Palm Desert’s San Pablo business district currently currently consists of a great deli, a pawn shop, some shops, a human / dog day spa (I did not make that up), some thrift stores, and a sketchy Circle K – but, some changes the city has planned could transform the area into a “hipster zone”? At least according to one bar owner soon to open on the street.
The Desert Sun profiles Mark Green who, after being closed for two years, has moved his Desert Fox bar from Palm Springs to Palm Desert after his lease was not renewed.
Green tells the paper his new intimate spot, which will have 58 seats and a couple of outdoor patios, is about ready to open after 10 months (!) of renovations and thinks that with planned changes coming from the city, the whole neighborhood could quickly transform.
Plans call for a “road diet” from four to two lanes to allow for wider sidewalks and bicycle lanes making the area more appealing for eateries with patio dining while a portion of the street can be closed for special events. Roundabouts will also be added, along with desert landscape appropriate trees for shade.
The City Council approved the plans in July and construction is set to begin next summer. The cost for improvements to the one-mile stretch of roadway ranges $9 million to $12 million and will be paid for with fund from the city’s Commercial Core and Civic Center Park Improvement bonds, Art in Public Places and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments.
“This could be the hipster zone,” said Green.
Desert Fox will be open Sunday through Wednesday from 4 to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 4 pm to 2am. It’s open 4 PM til 2 AM. is scheduled to have a grand opening on Friday starting at 4pm, according to a Facebook Event created by the bar.
Be sure to let the hipsters know.
