Rancho Mirage

An exceptional city is one that gets all the little details right. Through the years, the City of Rancho Mirage has proven itself adept at imagining the big picture — evidence of this greets residents and visitors at every turn. Careful planning and sound financial management enable Rancho Mirage to continue to enhance day-to-day life for all who flock to this enviable locale in the heart of the Coachella Valley. Yet no matter how big the imagined picture is, the attention paid to detail is truly what makes great visions succeed. This desert community takes that dictum to heart. It’s one thing to greenlight projects and quite another to finesse them. The City of Rancho Mirage manages to accomplish both — and does so with great aplomb.

The Residential Scene

It’s been in the works for a while but now it’s official. Award-winning builder Del Webb is developing a 55 and older community in Rancho Mirage. Upon completion, Del Webb at Rancho Mirage will consist of up to 1,200 single-family detached homes. The 320-acre site is located at the northeast corner of Dinah Shore Drive and Los Alamos Road directly across from The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa. The 320-acre site is located at the northeast corner of Dinah Shore Drive and Los Alamos Road directly across from The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa. Conveniently, the existing Westin traffic signal will serve double-duty and manage vehicles heading into or out of the new active adult community’s main entry. Not that Del Webb would have blinked if a traffic signal weren’t already in place. The addition of one would simply have been added to the list of all the other improvements the developer plans to make along Dinah Shore and Los Alamos — attractive improvements like a perimeter wall, thoughtfully designed landscaping, and the undergrounding of utility poles that will enhance both the project and the overall community.

The main entry to Del Webb at Rancho Mirage will be quite spectacular. The driveway leading up to the guard gate will be two football fields in length away from Dinah Shore, and a football field wide at the midsection, all accentuated by water-efficient landscaping. Inside the gates, a series of ravines and green belts ensure there will be plenty of open space — 85 acres of the project’s total acreage, in fact — in addition to residents’ own private yard space. A pond with surrounding walkway, waterfall features, and themed bridges will serve as a focal point and be visible from the clubhouse. All the usual resort-style amenities Del Webb is renowned for will of course be present — a state-of-the-art fitness center, both a covered and a noncovered swimming pool, tennis courts, pickleball, bocce ball, putting green, meeting rooms, and other gathering spaces for events and parties. The list goes on.

Del Webb at Rancho Mirage potential homebuyers will be able to visit the model home complex located directly across from the clubhouse come spring 2018, when construction is expected to be complete. There will be 10 residential floor plans ranging in size from approximately 1,400 to 2,800 square feet. However, the 10 basic floor plans represent only a fraction of all the choices available. There are also three distinct elevations and a total of 20 differing exterior color and material combinations. “Attention to detail is important to the City of Rancho Mirage,” says City Planning Manager Bud Kopp. “Even though these are production unit homes, we believe there is substantial diversity in the floor plans, options, elevations, colors, and materials. There’s even a front yard landscape palate from which homeowners can pick and choose which types of trees and shrubs they want. They’ll be able to really customize their home environment.” The City of Rancho Mirage Architectural Review Board weighed in on many of the proposed home details. For example, since many of the backs of homes will face the greenbelt and walking trails, they insisted that rear façades include details like gable treatments and shutters. “It’s the kind of thoughtful attention to detail that the city is known for,” concludes Kopp.

 
 
 
 
 
Acqua California Bistro opened in August 2017 at The River, where Century Theatres resides.

The Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment Scene

Speaking of upgraded façades, Rancho Mirage’s premiere boutique shopping, food, and fun destination — The River at Rancho Mirage — recently benefited from a $5 million capital improvement project initiated by its owners. Exteriors are now painted a crisp white with gray and stone accents. There are new backlit monument signs around the entire project as well, not to mention solar-panel covered parking. Beauty lies in the details — like the art installation titled Forks on Their Way to Nirvana seen outside the new Acqua California Bistro. This culinary establishment joins a couple of other dining and beverage businesses set to open at The River — MidiCi: The Neapolitan Pizza Company and Coachella Winery, a new wine bar. Meanwhile, The Fox and Fiddle opened last March and patrons can’t get enough of its modern pub feel. Cigar aficionados feel the same way about Viva Cigar Lounge next to the Yard House.

“The River at Rancho Mirage is like no other place in the Coachella Valley. No matter what age you are, when your family gets together and there’s 10 of you — maybe grandma, a niece, an uncle or two, a sister, small children, it doesn’t matter. The River is a gathering place for all ages and lifestyles,” says Tammy Perezchica-Pshebylo, public relations coordinator for the complex. Maybe a movie at Century Theatres — now boasting luxury lounger recliners and new lobby features — fits the bill. Or an interactive adventure at soon-to-expand Escape Games at The River. Rest assured, there’s something for everyone.

Events scheduled throughout the season certainly recognize patrons’ diversity. For instance, The Renova Ice Skating Rink returns to The River in November. And as part of the Holiday Spectacular & Tree Lighting program November 30th, the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club will give a special performance.

Music remains a huge part of the experience at The River and it could pop up anywhere. A guitarist might be strumming by Starbucks on one occasion and, next time, a band from Rancho Mirage High School or a headliner from Orange County might be performing in the amphitheater. Two local artists’ work will be featured in a pop-up art gallery occurring October 17th through November 25th, and this spring The River will unveil its 2018 Chefs’ Culinary Series, which is an eight-week-long event with demonstrations, tastings, and special dinners at its restaurants. Check The River website for precise details.

Population
Total Population:
18,099

Annual Growth
Rate:
0.93%

Median Age:
63.9

Income
Median
Household:
$72,196

Average
Household:
$120,491

Employment
Accommodation
and Food Services:
7.47%

Healthcare, Social Assistance:
15.42%

Retail:
15.55%

Admin., Support, Waste Management Services:
4.35%

Construction:
4.63%

Services (excluding Public Administration):
6.16%

Educational Services:
3.88%

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation:
5.40%

Real Estate, Rental, Leasing:
6.80%

Professional, Scientific, Tech Services:
9.59%

Transportation and Warehousing:
2.75%

Public Administration:
3.55%

Manufacturing:
4.18%

Finance and Insurance:
5.75%

Information:
2.47%