Malls · California
Desert Fashion Plaza
Desert Fashion Plaza opened 1967, declined after 1999 tenant loss, was demolished 2013‑14, and reopened as a hotel‑retail mix today. · summary, model-written
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile3 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Redeveloped
This site: A Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as… extraction · all sites with thisHotel
This site: A Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Operatingextracted, unreviewed documentedA Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as well as several smaller shops and restaurants. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedAfter more than a decade since the mall sat empty, the redevelopment finally moved forward on February 7, 2013, with the demolition of the mall. The large, vacant property would be turned into an outdoor shopping center with new shops, restaurants, and a six-story hotel. |
| New uses | retail, hotelextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | A Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as well as several smaller shops and restaurants.extracted, unreviewed documentedA Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as well as several smaller shops and restaurants. |
| Retrofit year | 2013extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Redeveloper | John Wessmanextracted, unreviewed reported |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Desert Fashion Plaza” and “Palm Springs” (7 hits, first 7 sampled, 1 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (strong) | PRICE LEGACY CORP | 6 | 2001-03-23 to 2002-11-14 | 8-K 6 |
Site context
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 30,212 since 2015; 2,786 in the last 12 months (-3% vs the prior 12); peak 2015-07 with 497Wikimedia |
|---|
Summary, model-written
Opened in 1967 as Desert Inn Fashion Plaza by Home Savings and Loan Association, the mall underwent multiple ownership changes and a $42 million renovation by DeBartolo in the mid‑1980s. After a steep tenant decline in the late‑1990s, John Wessman acquired the property in 2000 and initiated demolition in 2013, completing it in 2014. The site now operates as a mixed‑use retail‑hotel complex featuring a Kimpton Hotel (opened 2017) and retailers such as H&M and Free People.
Why. The record shows a major tenant loss (≈75% closure) in 1999, which prompted the owner to pursue a redevelopment strategy that led to demolition and rebuild. No explicit mention of competition, debt, or other causes is provided.
Where it stands. The site is currently operating under the control of John Wessman (owner since 2000) as a retail‑hotel redevelopment.
For a planner
- Precedent: conversion of an enclosed mall to a hotel‑retail mix in Palm Springs.
- Policy tools: private‑sector led demolition and redevelopment strategy enabled the transformation.
- Open questions: long‑term viability of the hotel‑retail mix and need for updated zoning or incentives.
For a developer
- Site size: not specified in the record.
- Control: single owner (John Wessman) since 2000, providing clear decision‑making authority.
- Entitlement stage: demolition completed 2014, new uses built and operating.
- Constraints: no flood, transit, or environmental data provided; market signals from tract data are absent.
What we do not know yet
- Missing site acreage or building footprint.
- No tract‑level demographic or sales data to assess market strength.
- No information on floodplain, transit access, or environmental constraints.
- Ownership chain after 2000 relies on unverified text extraction.
- The 'operating' status is based on extraction and not independently verified.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- Florin Mall, Sacramento County, CA · Malls · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in CA
- Glendale Fashion Center, Glendale, CA · Malls · opened 1966; same strategy: redevelop; also in CA
- Arborland Center, Ann Arbor, MI · Malls · opened 1961; same strategy: redevelop
- Beloit Plaza, Beloit, WI · Malls · opened 1966; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- Desert Fashion Plaza In Palm Springs High-Res Stock Phot… gettyimages.com
- Downtown Desert Fashion Plaza | MIG migcom.com
- Rendering: Redevelopment of Desert Fashion Plaza, Palm Spr… | Flickr flickr.com
- Bye Bye Desert Fashion Plaza palmspringsdailyphoto.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1967extracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Original developer | Home Savings and Loan Associationextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall was originally developed by the Home Savings and Loan Association, which sold the shopping center to Desert Plaza Partnership. |
| Architect | Charles Luckman |
| Anchors | Saks Fifth Avenue, I. Magnin, Bank of America |
| Census division | 9 · Pacific |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Desert Fashion Plaza, formerly known as Desert Inn Fashion Plaza, was an enclosed shopping mall located in Palm Springs, California. The mall was originally developed by the Home Savings and Loan Association, which sold the shopping center to Desert Plaza Partnership.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1966 Home Savings and Loan Association obtains Desert Inn property
- 1967 Desert Inn Fashion Plaza opens
- 1978 Home Savings sells to Desert Plaza Partnership
- 1983 DeBartolo Corp agrees to renovate mall for $42 million
- 1985 Mall reopens as Desert Fashion Plaza
- 1995 Arizona Partners purchases mall for $13.5 million
- 1999 About 75% of tenants close
- 2000 John Wessman purchases property
- 2013 Demolition begins
- 2014 Demolition completed
Sources
- Wikipedia: Desert Fashion Plaza · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year opened
15 quoted sentences
The Desert Inn Fashion Plaza was officially opened to the public on October 16, 1967, with the grand opening of a 20,000-square-foot I. Magnin,
The mall was originally developed by the Home Savings and Loan Association, which sold the shopping center to Desert Plaza Partnership.
A Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as well as several smaller shops and restaurants.
A Kimpton Hotel (Rowan) opened in 2017 on the southeast portion of the site. Other shops on or near the former mall property include H&M and Free People, as well as several smaller shops and restaurants.