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A City of Accomplishments

By Ellen Paris

Seen Right: The Cathedral City Soccer Park and Fitness Track is located on 30th Ave. and Santoro Rd.
Photo by Taylor Sherrill

A progressive city government actively working to make Cathedral City a desirable community for families and businesses earns an “A” for accomplishments.

Look around Cathedral City — from its vibrant downtown and Town Square, where residents and visitors dine, shop, and play, to the new 17-acre Soccer Park and the emergence of Date Palm Drive as a major retail corridor — and you’ll see a family-orientated city with a fastgrowing list of achievements.

“Three years ago, we developed a strategic plan to use as a true road map of where we are going,” says Mayor Kathleen DeRosa. “It has kept us very focused on who we are, where we are going, and what we want to accomplish.” The plan is key to Cathedral City’s growing recognition as one of the top family-orientated, businessfriendly, and progressive cities in the Coachella Valley.

The Cathedral City Soccer Park and Fitness Track is a perfect example of action, achievement, and partnership. The park was a dream for almost a decade. In June, after three years of development, the city proudly dedicated the park to its community. It’s a major new asset to the community and also a catalyst for a variety of public/private partnerships. Utilizing redevelopment funds and private donations, the city built the park yet still needed money for ongoing maintenance. The American Youth Soccer Organization stepped forward and offered to maintain it. It was built with a real public/private partnership of community and will remain that way.

An additional community benefit is the park’s fitness track, fitness stations, and equipment paid for by a $350,000 grant from the Desert Healthcare District. In addition to being open to the public, 50 students from the James Workman Middle School are participating this fall in a program to fight childhood obesity, using the track and fitness stations. As part of the program, they will be monitored for diabetes. Participants in Desert Regional Medical Center’s Health Key Plus Program will be involved in the 90/180 challenge (walk 90 miles in 180 days) and biomass-testing program at the track. Here’s yet another healthy partnership.

With the revitalization of three major retail centers on Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City will offer residents and visitors a variety of choice shopping destinations. Burlington Coat Factory, a large national retailer, chose the 110,000-square-foot former Kmart site for its first valley location. Harbor Freight, a discount hardware company, will also make its local debut there. Date Palm Plaza is a $3 million renovation and reutilization of the Wal-Mart site at Date Palm Drive and McCallum Way. Look for four new retailers there.

The Sam’s Club center was recently sold, and development will begin there shortly. “Part of our plan is to bring a significant amount of retail space into the city,” says DeRosa. “These revitalized centers bring both sales tax dollars to the city and expanded shopping opportunities for our families,” adds Redevelopment Director Janet Davison. Additional good news: Mission Plaza, which suffered a devastating fire two years ago, is now completely remodeled and leased, adding more dining and shopping choices than previously.

Thanks to a forward-thinking city government that welcomes high revenue-producing businesses, Cathedral City Auto Center is one of Southern California’s largest group of automobile dealerships. Over the past years, the city and redevelopment agency have worked hard to help expand the auto center. Acura is building a new dealership, Chevrolet is coming to the city, and Palm Springs Motors has plans for expanding. Toyota’s state-of-the-art expansion to a 77,838-square-foot dealership on 6.5 acres is an example of a rapidly growing business that will enhance the city revenue base. Palm Springs Ford ranks as Southern California’s largest Ford dealership and has plans for further expansion.

The changing face of downtown continues in a major way. Plans are in the works for a 300-room “resort hotel” and conference center linked to Desert Cove Golf Course, an 18-hole public golf course in the lower foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains and on the desert floor below. This project promises to change the face of downtown. Even though the hotel and golf course are being built by two separate entities, their connection is vital; the adjacent top-rated course gives the hotel “resort” status and provides convenient golfing for visitors. A luxurious day spa located at the hotel will complete the resort experience.

A much anticipated project that will add additional high-quality residential, retail, and commercial options for the community is the 23-acre Cathedral City Town Ventures Project, a partnership between local developer John Wessman and Enterprise California, a leading residential developer. This mixed-use project joins Cathedral City’s vibrant new downtown along East Palm Canyon Drive.

Bringing local citizens into the city’s government has proven quite successful. The city’s new marketing committee has been busy positioning Cathedral City both locally and nationally. The colors of bright yellow, red, and blue banners in Town Square — which echo those of the Fountain of Life, a centerpiece of city life right across from City Hall where families come together — proclaim the city a vibrant place to live, work and play. “We’re branding the city as one that is business-friendly, progressive, and family-focused,” says DeRosa.

Establishing Cathedral City as a visitor destination is the goal that led the all-volunteer marketing committee to place Cathedral City on Expedia.com. Current projects include events to draw residents from other valley cities and message-driven advertising.

Meanwhile, the Public Arts Commission is presenting a full season of performing arts with its seven-part LIVEARTS series. Another welcome accomplishment was the recently dedicated Buddy Rogers sculpture at the corner of Pickfair and Buddy Rogers Avenue.

The city’s new finance committee, another all-citizen volunteer effort, moves into high gear this fall strategizing how best to increase the city’s revenue stream though additional revenue generators. “Our goal with these committees is to improve opportunities for public participation in government,” explains Tami Scott, administrative services director.

Look to the north across I-10 between Palm Drive and the city’s easterly boundary to see the city’s future. The “North City” includes almost 5,000 acres of land, the majority of which is within city jurisdiction and the remainder soon to be annexed from Riverside County. Only 2,000 acres will be developed; the rest will remain open-space conservation land. To best determine how to develop the land over the next two decades, the city retained the Arroyo Group, a leading Pasadena planning and engineering firm, to develop a North City Specific Plan. “This is a key piece of the future for Cathedral City. It is a complete blank canvas and is truly our future and legacy, and it’s important to me to make sure we master plan it,” DeRosa says. We want to see it benefit all residents.”

Leisa Lukes, Cathedral City’s planning director, adds, “The land is just an expanse of untouched sand now. We’re very excited, because it is our front door. What the property owners, our citizens, and the travelers on Interstate 10 want to see there is what we’re exploring.”

As Cathedral City continues to check off its strategic plan accomplishments, a new city is emerging. This is one all citizens are proud to call home and showcase to visitors.

Mayor Kathleen DeRosa Mayor Pro Tem Charles (Bud) England	Council Members Paul S. Marchand, Esq. Gregory S. Pettis Chuck Vasquez	Year Incorporated 1981 Population 52,115	Median Household Income $47,702
		The Cathedral City Soccer Park and Fitness Track is located on 30th Ave. and Santoro Rd. Photo by Taylor Sherrill
		The Palm Springs Motors Center Photo by Taylor Sherrill
		A rendering of the new 110,000-square-foot Burlington Coat Factory, to be located in the former Kmart site.
		The new Acura dealership at Cathedral City Auto Center. Photo by Taylor Sherrill
		Toyota’s state-of-the-art expansion. Photo by Taylor Sherrill