Oct. 17 Daily Briefing: Affordable housing project, hope for Historic Racquet Club, weekend events, and more

TGIF, everyone. We try to stick to covering only Palm Springs events, but we thought you might want to know that this weekend marks the final chance to explore this year’s Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours. Talented artists throughout the Morongo Basin have been opening their creative spaces to the public all month, but we’re told that foot traffic has been surprisingly light and they’d love for you to come see them. It’s a free, self-guided adventure that supports the High Desert art community and the small businesses that thrive alongside them. Check out the map and head up the hill to discover the creative treasures hiding in our own backyard this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

LEADING OFF

At Aloe Palm Canyon, modernist architecture meets affordable housing for seniors

City officials and developers cut the ribbon Thursday on a 71-unit affordable housing complex that proves high-end architecture isn’t just for the wealthy. The $45 million development includes 25 units for formerly homeless seniors.

Driving the news: Aloe Palm Canyon at 1475 North Palm Canyon Dr. features floor-to-ceiling windows, terrazzo flooring, and sophisticated finishes — a departure from typical affordable housing aimed at proving that modernist design belong to everyone.

• “These design principles aren’t just for the wealthy or the fortunate, but they’re for everybody in our community,” said Wil Carson, founder and design director at 64North, the company behind the project.

The details: All units are reserved for people 55 and older with incomes ranging from 0% to 80% of area median income, or between $0 and $3,700 monthly income. Rents range from $903 to $1,480 per month.

• So far, more than two dozen residents have moved in, 25 have signed leases, and 21 still need to sign. The waitlist exceeded 350 people.

Why it matters: The project addresses a growing crisis of first-time homelessness among seniors, and residents can expect supportive services on site from DAP Health.

What they’re saying: “Housing is healthcare,” said Eve E. Fromberg-Edelstein, board chair at DAP Health, which will provide a full-time case manager on site. “So much of one’s well-being begins with a comfortable, affordable, and dependable roof over your head.”

What’s next: Mayor Ron deHarte said the city is eyeing 5.65 acres at North Gene Autry Trail and Mission Drive for another affordable housing project that could be double the size of Aloe Palm Canyon.

Dive deeper with our complete story here.

---

BRIEFLY

🎥 Cannabis dispensary fined for surveillance violations

• The Palm Springs Administrative Appeals Board voted 4-0 Wednesday to uphold a $5,000 fine issued to a cannabis dispensary that failed to maintain 90 days of required security surveillance footage during multiple inspections in May and July, marking the business’s first violation in five years of operation.
  
• The business, located in the 3300 block of North Indian Canyon Drive, could not demonstrate compliance with city and state regulations during a May 19 annual permit renewal inspection and a July 17 follow-up inspection. Owners had previously received a courtesy notice for the same violation in May 2024, according to city records. 
  
• Yes, but: A representative of the business told the board that cameras had defaulted to higher resolution settings, consuming excess storage space and preventing 90 days of storage. In upholding the fine, however, board members noted that owners are responsible for ensuring staff can demonstrate compliance when inspected.

MULTIPLE DAYS

ALL WEEKEND

• Modernism Week – October takes place across Palm Springs all weekend
  
• Palm Springs Modernism Show – Fall Event at the Palm Springs Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday ($25)
  
• Friends of the Palm Springs Library Architecture + Design Book Sale at the Welwood Murray Memorial Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all weekend
  
• Friends of the COD Library fall book sale from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Palm Desert campus all weekend
  
• Rubine Red Gallery Fresh Face Art Show on Saturday and Sunday

TODAY

• GPSR Blood Drive at Greater Palm Springs Realtors Office at 11 a.m.
  
• Herbert W. Burns Walk of Stars Unveiling at the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center at 2 p.m.
  
• Foodie Fridays at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 5 p.m.
  
• Leanna and Miguel Happy Hour & Live Music at the Hyatt Palm Springs Atrium at 6 p.m.
  
• Meghan Murphy: Adventures from a broad at The Purple Room Supper Club at 6 p.m. ($45)
  
• Free Halloween Movie Night featuring “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” at Sunrise Park starting at 7 p.m.
  
• Palm Springs High School homecoming game vs. Xavier Prep at 7 p.m.
  
• Razzle Dazzle at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m. ($22)

SATURDAY

• Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Road Challenge at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at 6:30 a.m. ($54)
  
• Certified Farmers’ Market at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 8 a.m.
  
• Tahquitz Creek Cleanup at the Tahquitz Creek Foot Bridge at 8 a.m.
  
• Tigercat Open Cockpit at the Palm Springs Air Museum at 10 a.m. ($25)
  
• Querencia Palms Modernism Week Grand Opening at Querencia Palms at 11 a.m.
  
• Free floating pumpkin patch at Palm Springs Swim Center starting at 1 p.m.
  
• No Kings II Rally at Sunrise Park at 4 p.m.
  
• “We Belong” Pat Benatar Tribute at Hunters at 7 p.m. ($13)
  
• The Art of Science at Studio 1068 at 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

• Palm Springs Vintage Market Modernism Week Edition at 356 N Calle Encilia at 7 a.m. ($5)
  
• Mahjong Meetup at the Social Cafe & Play Lounge at 12 p.m.
  
• The Inheritance Part II at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 1 p.m. ($42)
  
• The Judy Show! at The Purple Room Super Club at 5 p.m. ($40) 
  
• Cult and Classic Films: “Let Us In” screening at Camelot Theatres at 7 p.m. ($17)

AND FINALLY …

After nearly 25 years of sitting vacant, the Historic Racquet Club property at 2743 North Indian Canyon Dr. may finally have a path forward as a new real estate broker with personal ties to the owners works to facilitate a sale.

Driving the news: The broker, a Palm Springs resident who is friends with the property owners, is meeting with city officials including the city manager, code compliance, economic development and the city attorney to review requirements and discuss potential tax incentives for historic preservation.

• Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein relayed the news to members of the Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs (ONE-PS) at their monthly meeting earlier this week.

The backstory: The site where Marilyn Monroe was reportedly discovered includes several deteriorating structures designated as historic by the city, including oddly enough, one swimming pool that no longer exists but maintains its historic designation.

What’s possible: The substantial acreage could accommodate multiple uses, Bernstein said, including condominiums, a hotel and restoration of the Historic Racquet Club structures, with the city exploring tax benefits for buyers who commit to preservation.

Why it matters: The new broker’s willingness to engage with city officials marks a significant shift from the previous broker who was said to avoid communication. It could be a sign that a decades-long stalemate on a prominent piece of Palm Springs history is coming to an end.