Palm Springs, CA
College of the Desert’s new Palm Springs campus is taking shape at the corner of East Tahquitz Canyon Way and South Farrell Drive, on the site of the former Palm Springs Mall. Here’s a quick look at the colleg’s renderings, the project’s size, who it’s designed to serve, and when it’s expected to open.
How big will it be?
The campus will total roughly 175,000 square feet of new construction spread across multiple buildings, on a site most recently reported at 27 to 29 acres. The project carries an estimated cost of $268 million. Its centerpiece, known as the Accelerator building, is a two-story structure that will anchor the campus’s academic programs.
Who will it serve?
The campus is designed to serve students, professionals and lifelong learners from across the Coachella Valley, with programs focused on digital media and arts, film and emerging technologies such as AI and virtual reality, healthcare and simulation-based training, architecture and sustainable design, and hospitality and culinary arts. College officials have said the site — located directly across from Palm Springs High School — is meant to give west valley students a direct, local pathway into higher education. COD currently serves more than 20,000 students across its campuses in Palm Desert, Indio, Mecca/Thermal, Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs.
When will it open?
The campus broke ground on Nov. 14, 2024, and is on track for a fall 2027 opening. College officials have said construction was set to begin in the months following the groundbreaking, with interior work following completion of the buildings’ structural framework earlier this year.