No Summer Slowdown for Citywide Construction Projects
This has been anything but a slow summer. The pace of activity seems to have accelerated this year - despite the unforgiving and seemingly more-oppressive-than-usual heat.
The Library remodel, new pickleball courts, park improvements - the list of projects goes on and on. Perhaps nowhere else in the City has this activity been more noticeable than on the west side of Farrell Drive between Tahquitz Canyon Way and Baristo Road where College of the Desert's Palm Springs Campus has jumped from the pages of the design plans to a closer-than-we-even realize reality.
College of the Desert has graciously provided an update about this impressive progress for our neighborhoods newsletter. Please take time to have a read. You'll be proud of what's coming next.
ONE-PS Neighborhoods Help Fill a Critical Food Need
Over 5,000 pounds of food donated; $10,000 raised in monetary contributions
ONE-PS neighborhoods are collecting food donations for the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert's Community Food Bank as part of the ONE-PS Community Food Drive Challenge, which runs July 1 through September 4.
As of August 21, neighborhoods have donated 5,108 pounds of food and $10,080 in monetary contributions. Four Seasons leads the food drive with a whopping 1,318.5 pounds collected, followed by Oasis del Sol (1,142.5 pounds) and El Dorado Palms (840 pounds). Oasis del Sol ($1,930), Old Las Palmas ($1,800) and the Historic Tennis Club ($1,555) lead in the monetary donation category.
The need in our community is significant. A record-breaking 603 households were served last week by The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s Community Food Bank, providing food assistance to more than 1,500 people - 65% of them seniors, according to George Sinatra of The Center.
That makes the ONE-PS Community Food Drive Challenge more important than ever! Our neighborhoods are stepping up in a big way, helping keep the Food Bank stocked during the summer months when donations are especially needed.
The competition may be heating up, but the real winner is our community, Sinatra said. "Keep it coming, ONE-PS! Let’s see how much more we can accomplish together!"
Measure J Blade Sign Installation Update
Around 125 neighborhood blade signs have now been installed on traffic signal poles at major intersections throughout Palm Springs, thanks to Measure J grant funding awarded to ONE-PS. It's great to see neighborhoods represented along these much-traveled roads.
You may notice that blade signs have not yet been installed at intersections along Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino. Because these traffic signal poles are within Caltrans’ jurisdiction, a separate approval process is required. We’re working to determine the necessary steps so we can pursue installation at these locations as well.
 A St. Francis Electric worker installs a Midtown Neigborhood blade sign on a traffic signal pole at the corner of Indian Canyon Drive and Andreas Road.
 Meet the Candidates at the ONE-PS City Council Candidate Forum
Get informed and get involved! ONE-PS will host a Palm Springs City Council Candidate Forum on Monday, Sept. 28, at the Plaza Theatre, featuring candidates for the three City Council district seats up for election this year.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and the forum begins at 5 p.m. Palm Springs Post’s Mark Talkington will serve as moderator.
Community members are encouraged to submit questions in advance to PalmSpringsNeighborhoods@gmail.com.
Come meet the candidates, hear where they stand on issues important to Palm Springs, and get informed before you vote!
 Go Behind the Scenes with the PSPD Community Police Academy
Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at the Palm Springs Police Department? The PSPD Community Police Academy offers an interactive, hands-on opportunity to learn more about your police department and the work officers do to serve the community.
The 2026 Community Police Academy begins Sept. 16 and meets every Wednesday from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Police Department. The program runs through Dec. 9, 2026. Applications are due Sept. 7, or until the class is full. For more information and details on how to apply, please see the flyer below.
Never Forget: Palm Springs 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
The Palm Springs Fire Department invites the community to come together on Friday, September 11, to remember and honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001, and the first responders who answered the call with extraordinary courage and sacrifice.
The 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony will be held at Palm Springs Fire Station 2, 300 N. El Cielo Road. Attendees are asked to arrive by 8:15 a.m., with the ceremony beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Please join us as we pause as a community to reflect, remember and pay tribute to all those whose lives were forever changed on September 11, 2001.
We will never forget.
COD Palm Springs Campus Coming to Life
The Palm Springs Campus is entering an exciting new stage.
For months, progress has been measured by steel, roofing, glass and exterior walls. Now, the transformation is moving inside - where classrooms, laboratories, studios, kitchens and other specialized learning spaces are beginning to take shape.
