Firm Qualifications for Regional Indoor Sports, Recreation, & Entertainment Facility Feasibility Study Services

In April 2024, Visit Greater Palm Springs completed the Feasibility Study of a New Amateur Sports Complex in the Greater Palm Springs/Coachella Valley Area . The study is included as Attachment B for informational purposes and to provide regional background relevant to this RFI. That study concluded that the regional market could support an approximately 140,000-square-foot indoor sports and recreation facility and identified opportunities to expand sports tourism, enhance recreational amenities, and generate regional economic benefits. Visit Greater Palm Springs has also explored the potential creation of a Tourism Business Improvement District as a possible funding mechanism to support the development and long-term operation of a regional sports facility. On February 12, 2026, the Palm Desert City Council directed staff to seek proposals from qualified development and operations partners and conduct a detailed evaluation of capital costs, operating projections, funding strategies, fiscal impacts, and potential return on investment, and to return to the City Council with a proposed deal structure if viable. Additionally, the Palm Desert City Council has identified studying the feasibility of build a regional indoor sports facility as one of its 2026 City Council Goals. The proposed indoor sports, recreation, and entertainment facility would be located on approximately 18 to 20 acres within a larger, approximately 170-acre vacant area generally situated at the northeast corner of Frank Sinatra Drive and Portola Avenue. The 170-acre area is located within the University Neighborhood Specific Plan and is currently being planned for future development. The City is currently updating the Specific Plan to accommodate the potential development of an indoor sports, recreation, and entertainment facility and to complete the associated environmental review. The Specific Plan update is currently anticipated to be completed by March 2027. In addition to the potential indoor sports, recreation, and entertainment facility, the 170 acre site is anticipated to include up to 2,200 multifamily residential units, approximately 12 acres of commercial, retail, and hospitality uses, 24.5 acres of open space, approximately 28 acres of lighted regional sports fields, and approximately 3 acres of public facility uses that may support shared parking opportunities. The approximately 18 to 20 acre facility site would therefore be part of this larger planned development area. Its proximity to regional sports fields, residential development, commercial and hospitality uses, and other planned public amenities could provide opportunities for complementary uses, shared infrastructure, and increased regional activity.