Palm Desert Picks College of the Desert Over $45M New Library

Palm Desert set aside a roughly $45M plan for a new library and voted to pursue a long-term deal for the College of the Desert building it already uses. The 4-1 vote, along with a matching 4-1 decision to move the "Taffy" sculpture to a future park, shows a council majority choosing flexibility over locked-in construction costs. Both decisions still leave open questions about price, timing and terms.

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• Library goes the College of the Desert route, 4-1, shelving a $45M new build at the former Parkview office site
• Staff warned delay costs about $300,000 a month on a new building; the council majority valued control over spending more
• "Taffy" sculpture heads to Dave Irwin Park, 4-1, keeping Civic Center Park turf open for youth sports
• Councilmember Jan Harnik cast the lone no vote on both big-ticket items, citing cost and fiscal prudence

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Library Plan Pivots to College of the Desert

The basics: Staff presented two paths. Option 1 would build a new library at the former Parkview office site with Barnhart Reese under progressive design-build, a method that brings a builder on early and sets a guaranteed maximum price later. The all-in estimate was about $45M. Option 2 would make long-term use of the College of the Desert (COD) facility, and any work there requires review by the Division of the State Architect (DSA).

Why it matters: The library is one of the city's largest pending capital projects. This vote shapes how $37.5M in available funds, and up to $50M in potential funds, may be spent. The city would invest in a building on land it does not own.

Where things stand: Option 2 includes several sub-options:

• Renovate the city's roughly 21,000-square-foot half for about $24M ($17M renovation plus $7M for HVAC). That falls to about $20.5M if the college splits HVAC costs 50/50.
• Lease the whole 42,000-square-foot building for about $37.5M after an HVAC split.
• Add 5,000 square feet for about $10M.
• Buy the building but not the land.

The current lease runs about $112,000 a year with 3% annual escalation and expires June 30, 2029. The Library Advisory Committee split 5-2 in favor of a new facility.

Senior Project Manager Ryan Lamb of the Capital Projects Department warned that waiting carries a price. He also cautioned that the city could lose its design team. "For every month we delay pulling the trigger on a new building, that's $300,000 in increased cost to the project," said Lamb.

The majority's case: control over spending. Mayor Evan Trubee framed Option 1 as open-ended. "We're blank check to the builder up to, I'm guessing, $60 million," said Trubee. Councilmember Gina Nestande argued the reverse is true of the COD path, and said it does not rule out a new build later. "We have more control over the money spent with Option 2 versus Option 1," said Nestande.

Councilmember Karina Moreno pointed to the long-term value of keeping the Parkview site in reserve. "That land right now, as far as I'm concerned, is priceless," said Moreno. Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto said "maintaining optionality, as the mayor had mentioned, is a big one for me."

City finance staff said $7.5M has been held for the library and that Measure G funds carry no restrictions on their use. City Manager Chris Escobedo said the city would push for stronger maintenance terms in any COD lease. "We need same-day response and repair for HVAC items," said Escobedo.

The other side: Councilmember Jan Harnik questioned whether the COD path controls costs at all. "If we think we're going to control any amount of money, we're kidding ourselves right now," said Harnik.

Jan Buller, a Palm Desert resident and the only public commenter on the item, backed a new library. She argued a qualified design-build team is ready and could deliver a guaranteed maximum price. She warned that Option 2 could cost tens of millions for a building taxpayers will not own. "Option two is a pig in a poke," said Buller.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The council directed staff to pursue Option 2. The vote was For: 4 (Trubee, Pradetto, Moreno, Nestande), Against: 1 (Harnik), Absent: 0. The motion's maker was not clearly identified on the record; Nestande seconded. Library patrons keep their current location, but the new facility the advisory committee preferred is off the table for now. The college becomes a central negotiating partner. The Barnhart Reese design-build team loses its near-term project.

What's next: Lease terms, renovation scope, cost-sharing with COD and DSA review timing remain unresolved. Watch for these to return to council as negotiations proceed.

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Taffy Sculpture Lands at Future Dave Irwin Park

The basics: "Taffy," by artist Stephanie Lynn, is a perforated-metal sculpture of five towers 25 to 50 feet tall. Golden Voice loaned it to the city under a 10-year agreement approved in January. The city had already spent about $230,000 on design and preparation for a Civic Center Park installation.

Why it matters: The vote protects a turf field used for practices and pickup games. In exchange, the city commits nearly $1.1M, mostly from the general fund, to a loaned artwork that will sit in storage for 2.5 to 3 years.

Where things stand: Staff laid out three options:

• Finish at Civic Center Park for about $1.2M more, permanently taking part of the turf field.
• Relocate to the planned 27-acre Dave Irwin Park in North Palm Desert for about $870,000 more, storing the art at the corporation yard in the meantime.
• Terminate the loan.

The candidate Dave Irwin sites are landscaped areas, not athletic turf. The Public Art Fund would cover installation, and the general fund would cover about $900,000 in remaining site costs. The 10-year term starts at installation, and maintenance runs $5,000 a year. Staff said the piece is engineered for 120 mph winds after councilmembers raised durability concerns about wind and dust.

"The cost of relocating the artwork to Dave Irwin Park is comparable to the cost of completing the installation at Civic Center," said Sean Muir, Community Services Manager, Public Works.

The other side: Harnik urged waiting until the park nears completion, citing fiscal prudence and storage. "I believe it's prudent to just hold off," said Harnik.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Moreno moved to keep, store and relocate the artwork, saying "I think that we don't want to let this go." Nestande seconded. Trubee said he would "totally support the Dave Irwin option," citing scarce field space. Pradetto said he sympathized with Harnik but wanted "to give the residents certainty that the project's just going to move."

The motion passed For: 4 (Trubee, Pradetto, Moreno, Nestande), Against: 1 (Harnik), Absent: 0. Youth sports users keep their turf, and North Palm Desert gains a signature art piece. It was not explicit whether the council formally rejected the pending Civic Center Park landscaping bids.

What's next: Staff will return with costs and agreements.

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• Plein Air sponsorship: Council approved a $25,000 sponsorship of the January 2027 California Desert Plein Air Festival, 5-0, on a motion by Moreno seconded by Nestande. Organizers reported 3,421 artists and patrons in 2026, and staff wants a recap report within 60 days of the event.
• Public safety update: Staff reported a fully staffed sheriff's station and a completed 157-camera license plate reader system funded through Fund 229. "We have 302 arrests that have assisted in ALPR," said Lieutenant Porras.
• Consent calendar: Approved 5-0 after staff pulled the Taffy item for separate discussion.
• Pride proclamation: Trubee proclaimed recognition of Greater Palm Springs Pride 2026. Representative Jasmine Sullivan-Waits said it shows "diversity, inclusion, and belonging matter in Palm Desert."
• Storm response: City leaders credited Public Works Director Randy Chavez's crews and SCE for clearing flooding and fixing signal outages after Tropical Storm Rachel on Oct. 11.

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Looking ahead: The sheriff's station will hold an e-bike safety course on Nov. 7, with sessions at 8, 9 and 11 a.m., and 12:30 and 2 p.m. A Real-Time Crime Center and drones-as-first-responder item is slated to return to council in November.