The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, based in California’s Coachella Valley are studying the idea of a new hotel with as many as 350 rooms in Palm Springs, as well as expanding its Spa Resort Casino in the downtown area.
The tribe is studying what the environmental impact might be for these changes to the 20-acre site it owns around the casino and on the spot where the Spa Resort hotel stood for many years before it was torn down earlier this year.
Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe released a statement last week: “Over the past year, we have been working on developing a master plan for this site. This environmental study is the next step in determining what is possible for our downtown location.”
He added, “This part of the process allows us to share with the public, in very broad strokes, the ideas we are considering. It does not mean that we have a project clearly identified at this time, but only that we are considering the overall impact of a concept that may include a new hotel, retail and meeting space, and a potential casino expansion. We have made no concrete decisions.”
The Spa Resort Casino could be expanded to up to 68,000 square feet and 350 rooms could be added.
The tribe hopes to release a draft environmental report next spring that will identify the location of the hotel, parking and other venues.
The tribe has so far remained silent about its plans, other than that it is developing them.
An official with the Palm Springs Planning Commission confessed last week that the city remains as in the dark about the tribe’s plans as everyone else.
“We don’t know about the tribe. We don’t know what they’re doing. They may be putting out 500 hotel rooms,” said commission Chairman Philip Klatchko.
