Here’s a little nugget of information that should go a long way to help repair the public’s distrust and disgust over a seedy downtown Palm Springs project that has already taken the city for $43 million in taxpayer dollars and led to a FBI raid of City Hall.
The Desert Sun took a look at the money being spent on public / private development under construction by Wessman Development and discovered that it’s costing taxpayers $3,060,582 more than the $43 million already announced as being dedicated to the development. The additional three plus million will be used on “public improvements” like upgrades to existing parking garages.
John Wessman, the former head of Wessman Development, recently stepped down after being charged paying former Mayor Steve Pougnet $375,000 in bribes in a scheme that also involved fellow developer Richard Meaney.
The project, which is becoming more and more awful everyday, did announce this week it had successfully lured a Starbucks across the street and will give Baby Boomers a second location in the Coachella Valley to buy ugly and overpriced Hawaiian shirts.
Palm Springs is doomed.
