A live entertainment and ice hockey arena is coming to Tribal land in downtown Palm Springs, California.
Today the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians announced its plans to partner with Oak View Group, a global venue development company, to bring a 10,000-seat, privately financed arena to a 16-acre plot of Tribal land.
Live Nation Entertainment, an international live entertainment company, has signed on to supply the new arena with top touring artists and other live events.
“This is a unique partnership that will forever change the face of sports and entertainment in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley,” Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe wrote in a press release. “We are creating a healthy community gathering place for Coachella Valley families and visitors from around the world to celebrate, play and experience diverse entertainment opportunities in a state-of-the-art arena.”
With a focus on the prioritization of technology, sustainability, and green initiatives, the 300,000-square-feet, world-class arena will be built for music and host the best and biggest names in the music industry on an annual basis, as well as serve as a home for artists to rehearse before the start of their respective tours.
The Agua Caliente Band also aspires for the venue to serve as the home of the American Hockey League (AHL) team, the minor league affiliate of the yet-unnamed National Hockey League (NHL) Seattle hockey team. NHL Seattle, led by owner David Bonderman, and Oak View Group have jointly submitted an application for the 32nd AHL Franchise expansion team, which, if awarded, would play in the new arena in Palm Springs in fall 2021. (The Seattle team likewise will begin play in the 2021–22 NHL season.)
“The new arena in downtown Palm Springs is a terrific project. If we are successful with our application for an AHL Franchise, it would represent an exciting opportunity to bring the first professional hockey team to this region,” Tod Leiweke, CEO of NHL Seattle, wrote in a statement. “We are confident that the market is ready to embrace a winter sports team and that the community will help us achieve the minimum level of season tickets and premium sales we need.”
Construction of the new arena in Palm Springs is expected to create thousands of permanent and temporary jobs for the community. Groundbreaking and construction are scheduled for February 2020. The arena is expected to open by fall 2021 in coordination with the Seattle NHL franchise for the 2021-2022 AHL season.
This project adds to the excitement already being generated by the ongoing construction of the Tribe’s Agua Caliente Cultural Center in downtown Palm Springs, which features a new state-of-the-art museum and world-class spa opening in 2020. The Tribe’s third casino is expected to break ground in nearby Cathedral City in the near future, as well.