Across the 27-acre site, the project is shifting from constructing buildings to creating the places where students will learn, collaborate, create and prepare for careers.
Inside the Academic Accelerator
Some of the most dynamic work is now underway in the Academic Accelerator, where construction is advancing on classrooms, technology and audiovisual systems, laboratories, film production spaces, television studios, recording suites, access flooring, elevators and other specialized educational environments.
At the same time, curtain wall, roofing, architectural cladding and other exterior work continue as the building moves toward full enclosure and permanent power later this fall.
At the heart of the building will be the Accelerator Learning Lab, designed to bring instruction, academic support, technology and collaboration together in new ways.
This is where the campus vision begins to become tangible: not simply new classrooms, but a learning environment designed around how students learn today and how they will work tomorrow.
Major Milestones Across the Site
Momentum is building throughout the campus.
The Campus Support Complex is the furthest advanced of the major buildings and is moving toward final interior finishes, mechanical-system testing, balancing and commissioning later this year.
Inside the Culinary Building, another transformation is beginning. The shell is giving way to highly specialized teaching environments, including Demonstration and Teaching Kitchens, Bakery/Pastry Labs and the Workplace Innovation Kitchen. Installation of the extensive food-service, refrigeration, ventilation and other systems that will power these spaces is becoming an increasingly important part of the work.
The Event Center is also moving toward major fall milestones, including roofing, permanent power and completion of exterior finishes before interior build-out accelerates.
Powering a Campus Built for the Future
Behind the walls, crews are also installing the systems that will make the campus work.
Electrical, mechanical, data and audiovisual infrastructure is being built to support everything from traditional instruction to artificial intelligence, digital media, immersive technology and advanced workforce training.
The campus is planned to open with 10-gigabit broadband capacity, expandable to 100 gigabits, creating a powerful technology backbone for teaching, learning and innovation.
The all-electric campus will also incorporate rooftop solar generation and energy-efficient systems. Across the site, work continues on utilities, parking, infrastructure, traffic improvements and landscaping, while procurement advances for photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage.
From Construction Project to College Campus
Over the next several months, the changes will become even more dramatic.
Walls will close. Finishes will go in. Specialized equipment will arrive. Studios, laboratories, kitchens and classrooms will begin to look like the spaces students will actually use.
That is what makes this stage of the project different.
The Palm Springs Campus is no longer just rising from the ground. It is beginning to come to life.
And with every milestone, College of the Desert moves another step closer to the next chapter: welcoming students to a new campus built for learning, opportunity and the future of the Coachella Valley.
Opening Fall 2027.
Follow the Progress
Visit codpscampus.org for the latest construction photographs and drone footage, project milestones and a closer look at the learning environments taking shape across the campus.
 New three-dimensional cladding curves around the Event Center at College of the Desert’s Palm Springs Campus, creating a distinctive pattern of light and shadow at the corner of Tahquitz Canyon Way and Farrell Drive.
Caltrans Traffic Advisory: State Route 111 Pavement Improvements Coming This September
Caltrans will begin a $3.2 million pavement preservation project on State Route 111 in and near Palm Springs beginning September 2026. The project extends from Interstate 10 to just west of Tramway Road and includes roadway resurfacing to improve driving conditions.
Details:
• Monday-Friday work hours: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Single lane closures during construction
• One lane in each direction will remain open AT ALL TIMES
• Reduced speeds and traffic delays in the work zone
Construction is expected to continue through the end of 2026.
This is a state project funded through Senate Bill 1 (SB1) - the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 - and is being executed by Caltrans. To sign up to receive project updates from Caltrans via email, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/15rI4oj
Has It Really Been 10 Years Already?
I can still vividly remember the day when my longtime friend and mentor, Kay Hazen, suggested I apply for the vacant Office of Neighborhoods Manager position at the City of Palm Springs. A reporter at The Desert Sun at the time, I asked "What do I know about neighborhoods?" She said it was all about connecting, communicating and engaging with the community, which I had been doing for years as a reporter. I took her advice, then-City Manager David Ready took a chance and hired me, and last week, City Manager Scott Stiles presented my with my 10-year anniversary certificate.
I can't tell you how blessed I feel to be part of the City and this wonderful community. It's been such a privilege working with the now-52 ONE-PS neighborhoods - and alongside my supporting and caring colleagues. I have made so many wonderful and lifetime friends on this incredible journey. Thank you all for being a special part of my life.
