If Bob Dylan ever decides to be part of the internationally acclaimed Coachella Music and Arts Festival held each year in Indio, city leaders might request he sing “The Times They Are A-Changin.’”

The history of Indio is steeped in change. Its first inhabitants were Native Americans who chose to settle along the San Andreas Fault in the Indio Hills and along the Whitewater River.

Surveyors from the Southern Pacific Railroad also chose Indio as a suitable location for a railroad depot. The community was halfway between Yuma and Los Angeles, plus there was a substantial labor pool available from the Indian reservations.

In 1930, Indio incorporated as a city. Its population was 1,875. With the construction of the All American Canal, the agricultural industry took off and was promptly followed by increased retail, tourism, and of course, population.

Downtown Indio flourished from the 1940s through the early 1970s but then retail shops and restaurants went out of business or left for other locations.

Indio Today

Today the City of Indio is the largest and fastest growing city in the Coachella Valley. Its current population of 70,000+should mushroom to 150,000 in the next five years. This year the city celebrated its 75th anniversary with a gala black-tie event that was labeled “one of the season’s best” by a Desert Sun society columnist who also enthused that “Indio society not only became of age but likely began a new era of sophistication and prominence in the desert’s renowned society swirl...”
Residential and commercial growth is unprecedented and continues to break prior year records.

Downtown Indio — now hailed by some as Old Town — has embarked on an exciting renaissance designed to create a sense of community enticing residents and visitors to shop, dine, and have fun.

City Hall has gone through its own renaissance with a new, seasoned city manager who has embraced his new community and established a team of professionals who can aptly meet the demands required for smart growth.

Team Indio

City Manager Glenn Southard came on board earlier this year. Previously he served 17 years as city manager for the City of Claremont and prior to that spent 15 years working for several other Southern California communities. He has been active in regional, state, and national organizations serving as president of both the California City Management Foundation and the San Gabriel Valley City Manager’s Association.

One of his first tasks was to recruit a team of professionals interested in working to make Indio a great place to live, work, and raise a family. To date he has hired a new director of community development, a new public works director, a full-time city building official and construction manager. In addition, he has added a second assistant city manager and named a finance director. All of these positions have been filled with professionals who boast decades of experience in city management.

“Our employees are our greatest asset, and I will remain focused on maintaining existing programs and offering new programs to keep employees motivated,” Southard says.

Do the Vision

“Catch the Vision” has been the catch phrase for the community’s phenomenal growth this past year. Southard’s twist on the slogan is “Do the Vision”; the following are some of the projects in the works in the city’s four redevelopment retail/commercial corridors:

Highway 111 Hospitality Corridor Gateway: This is an area of approximately 200 acres straddling both sides of Highway 111 that extend from Jefferson Street and Highway 111 eastward to Madison Street. Zoned for mixed use, the goal is to provide hospitality amenities such as hotels, restaurants, and entertainment. Currently four 10-story hotel towers are being proposed that would add condominiums, retail, and restaurants.

“We’re going vertical,” says Southard. “People in Indio are very open-minded. They want good things to come to their community and have learned from what didn’t work in the desert. With vertical construction we have the blending of architecture and economics. Look at our courthouse and you will see that we’ve already embraced the concept.”

Indio Fashion Mall: The city is working with the new mall owner with the goal of creating a combination lifestyle center and traditional mall in this vital area located in the center of the city at the intersection of Highway 111 and Monroe Street.
Old Town Area: A high priority for City Council is the revitalization of the city’s original center, which occupies 112 acres. Strategic acquisitions of property have begun with efforts to create a mixed-use urban experience that includes a multi-modal transportation center, expanded Civic Center, 1,000 to 2,000 residential units, retail, and restaurants along with an entertainment component.

Two years ago Doug and Elaine Holmes purchased PJ’s Desert Trophies & Gifts, a business located for decades at Highway 111 and Arabia. After working for Fortune 500 companies for years, the couple was ready for something different.

Since its purchase, PJ’s has moved from it original location to Oasis Street, which it quickly outgrew. Today the store is located at 82-862 Miles Avenue.

“[Southard] has a vision and I absolutely support it,” says Elaine. “We have a dual approach in that we want a professional business with a mom-and-pop ambiance. I’ve seen changes in cleanliness and security in this area. This is going to be a great little downtown.”

Bill Tanghe and his wife Carolyn French, proprietors of Design Collections & Upholstery Outlet, would agree. After almost 20 years at various locations in the Coachella Valley, they purchased a 7,500-square-foot building on Miles Avenue in 2002. In July they expanded by purchasing the 7,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by Johnson Photo.

I-10 Freeway Corridor: With four interchanges along the interstate and situated next to the city’s fastest growing residential developments, this area provides excellent opportunities for travel, lodging, dining, and other uses. An expanding I-10 Auto Mall and two major casinos are projected to be joined by even more residential as well as retail stores, hotels, and a big-box retail center. “We’re bringing in both sales tax and jobs,” says Southard.

Landmark Golf Club got the ball rolling in the late 1990s with the construction of a 36-hole public golf course.

Michael Bracken, founding partner of Development Management Group, Inc., based in Palm Desert, has been instrumental in bringing companies such as Guy Evans, Inc., The A.C. Houston Lumber Company, The Tandem West Group, Hathaway & Sons, Inc., Ferguson Plumbing, and Sepulveda Building Materials to Indio. All told, these companies represent more than 2,000 new jobs and facility investments in excess of $40 million.

“The city staff and council have a shared vision to work to create new job opportunities for their residents while increasing the overall tax base,” Bracken says. “Our experience over the past three years has been outstanding.”

Major Projects

To provide the proper support and infrastructure, much attention has been devoted to public safety, park facilities, street rehabilitation, water infrastructure, and youth programs.

The city’s budget increased from $70 million to $150 million in one year as a primary result of building and development. Part of these funds will be used to build two new fire stations. An additional patrol beat has been added to the police department, and a needs assessment study is underway for a Police and Public Works departments’ expanded campus.

A total of $910,000 has been budgeted for the maintenance of the city’s parks, parkways, trees, and facilities — an increase of 200 percent. Additional park land is being sought.

“Parks are our number one priority along with controlled building,” says Mayor Pro Tem Gene Gilbert. “One of the main priorities of the full council is to add more parks for our youth.” A $160 million street rehabilitation program has been approved that will bring streets and roads to acceptable levels.
To meet current and anticipated demands, the second phase of the water systems improvement will be completed this fiscal year.

$100,000 from the General Fund will be combined with grant monies to develop new programs. In keeping with its kid-friendly image, the city plans to build a teen center across from the Indio High School.

Image Builders

Indio is the City of Festivals. The city has received international media attention and welcomed more than 650,000 visitors each year through its Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, International Tamale Festival, Coachella Music and Arts Festival, Southwest Arts Festival, HITS Desert Circuit Horse Show, International Salsa Festival, and the Native American Powwows.

“We have a younger population that allows us to be hipper,” says Mayor Melanie Fesmire. “As we continue to grow, our resourcefulness and creativity must also grow.