Beyond the community’s gallant efforts to come out of the pandemic stronger than when we entered, great things have occurred on the development front. During a drive through our Downtown Arts and Entertainment District, one will see the recently completed Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City. This is the Valley’s newest gaming venue and home to great live entertainment opportunities. Across from the casino complex is the Museum of Ancient Wonders. Despite State-imposed closures, museum curator Albert Acosta remains committed to offering Coachella Valley residents a glimpse into the world’s earliest civilizations in a safe and socially-distanced manner.
Traveling west along East Palm Canyon, residents will see the 13.5 acres located south of Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City. This mixed-use development will offer restaurants and retail along East Palm Canyon backed up by high-end residential housing south of the future retail. With vertical construction expected to begin next year, upon complete retail build-out, the developer will have invested over $23 million!
Moving further west along East Palm Canyon, residents will see the recently completed Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. Chris Parman and Tami Scott are working on finishing touches to make this $5.6 million investment a state-of-the-art and durable community amenity. Once COVID restrictions are lifted, expect to see the CV Repertory Theater holding periodic events, such as Shakespeare in the Park, at the amphitheater. Speaking of CV Rep, theater leadership has made the most of the COVID-imposed downtime. CV Rep is planning an exciting Fall performance schedule. Additionally, CV Rep has been working hard to attract a restaurant tenant who will ignite a new culinary fare in our Downtown.
In other parts of our City, the Planning, Building, and Safety Departments are working to keep up with residential demand. In 2020, our Building Department issued 251 single-family detached new home building permits. The 251 permits represent a 58% increase over 2019 permit numbers and makes Cathedral City one of the busiest new home markets in the Valley. With the District East project nearly sold out and DR Horton selling homes at a blistering pace in the Verano project, builders have already begun reigniting the previously paused Campanile (141 single-family detached lots) and Rio Del Sol (171 single-family detached lots). Paving the path for even more development, the Planning Department helped an Altadena, CA based development company successfully entitle Mountain Estates. Mountain Estates will be a mid-century, yet modern-style, 110-single family detached lot development located north of Ramon Road immediately west of Campanile.
Although you may have received a COVID-19 vaccine, others have not. So, please continue to avoid gathering in large groups, wear a face mask, and practice social distancing. Beyond that, getting tested every month and shopping local are the next two best steps you can take to accelerate our City’s economic recovery. Check out our website, Cathedral City Shop Local, to find categories and lists of all the businesses within Cathedral City which need your support. Shopping at our businesses will help keep our retailers alive and keep your tax dollars within the City. These tax dollars fund critical services such as our police, fire department, and road maintenance. There is no better testimonial for attracting new businesses than to ensure our existing businesses are prosperous.
Lastly, please do everything you can to keep your properties in great shape. Property appearance is an important “selling point” when prospective homebuyers, business owners, and developers look for their next “perfect” location. Continue to share the City’s dedicated websites, www.discovercathedralcity.com and www.ccedd.org, with your friends and families. In conclusion, let’s work together to bring great success to Cathedral City and make it stand out among our neighbors as an incredible place to live, work, and play.
