Visionary – Tony Renaud

PRESIDENT, THE THERMAL CLUB

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ETHAN KAMINSKY

When Tony Renaud set out to implement a vision for a super-deluxe, members-only club for exotic-car owners, he says, “It made good business sense to build in the Coachella Valley. It’s accessible from Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, and because it’s one of the premier resort destinations in the world, we are attracting people who are used to high-end country clubs and all their amenities.”

The heart of The Thermal Club will be a 4.5-mile racetrack course, accessible only to the owners of 300 garage villas. The facility, on 344 acres next to Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, will include a clubhouse, tuning shop, member storage garage, spa, tennis center, kids center, and two go-kart tracks.

“In Southern California, there is a huge market of people who own exotic, expensive cars,” Renaud says. “We’re providing a club where they can hang out with their friends and family, drive their cars, and have fun. It’s a place for the whole family.”

The economic impact of jobs in construction over next five years will be significant, Renaud says. It also takes a lot of people to operate a facility of this size. “We have more than 30 full-time employees now, and that will grow. To be a member, you have to purchase real estate. We have 300 lots for garage villas. There will also be a huge number of part-time vendors who will work with us on events. We will be a force in the job market.”