First Public Workshop for Palm Desert 111 Corridor Plan
In a public workshop hosted by the Desert Willow Golf Resort, the Raimi/Sargent team presented initial planning concepts and suggestions for the 111 Corridor to a gathering of over 50 residents, business owners, property owners and community leaders. The 111 Corridor is the historic "main drag" of Palm Desert, adjacent to their renowned El Paseo retail main street, which as developed a reputation as "the Rodeo Drive of the Desert", but 111 remains a somewhat ragged highway strip cutting through town.
The purpose of the workshop was to offer some suggestions of how Highway 111 might be repositioned as Boulevard 111 that extends the high quality pedstrian/shopping environment of El Paseo, becoming part of the City center rather than a "downtown bypass". Through extensive discussion in small groups participants provided a great deal of creative input, very supportive of the direction the team was heading. Following the workshop the Sargent design team will work rapidly to prepare a series of design concepts and alternatives that will be presented in a second public workshop in early December.