Local & Community
New Contractor Could Take Over Palm Desert's Library Project After Cost Overrun
Palm Desert City Council is set to meet Thursday to vote on whether Barnhart-Reese Construction takes over as the design-build contractor for the city's new library, replacing Tilden-Coil Constructors, the firm originally hired for the job in November 2025.
The switch comes after Tilden-Coil's design came in at nearly double the city's approved $30 million budget for the project. Rather than keep paying for a plan the city couldn't afford, council cut Tilden-Coil loose from further design work earlier this year, though the city kept the firm on just long enough to tear down the old Parkview Office Building, clearing the site at 73-710 Fred Waring Drive where the new library will be built.
If council approves Thursday's item, Barnhart-Reese would pick up the existing design, originally drawn up by Richärd Kennedy Architects, and rework it to bring the cost down. That would cost around $2,251,120, plus a $225,000 contingency for unforeseen expenses, and would only cover design and pre-construction work. It would not authorize actual construction of the library.
According to the staff report, once that design work wraps up, Barnhart-Reese would bring Council a final construction price for the whole project. Council would decide at that point whether to move forward with building it.
The new library will replace the city's current library, which sits on the College of the Desert campus and is leased through the school.
City officials told council in August that they now expect the total project to cost around $45 million, well above the $30 million budget approved so far, though no additional funding has been requested as part of Thursday's vote.
By: Harrison Bluto
September 8, 2026
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