the positive impact from this initiative can
already be felt.
Coachella Valley Innovation Hub
The Coachella Valley Innovation
Hub (iHub) Program began as a
regional partnership between
the cities of Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral
City in 2010. Managed by the
Coachella Valley Economic
Partnership (CVEP), this initiative is designed to help grow
and mentor start-up companies,
primarily, but not exclusively, in
the renewable energy and clean/
green technology industries.
In October 2012, the Palm
Springs City Council expanded
the iHub program and initiated the first phase of the Palm
Springs Accelerator Campus.
The city also amended its agreement with CVEP, to include
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“The significant success of the iHub office-based incubator presented
an opportunity to expand services and develop the Accelerator Campus”, says John Raymond, Director of Community & Economic Development. “The continuing success of both the office and accelerator
facilities has generated more interest and opportunity to expand the
Accelerator Campus and develop a state-of-the-art campus for emerging iHub clients producing American made products and potentially
creating jobs in Palm Springs”.
Accelerator Campus