Palm Springs officials will move forward with a $125 million project to renovate and expand the Convention Center and the surrounding area.
City officials announced Wednesday it has released a request for qualifications for architectural and engineering services and an owner’s representative. An additional urban design request for qualifications will be issued later this month.
A pre-qualification conference will be held Wednesday and Thursday to select firms for the project.
The goal of the project will be to make the Convention Center a premier destination for numerous events through modernization efforts.
“The city’s objective in originally building and expanding the Convention Center was to support and enhance the tourist and convention business. Looking ahead, by 2030, Palm Springs aspires to be the desert’s premier center for commerce, community, and culture,” said Mayor Ron deHarte.
The facility, located at 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, opened in 1984, with previous expansion in 2005.
Renovations and upgrades that will be needed includes deferred maintenance, improved multi-purpose and outdoor meeting space capacity, enhanced sustainability and strengthened connections from the Convention Center to surrounding neighborhoods, officials said.
The project will be delivered in three stages:
— Interior renovations, facility upgrades and critical capital projects;
— Expansion of the center’s eastern entrance to increase capacity for larger events;
— Improvements for nearby area, including pedestrian, multimodal and street upgrades.
The city will explore several funding options, which includes the citywide Tourism Infrastructure District along with Measure J and Measure A.
Documents of the request for qualifications and owner’s representative can be found at www.palmspringsca.gov/government/departments/procurement-contracting/bids-proposals.