COD update on Palm Springs Campus: progress underway
Cynthia White
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – College of the Desert officials reported to Palm Springs City Council on Wednesday that progress is being made on the Palm Springs Campus project.
The official groundbreaking was last November, and currently progress is being made on underground utilities and infrastructure work that is expected to be completed by mid-September.
After that, work will begin on the first area of campus to go vertical – the campus support building. COD is planning a “going vertical” ceremony later this year to celebrate the construction milestone.
Of the anticipated start of construction on the first building, COD Superintendent/President Val Martinez Garcia told councilmembers, “After more than two decades of visioning, planning, and perseverance, this moment will mark the shift from ground work to skyline, when steel begins to rise and the communities can finally see what has long been believed can transform this community.”
Martinez added that the campus will expand COD’s offerings in programs such as Hospitality and Tourism, Healthcare Certification, Digital Media and Artificial Intelligence, plus more, describing them as “Educational opportunities that directly respond to regional employer needs.”
The new Palm Springs Campus represents a massive $405 million capital investment, the largest higher education infrastructure project in the history of the west valley.
When fully open and operational, the campus will serve over 3,000 students, faculty and staff.