Public Record, The: New casino creates a win-win situation

When the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla. Indians called a press conference to announce their new Spa Resort Casino, Palm Springs Mayor Will Kleindienst and City Councilman Ron Oden were on hand in a show of government-to-government cooperation. In fact, when Tribal Chairman Richard Milanovich, speaking at a lectern, searched for a word to describe the relationship between the tribe and the city, it was the mayor who supplied it: "symbiotic."

As most residents who have lived in the valley for any length of time know, Palm Springs and Agua Caliente lands form a checkerboard pattern on a map. Thus, a symbiotic relationship is important to progression of both the city and the tribe.

Because the $90 million tribal investment will sit between the Palm Springs Convention Center and downtown Palm Springs, the potential impact is undeniable.

"We feel for the city and community of Palm Springs, [the new casino] will be a major economic benefit," Milanovich said at the press conference.

Helping make "the connection," the tribe has added a walkway to its planned development. While not the most visually stunning part of the plans, the walkway represents more than a stretch of landscaped concrete.

The $90 million casino will cover an entire block. bordered by Amado Road to the north. Calle El Segundo to the east, Andreas Road to the south and Calle Encilia to the west.

The plan is to create a "broad expanse" about a half-mile along Andreas Road from the convention center past the casino to Indian Avenue. According to Milanovich, the tribe has been aware that the city has always maintained an interest in such a walkway.

"We felt it was in our best interest as well to maintain foot traffic going by our facility," he says.

Gary Sherwin, vice president of marketing development for the Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Authority, says the proposed expansion of the convention center would help the center-integrate with "integrate the casino" in offering, a more attractive option to meeting planners. Ultimately, he ,sees a walkway extending to a repackaged Desert Fashion Plaza as "a whole entertainment corridor." At the same time, he says the casino in and of itself will not affect the proposed doubling of convention center space to 200,000 square feet. The center's main challenge is its inability to meet capacity needs. Still, he agrees the new casino is beneficial.

"Will the casino make us a stronger product? Unquestionably," says Sherwin.

Jim Dunn, CEO and general manager of the convention center, says he is "really excited about it, because it is going to lift the level of [Andreas Road] from a service corridor" to "a pedestrian promenade."

"We see it as a vital link to downtown," he says. "We want it to be safe, attractive and interesting. Having a casino there accomplishes a lot of that. It's going to be a great design, extremely secure."

Whether the casino will help generate convention business is anybody's guess.

"You never know what's going to resonate with a group," says Dunn.

In any event, all parties-the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the city of Palm Springs, the Convention and Visitors Authority and the Palm Springs Convention Center have their eyes trained on the same target: activity.

A document tided The Agua Caliente Development Authority ends with three boldface lines that read as follows.

"The tribe's economic growth philosophy is simple: Their prosperity is linked directly to Palm Springs' prosperity. What benefits one benefits the other."