Palm Desert parks panel tackles cost surge, new projects at monthly meeting

The cost of building the planned 27-acre Dave Erwin Park has climbed to between $31 million and $35 million — roughly double early estimates of $15 million to $19 million — as the Palm Desert Parks and Recreation Committee heard Tuesday that the City Council has directed staff to proceed with a single-phase buildout.

Staff said construction documents are expected to be completed in early 2027, followed by an 18-month construction period that could push the park’s completion into 2029.

Among the features under reconsideration is a splash pad, which committee members acknowledged is costly to maintain in desert conditions.

Palm Desert Mayor Evan Trubee, who attended the meeting, described parks as long-term financial commitments. Similar to roads, “It is certainly a liability long term,” Trubee said. “It becomes … something you have to spend money on to maintain.”

That concern, Trubee said, is part of what makes a proposed privately operated indoor sports facility an attractive alternative. He briefed the committee on a potential facility Palm Desert is pursuing for a 107-acre parcel in the city’s North Sphere area.

Trubee and another council member recently visited a 170,000-square-foot indoor sports facility under construction in Henderson, Nev., during the International Conference of Shopping Centers in Las Vegas. The Henderson facility features space for volleyball, soccer, bowling lanes, a restaurant, and a second-level viewing area for spectators.

Visit Greater Palm Springs is helping spearhead the effort, and Trubee said Palm Desert is competing with other Coachella Valley cities to land the project.

“It puts the burden on the private sector to provide this recreational facility for our residents,” Trubee said. He added that he envisions pairing an indoor facility with outdoor ball fields.

“An indoor sports facility complement with outdoor ball fields to me would be the perfect combination in the future regional park,” he said.

The committee also heard positive news about the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, which has drawn more than 3,000 drop-in admissions since reopening May 13 — a figure that does not include pass holders, water exercise class participants, or members of the Palm Desert Swim Club, which resumed evening practices five days a week.

The center completed upgrades that came in under its $3.5 million budget, including replacement of three pool filtration systems, five heaters, installation of a generator, a renovated multipurpose room and an upgraded cafe.

The center is operating at approximately 90% of full capacity, with the three-meter diving board, one pump for an open water slide, and a water dump feature on the splash playground still being brought online.

The Memorial Day reopening event drew 791 total attendees — 744 for recreation swim and 47 for water exercise — compared with 609 at last year’s Memorial Day event. Aquatic center staff also reported that 90 lifeguards are now on staff: 48 who returned from last summer and 42 who recently completed a certification course.

Separately, city staff told the committee that the renovated Civic Center playground is on track to be completed by the end of this month and open in time for Fourth of July weekend.

The playground was designed with accessibility and autism-friendly features in mind, including a cozy dome for sensory respite, accessible swings, and pour-in-place surfaces to ensure mobility access throughout the space. Staff noted the city holds autism awareness certification and that the playground is intended to serve children with autism or special needs from across the Coachella Valley.