Demolition of former El Morocco Hotel, redevelopment of Palm Highlands Inn site approved

One of the last remaining buildings in the original Downtown Palm Springs will soon be no more after the city’s Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB) approved the demolition of the structure at 340 North Palm Canyon Dr., formerly the El Morocco Hotel.

During its Tuesday evening meeting, the board determined the Class 3 property, dating back nearly 100 years, no longer retains sufficient historic integrity to warrant reclassification as a Class 1 or 2 resource.

Board members also took no action to reclassify another Class 3 site at 450 East Palm Canyon Dr., allowing plans to move forward for redeveloping the property into a new small hotel while restoring some existing features.

“With each of these approvals we lose a little bit,” said Board Chair Jade Nelson, lamenting the gradual loss of 1930s and ’40s architecture along Palm Canyon Drive. “So it’s always difficult.”

“But on the same token we’re getting a refurbished property that’s been languishing for far too long which will really boost that area,” he said of the property at 450 East Palm Canyon Dr., the former Palm Highlands Inn.

The El Morocco Hotel site evolved from a five-room bungalow in 1922 to a 38-room hotel by the 1940s. It once housed the Algiers Cocktail Lounge and hosted Hollywood celebrities including Rosalind Russell and Bette Davis. The site evolved into a mix of retail, restaurants, and service businesses, with periodic demolitions and alterations.

Sarah Yoon, associate planner and historic preservation officer, presented staff findings that the property no longer meets criteria for exceptional historic significance required for Class 1 or 2 designation.

“With the existing conditions and the changes that have come up on this building over time, we see that much of that building no longer exemplifies that period of significance,” Yoon said.

Board members praised the thorough research provided by the applicants, particularly for the 340 North Palm Canyon Drive property. The application included historic photographs, business licenses, and newspaper clippings dating back to the 1930s.

The rapid deterioration of 450 East Palm Canyon Drive in less than a decade served as a cautionary example during discussions.

“It’s pretty shocking the amount of deterioration that occur was able to occur to this site in what appears to me less than 10 years or less,” said Board Member Katherine Maschka-Hitchcock, noting the property’s decline since 2015. “It stresses one of the recurring themes about the condition of a number of properties — maintenance is extremely important because this can happen quickly.”

The demolition approval process for Class 3 sites requires HSPB review. If the board finds a site warrants possible re-designation, it may direct and authorize processing of an application to re-designate as a Class 1 or 2 historic resource.

In both cases Tuesday, the board found neither property met criteria for exceptional historic significance. The owners were not seeking historic designation and wish to move forward with redevelopment plans.

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