Looks like Soho won’t be coming to the desert anytime soon.
Members-only club Soho House was reportedly looking to develop a property in Palm Springs, but citing bureaucracy and cost, those plans appear to be off the table.
“We love the area and the community, but the bureaucracy has proven insurmountable,” said Ron Burkle, who purchased the seven-acre Colony 29 enclave four years ago. “We would like to thank the members of the City Council and community who have supported this project, and we are disappointed to be in this position. “When completed, this would have been the largest preservation project in the history of Palm Springs.”
According to the Palm Springs Post, city officials, however, were caught off guard by the announcement. In an e-mail statement, Mayor Grace Garner and Planning Director Chris Hadwin both expressed surprise at the move, saying “there was no indication whatsoever that Soho House was moving anywhere but forward with their project.”
“We’ve been awaiting revised plans the applicant has been working on to address concerns raised by the community at their open house last fall,” Hadwin said. “We understood they were looking to hold an additional open house next month and we have been ready and willing to work with them to advance this project. We’re not holding them up. We’re very supportive of the project at the staff level.”
Project consultant Tim Gleason noted some of the stressors that led to the decision, including neighbor concerns.
“We were committed to being a good neighbor and preserving the historic character and key elements of the property,” Gleason said. “However, the costs imposed for all the issues raised made it unfeasible and, at best, two years beyond our planned opening date.”
The club was to inhabit a historic enclave in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood. When complete, the project would have included nine guest rooms, a clubhouse, restaurant, a swim club, large swimming pool and parking.