Work to launch new convention district moves forward after council approves $1.25M in design contracts

The Palm Springs City Council earlier this month approved $1.25 million in design contracts to begin creating a connected convention district around the Palm Springs Convention Center, advancing the city’s broader $135 million modernization of the facility.

The council awarded up to $750,000 to Globalmelk LLC for district-scale urban design work and another $500,000 to Multistudio, Inc. for branding and marketing. Both contracts run from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2028, and are funded through Measure J, with the expectation that costs will later be reimbursed through project debt once construction financing is issued.

City staff said the work is intended to strengthen pedestrian and bicycle connections between the convention center, downtown hotels and cultural destinations, including the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and the neighboring casino. Globalmelk will evaluate existing conditions, traffic circulation and infrastructure needs, and prepare a “kit of parts” offering options for lighting, shade, streetscape materials, public art and other design elements the council may later select.

Multistudio will establish the district’s identity, signage and wayfinding, and develop a visual framework intended to guide the architectural design of the renovated convention center. The firm has completed similar branding projects in Gilbert, Arizona; Flagstaff; and the Phoenix Warehouse District.

The contract approvals followed a competitive bid process launched in September that drew statewide and national attention. A multidisciplinary review panel — representing the Planning Commission, Public Arts Commission, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, PS Resorts and city staff — ranked Globalmelk and Multistudio as the top firms in their respective categories.

During their meeting on Dec. 10, councilmembers tied the design contracts to the ongoing effort to prepare the convention center for long-term competitiveness. Mayor Naomi Soto, who was sworn in earlier that evening, emphasized that many of the city’s largest undertakings — including the convention center modernization — span multiple councils and require steady progress each year. 

“The decisions we made this year to modernize the airport, to update our convention center — they’re not yet complete,” she said, noting that projects of this scale take years to deliver but must continue moving forward “so future councils are not behind.”

The coordinated district planning and branding work is necessary for the convention center to meet industry expectations and maintain Palm Springs’ tourism economy, city staff said. The last major expansion of the center occurred in 2005, and they noted that many systems and functional spaces now need modernization.

The architectural firm LMN02, approved last month, will work alongside Globalmelk and Multistudio as the core design team. Construction of the convention center improvements is scheduled in two phases between mid-2026 and mid-2028, while district-wide connectivity and branding work is expected to be completed by late 2027.

According to the staff report, approving the design contracts does not trigger environmental review because the agreements are administrative and do not authorize construction. Environmental analysis will be conducted in later project phases when physical changes are proposed.

With the vote, the city will begin detailed planning for the district’s design, branding and connectivity improvements before bringing future phases of the project back to the council for approval.

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