Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

College of the Desert Starts Construction on New Campus Location

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/09/25

College of the Desert recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Palm Springs campus in Palm Springs, Calif., according to a news release. The multiple-building campus consists of 175,000 square feet of new construction and will cost an estimated $268 million. The college is partnering with builder C.W. Driver Companies for the project’s construction, which is scheduled for completion in 2027.

The campus will span 27 acres. Its primary facility, The Accelerator, will serve students studying digital media and arts, architecture, and healthcare. Amenities in the facility will include technology labs and maker spaces, flexible classrooms, a film-screening studio, radio station, and café. Other campus facilities are set to include a culinary institute featuring specialized, state-of-the-art kitchen labs; an upscale restaurant, and support facilities, the news release reports.

“This project stands out not only for its sustainable design and technologically advanced learning spaces but also for its role in shaping the Coachella Valley as a hub for education, creativity, and community connection,” said Dave Amundson, Project Executive, C.W. Driver. “Our history of building complex higher education facilities in Southern California has prepared us well for this opportunity.”

Finally, the campus will feature an event center for community use, a maintenance and operations facility, a central utility plant, and a campus transportation and mobility hub. The campus is aiming for LEED Gold Certification; sustainability features will include on-site photovoltaic power generation and energy-efficient design, according to the news release.

The college also partnered with WRNS Studio for the project’s design.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Phoenix High School Completes First Phase of Campus Renovations

    Metro Tech High School, part of the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU) in Phoenix, Ariz., recently announced the completion of the first stage of a campus renovation project, according to a news release. The school reopened a series of public-facing business operations spaces including credit union, daycare, floral, cosmetology, and culinary services. It also includes new CTE learning spaces for the school’s nursing assistant, pharmacy, and sports medicine programs.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • University of Pennsylvania Releases Design of Future Physical Sciences Building

    The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia, Penn., recently released renderings of an upcoming 350,000-square-foot Physical Sciences Building, according to news release. The facility was designed by CO Architects and will unite the university’s departments of Physics and Astronomy, Mathematics, and Earth and Environmental Science.

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Concordia College Completes Memorial Auditorium Renovations

    Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., recently completed a $2.5-million renovation project to Memorial Auditorium, a news release reports. The college partnered with Kraus-Anderson for the project’s construction and ICON Architectural Group for its design.