Local & Community
Palm Springs residents raise traffic and neighborhood concerns over new COD campus
Some Palm Springs residents are raising concerns about the College of the Desert campus currently under construction, pointing to potential traffic, parking and neighborhood impacts.
The new campus is being built near Feral Drive and Baristo Road on the site of the former Palm Springs mall.
Palm Springs resident Mark Tursi said he is concerned about how the development will affect the character of the surrounding community.
“Palm Springs, as I know it for over 40 years, has always been the concept of tranquility,” Tursi said.
Tursi said the scale of the project could create additional traffic in an area he believes is not designed to handle a large increase in vehicles.
“These are not boulevards. These are simply streets,” he said.
The campus carries a reported price tag of about $405.7 million and is expected to cover an area roughly equivalent to 20 football fields.
Tursi also said nearby residents should have had more opportunities to see how the project would look and understand its potential impact on their neighborhoods.
“I do not believe for a moment that especially the people in the immediate area were ever given any sense of graphics or design that would spell out what they were going to have virtually in their backyards,” Tursi said.
College of the Desert did not provide an interview but provided a statement outlining its community engagement during the project's design phase.
The college said it held monthly public meetings in 2023 during the schematic design phase. Those meetings included representatives from Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, as well as community members, including the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance.
According to the college, the project also included limits on building height and increased the setback distance from Feral Drive.
The new campus is scheduled to open in fall 2027 and will replace the former Palm Springs mall site.
By: Maria Noble Valdez
September 24, 2026
Latest Instagram Posts
Palm Springs Pride is celebrating 40 years of community and inclusion this year. And while hundreds of thousands of people painted the town rainbow, others took the occasion to protest against the exclusion of one group from the parade. Tune in to our on air newscasts at 8:30 and 11 p.m as our @newsbyalondra takes us inside the festivities and protest that took place this year.
Who makes the NBC Top 3, winner will be announced Sunday night on NBC Palm Springs, with the player who makes the number one spot winning a $250 prize from @hondaofthedesert! Comment below if it will be 1) John Moreno Jr. with the TFL 2) Kingston Pellum with the snag or, 3)Parker Lewis with the interception #hondaofthedesert #fnl #fridaynightlights #fyp #highschoolfootball
Pride weekend brought the party to the pool at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs! David Reese stopped by the annual GED Magazine pool party, where an estimated 1,000 people gathered to celebrate community, inclusivity and Pride. The festivities continue with more events, including the Locker Room after-hours party and the Refresh pool party following Sunday’s parade. #PalmSpringsPride #PrideWeekend #AceHotel #GEDMagazine #NBCPalmSprings
@chef_matthew_resler executive chef and partner of @ashandvine.restaurant sits down with us to talk about his life as a marine sniper and law enforcement officer, family dinner at his Italian household, cooking on tour with Jason Aldean, how cooking food brings him out of his shell, and a friendship with two co-workers that blossomed into a must try restaurant in downtown Palm Springs. The full episode is on our YouTube page and nbcpalmsprings.com #palmspringsrestaurant #palmspringsfood #coachellavalleyrestaurant
Palm Springs Pride is officially underway and many local businesses are already looking ahead at the major economic boost this annual event brings every year. Our @newsbyalondra will have live coverage at 4:30, 5 and 6 p.m on air and online where she’ll speak to business owners about how they prep for the big crowds.
A federal judge blocked construction of President Trump’s 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery for 14 days, less than an hour after the project won final approval despite hours of public opposition.
Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed called Vice President JD Vance “habibi” during his victory speech. But the Arabic term of affection can have very different meanings depending on the context. CNN’s Leila Gharagozlou explains.
CRIME: Where do you stand on the death penalty? A sweeping decision impacting hundreds of California inmates: Governor Gavin Newsom is commuting the death sentences of ALL 548 people on California’s death row, changing their punishment to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin is speaking out, accusing Newsom of injecting politics into the criminal justice system. What does this mean for California’s death penalty moving forward? We’re following the latest developments.
Watch the Palm Springs Pride Parade LIVE this Sunday at 10 AM on NBC Palm Springs’ Facebook and YouTube channels! Join hosts Thalia Hayden and NBC Palm Springs News Director David Reese for all the parade excitement, live from Palm Springs. Can’t make it in person? Celebrate with us online! Livestream sponsored by @DAP Health #PalmSpringsPride #PrideParade #NBCPalmSprings
Honor our veterans and get moving at the 3rd Annual Indio Veterans Day 5K & 10K Run! Join the community Wednesday, November 11, at the Empire Polo Club for a morning of fitness, fun and recognition of the men and women who have served our country. Register now and save $10 on your registration fee with promo code NBCUniversal. See you at the starting line! #Indio #VeteransDay #VeteransDay5K #VeteransDay10K #CoachellaValley #NBCPalmSprings