# Palm Springs Mall

Palm Springs, CA · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-300d1f646d` · release 2026-10-22

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/palm-springs-palm-springs-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-300d1f646d.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-300d1f646d.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-300d1f646d

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | education | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | demolished site | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Closed | 2015 | reported · web research agent |
| Retrofit year | 2019 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Acres | 29.0 | reported · web research agent |
| GLA (sq ft) | 315119 | reported · web research agent |
| Original developer | Ray Ryan and A.R. Simon | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | College of the Desert | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | In 2017, Michael Leife, a representative speaking on behalf of the mall owner, stated the owner did not want to sell the mall and had plans to develop the property for both residential and commercial use. | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **original_developer**: “oilman-turned-land developer Ray Ryan, along with the president of Seeterrra, Inc., A.R. Simon, collaborated on the concept of building a shopping center in Palm Springs, California.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
- **after_notes**: “Demolition of the mall began in May 2019 with construction to begin in 2023 for the first phase of the new campus.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
- **status**: “Demolition of the mall began in May 2019.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
- **strategy**: “In 2014, College of the Desert considered redeveloping the property and proposed the location be turned into a satellite campus.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
- **enclosed**: “Palm Springs Mall, formerly known as Palm Springs Shopping Center and Palm Springs Shopping Center Mall, was an enclosed shopping mall in Palm Springs, California.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b
- **demolition_year**: “Demolition of the mall commenced in May 2019.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b
- **renovation_years**: “By 1986, the mall underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, which included the addition of a food court, multiple retail space, a Kmart, and local retailer The Alley.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

## Anchors

Gottschalks, Kmart, J.C. Penney, Walker Scott, Buffums, Harris-Gottschalks

## Parties

- Benequity Properties of Los Angeles — owner (from text)
- Haiming Tan — owner (from text)
- College of the Desert — owner (from text)

## Timeline

- 1959: Concept collaboration for shopping center
- 1965: Expansion and enclosure with J.C. Penney addition
- 1970: Walker Scott opens as second anchor
- 1986: Multi-million dollar renovation adds food court, retail space, Kmart, The Alley
- 2012: Haiming Tan purchases property for $9.2 million
- 2014: College of the Desert considers redeveloping as satellite campus
- 2017: Owner representative states owner does not want to sell, plans residential/commercial development
- 2019: Demolition of mall begins

## Deals and debt

- 2012 sale: 9200000.0 Haiming Tan   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
-  sale: 22000000.0 College of the Desert   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

Palm Springs Mall, formerly known as Palm Springs Shopping Center and Palm Springs Shopping Center Mall, was an enclosed shopping mall in Palm Springs, California. Originally constructed as an open air shopping center, the center would expand and be fully enclosed in 1965, which included the addition of a J.C. Penney. In 1970, Walker Scott would open up their own location at the mall, serving as its second anchor. In 1986, the mall went through a major renovation that added a food court, retail space, and a new exterior and interior design. By the 2000s, the mall saw a decrease in foot traffic, which caused tenants to move out of the mall. In 2014, College of the Desert offered the property owner to purchase the mall in order to turn it into a satellite campus. The owner refused to sell the property to the college, which resulted in both parties going to court. Subsequently, College of the Desert acquired the mall for $22 million. Demolition of the mall commenced in May 2019.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall

## Sources

- Quoted support for original_developer — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Springs_Mall
- found by hermes-web — https://law.stanford.edu/press/palm-springs-mall-eminent-domain-case-heads-trial-college-desert-seeks-land-new-campus/

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Palm Springs Mall, Palm Springs, CA." Record m-300d1f646d, release 2026-10-22, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/palm-springs-palm-springs-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-22).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_palmspringspalmspringsmall,
  title = {Palm Springs Mall, Palm Springs, CA},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ca/palm-springs-palm-springs-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-300d1f646d, release 2026-10-22, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-22}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.