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Friday, March 20 | ☀️ 103°/74
TGIF everyone, where we hope you are staying cool during what appears to be a summer that arrived far too early. If you’re struggling in the heat, or your air conditioning is, know that the county operates 50 different cooling centers, including several in the valley. You can find a map of them here.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant
Leading Off
A proposed nightclub on El Paseo has yet to move forward in the city process. (File photo)
Palm Desert delays decision on El Paseo nightclub amid neighbor pushback
Palm Desert's Planning Commission on Tuesday postponed voting on a proposed nightclub for a vacant El Paseo building, citing stark differences between what the developer promised during community outreach and what neighbors say they're getting.
Driving the news: The commission delayed the Rock'n Avenue project "to a date uncertain" after more than 50 people signed a petition against it and a dozen spoke in opposition at the meeting.
The matter will return with enhanced conditions on noise and exterior cleaning, and after another community meeting with neighboring businesses.
The proposal: Developer Patrick Masur plans to convert the space between Larkspur Lane and San Luis Rey Avenue into a bar with a 30-person dance floor playing music from the '70s, '80s and '90s.
The venue would serve alcohol without food service, a key concern for commissioners.
Why it matters: Business owners argued the nightclub conflicts with El Paseo's identity as an upscale shopping and dining destination.
"Rodeo Drive does not allow nightclubs on the street. I checked that," said Sheri Pierattoni, owner of neighboring restaurant Pizzavino.
The other side: Supporters said Palm Desert needs new businesses to fill vacant storefronts and provide nightlife options.
"I'm not sure El Paseo is thriving right now," said resident William Kelly, citing recent closures and bankruptcies.
What's next: The commission will reconsider the project after staff develops stricter operating conditions and Masur holds another outreach session with neighboring businesses.
Briefly
The JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort and Spa in Palm Desert. (Photo: Shutterstock/Sandra Foyt)
🏜️ Research shows why visitors choose Palm Desert
A marketing agency is interviewing travelers from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County to understand why people visit Palm Desert, with 82 participants surveyed so far ranging in age from 27 to 68.
Early findings show Seattle visitors come for weather and mental health, San Francisco travelers seek variety, Los Angeles residents pursue peace and quiet, and Orange County visitors treat Palm Desert as a routine annual destination, Idea Peddler strategy director Emma Kjaer told the Marketing Committee earlier this month.
Bottom line: The research will produce a 20- to 30-slide report and video summarizing findings to guide future campaigns and brand development, building on a 2019 study that identified "desert rhythm" as the city's positioning.
A MESSAGE FROM
GREEN ROOM THEATRE CO.
Experience the magic of live theatre at the Newish Shakespeare Festival in the Coachella Valley, now through April 4! Enjoy Como Te Gusta, a vibrant bilingual reimagining of As You Like It set in the Sonoran Desert, and American Moor, a gripping one-man drama exploring race, identity, and who gets to claim Shakespeare’s legacy.
📅 Featured Events
FRIDAY (TODAY)
Wild at Heart: ZooCamp for Adults at The Living Desert from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ($40–$42)
Desert Community College District Board of Trustees at CSU Palm Desert at 9:30 a.m.
The Myx - LIVE MUSIC at Casuelas Cafe at 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
College of the Desert Street Fair at CSU Palm Desert at 8 a.m.
Tortoise Chat at Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument from 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Friends of the College of the Desert Library Author Lunch at Indian Wells at 11:30 a.m. ($125)
SUNDAY
Mariachi Coachella - LIVE MUSIC at Casuelas Cafe at 1 p.m.
Jeffrey Siegel's Keyboard Conversations: Music of Joy and Peace at McCallum Theatre at 3 p.m. ($78.60)
MONDAY
Library Advisory Committee at 1 p.m. at City Hall
TUESDAY
Johnny Meza - LIVE MUSIC at Casuelas Cafe at 5:30 p.m.
Beetlejuice - The Musical at McCallum Theatre at 8 p.m. ($373)
WEDNESDAY
LEGO Night: Spring at the Rancho Mirage Library Children’s Room at 4 p.m.
THURSDAY
Interpretative Hike at Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument at 8:30 a.m.
Palm Desert City Council at City Hall at 4 p.m.
PRIDE for the Pride Party at The Living Desert at 6 p.m. ($100)
✨ And Finally …
After and before at what is now 74225 Highway 111. (Bottom image courtesy Historical Society of Palm Desert)
A storied Palm Desert building that preservationists once called the city's most historically important structure has found new life as a Japanese restaurant, though not without controversy over alterations that some say compromised its architectural soul.
Driving the news: Palm Springs Life’s Karen Lindell writes that the former Desert Magazine headquarters at 74225 Highway 111, a 17,000-square-foot Pueblo revival structure designed by architect Harry J. Williams, now houses the Palm Desert location of Shōgun Restaurant after decades of serving as a community cornerstone.
The building opened in 1948 as the first commercial structure on Palm Desert's first developed block.
Why it matters: Lindell noted that Desert Magazine publisher Randall Henderson and his brother Cliff are considered among the city's founders — Randall moved the magazine here from El Centro, while Cliff built the Shadow Mountain Club and helped establish the area as a resort destination.
The building served as an early community hub, hosting church groups, library organizers, land use discussions, and the Smoketree School of Desert Art.
The controversy: When the owner sought a permit for exterior changes in 2012, the City Council approved alterations over objections from preservation groups, including replacing doors and windows and removing wooden posts from the façade.
Critics say the changes stripped the building of its architectural integrity, though its Pueblo-style silhouette remains visible against the mountains at dusk.
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