— Denise
 At our Employee Appreciation Luncheon, we had a little fun trying to match these baby photos with their grown-up City employees! Did the football uniform give me away? ;)
I'm always looking for newsletter stories! Have something to share? Email me at denise.goolsby@palmspringsca.gov
City Council Meeting
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall
ONE-PS Board Meeting
Monday, Aug. 31, 2:00 p.m., Large Conference Room, City Hall
Retirement Ceremony for Chief Andy Mills
Thursday, Sept. 4, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros. Please see flyer below.
Drag Me To The Movies, Sponsored in Part by the Historic Tennis Club Neighborhood
Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6, two screenings each day. A ticket bundle includes all four films. Historic Tennis Club residents and business owners are invited to a complimentary reception before the Saturday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m. screening of The Birdcage, with HTCNO members receiving free admission to the film. For tickets and details:
https://www.palmspringsplazatheatre.com/events/detail/drag-me-to-the-movies
ONE-PS Monthly Membership Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 4 p.m., Police Training Center, 200 S. Civic Drive.
City Council Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall
Never Forget: 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
Friday, Sept. 11, arrive by 8:15 a.m.; ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m., Fire Station 2, 300 El Cielo Road
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Cahuilla Elementary School, Multipurpose Room, 833 E Mesquite Ave. District 5 Town Hall Meeting
Palm Springs Summit on Extreme Heat
Friday, September 18, Palm Springs Convention Center, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Please see flyer below for more information.
Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Palm Springs City Hall, Council Chamber, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. CITYWIDE SPANISH SPEAKING MEETING
ONE-PS Candidates Forum
Monday, September 28, Plaza Theatre, doors open at 4:30 p.m., program starts at 5:00 p.m. Please see flyer below for more information.
DWA Business Non-Functional Turf Workshop
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Desert Water Agency, 1200 S. Gene Autry Trail. Please see flyer below for more information.
City Council Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 5:30 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall
Thursday, Oct. 1, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, Community Room, 480 Tramview Road. District 2 Town Hall Meeting
ONE-PS Board Meeting
Monday, Oct. 5, 2:00 p.m., Large Conference Room, City Hall
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Vista del Monte Elementary School, Multipurpose Room, 2744 N. Via Miraleste. District 2 Town Hall Meeting
ONE-PS Monthly Membership Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 4 p.m., Police Training Center, 200 S. Civic Drive.
City Council Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 5:30 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall
Thursday, Oct. 15, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Meeting Rooms A & B, 140 N. Indian Canyon. District 3 Town Hall Meeting
ONE-PS Fall Modernism Walking Tour
Friday, Oct. 16, 9:30 a.m., Downtown Palm Springs. More details to follow.
Monday, Oct. 19, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Palm Springs High School, Cafeteria, 2401 E. Baristo Road. District 4 Town Hall Meeting
City Council Meeting
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 5:30 p.m., Council Chamber, City Hall
ONE-PS Board Meeting
Monday, Nov. 2, 2:00 p.m., Large Conference Room, City Hall
Palm Springs Pride Festival
Friday, Nov. 6 - Sunday, Nov. 8, Downtown Palm Springs. For more information, visit: https://www.pspride.org/
Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk Hosted by Palm Springs Front Runners and Walkers
Saturday, Nov. 7, 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., W. Chino Drive and Belardo Road.
For more information and to register, visit: Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk
Palm Springs Pride Parade
Sunday, Nov. 8, Parade steps off at 10 a.m. at Tachevah and Palm Canyon Drive and travels south through downtown, ending at the entrance to the Pride Festival at Amado. For more information: https://www.pspride.org/parade
ONE-PS Monthly Membership Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m., Police Training Center, 200 S. Civic Drive
Palm Springs Veterans Day Parade
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m., Downtown Palm Springs
Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival
Friday, Nov. 13 - Sunday, Nov. 15, Downtown Park. For more information, visit: https://palmspringsfoodandwine.org/
5th Annual Pride on the Page Book Festival
Saturday, Nov. 14, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road. For festival updates, visit www.pslibraryfoundation.org/pride-on-the-page-2026
Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade
Saturday, Dec. 5, 5:45 p.m., Downtown Palm Springs
Neighborhoods of Distinction Awards
Tuesday, Dec. 8, Palm Springs Pavilion. More details to follow.
SAVE THE DATE
18th Annual ONE-PS Citywide Picnic & Community Expo
Saturday, March 6, 2027, 11 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Ruth Hardy Park
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