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John Raymond John Raymond serves as the Director of Community & Economic Development for the City of Palm Springs. He has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Originally from Holyoke, Massachusetts, John lives with his wife Laura and two sons in Palm Springs. Kate Buckley recently sat down with John to learn more about his background and what’s next for Palm Springs. John, you’re originally from Massachusetts but have lived in Southern California since 1990—first Upland, then Palm Springs. What brought you here? JR: When I graduated from Carnegie Mellon, I fell into a job as a Main Street Project Manager in my hometown. But my wife only moved to the East Coast from California to go to grad school, fully intending to go back. After meeting me it meant another year in Pittsburgh and three years in Massachusetts. By 1990, “we” decided we’d had enough of the East Coast. So I started looking in California. Your first position in California was as Executive Director for Main Street Upland. What was your most significant project there? JR: Upland created a Main Street program for two reasons: their downtown anchor, a small local department store, had just burned down, and they were facing a new state law requiring the seismic retrofit (earthquake-proofing) of unreinforced masonry buildings. They had a lot of older brick buildings, and the average retrofit cost was something like $40,000 per building—a big hit to property owners. But I helped develop a strategy and managed to retrofit about 26 of the 54 buildings in two years, almost entirely paid by the private owners. The Grove Theatre was pure serendipity. It was a vacant movie theatre owned by a guy who wanted to turn it into an indoor swap meet—terrible for any downtown. The City pushed back, and we were lucky to get a call from Sherry Kinison [Sam Kinison's sister-in-law], who wanted to convert it to live theatre. They removed seats and built a stage, backstage, and technical booth. We even got assistance from Sinclair Paints on the appropriate paint colors for the historic 1947 marquee. She’s still there doing a great job 22 years later. Amazing! In 1998 you were named Director of Community & Economic Development for the City of Palm Springs and served in that capacity for 10 years. In December 2008 you moved to Fresno to serve as Assistant Executive Director for the Fresno Redevelopment Agency, what prompted that shift? JR: By 2008, I had been with the City for nearly 15 years and I wasn’t ready to spend my entire career in one place. I saw the Fresno job, and they had a number of projects that seemed interesting—like the agreement with Forest City, one of the largest urban residential developers in the country, for a $300 million redevelopment project in the downtown. Fresno also has 41,000 employees that work in the downtown but there’s maybe a half dozen places in downtown to grab dinner after 6 p.m. They also have tremendous blight in their urban neighborhoods. The challenges were pretty compelling. Fresno has more concentrated urban poverty than any major city in the United States, yet you’ve referred to your time there as your “sabbatical.” Why? JR: I was only there 20 months, but in that time I did 10 affordable housing deals. Plus, we got Federal money to purchase and rehab foreclosed homes. I spent part of every day for nearly a year house shopping. How fun is that? We worked in several historic neighborhoods, and we bought houses that were the worst on the street and improved them enough to make them the best houses on the street. It made an extraordinary difference, but it also meant we over-invested in the property from a strictly economic perspective. But the program did exactly what it was intended to do: stabilize neighborhoods. I also did an odd deal: the sale of the land under the Radisson Hotel to the hotel owner. It was one area where my experience here was key—Palm Springs has lots of leased land. The sale proceeds retired part of the Convention Center debt and saved the City $1,000,000 per year. John, you clearly have considerable experience dealing with affordable housing; do you think there’s a need for additional low-income housing in Palm Springs? JR: Most cities in California are chronically short of affordable housing. It’s only going to get worse as the State has eliminated redevelopment agencies. We recently wrote a check to the State for all—yes, all—of our housing money. Several years ago, we were told we needed more large-family rental housing and since then, about 125 units have been built. But we can use more quality senior apartments. There are special needs populations that need housing—persons at risk of homelessness, with HIV/AIDS, even with mental health issues. And the Valley has only begun to confront housing for working people that are not “poor,” but unable to afford the median priced house. In September 2010, you had the opportunity to move back to Palm Springs and resume your position of Director of Community & Economic Development. And you walked right into the negotiations with Wessman Development over the Desert Fashion Plaza. Can you give us a little background on this? JR: By the time I came back in 2010, I had a little different perspective than in 2008, in part from Fresno’s experience with Forest City. That $300 million project had a “gap”—the difference between the cost to build and its real value—of over $75 million, and maybe $100 million. Nobody ever faced it, nobody figured out how to close the gap, even after the parties spent $4 million on an EIR. The economy then forced the issue and Forest City walked. The relationship between the City and Wessman had gotten off track in 2010. Wessman argued that the recession was the wrong time to put a deal together. The City was frustrated with year after year of delay. Once they approved the Specific Plan in late 2009, they believed it was the last hurdle and that Wessman needed to perform. But I’d also worked on the previous two developers’ proposals, and the project always had a financing gap, even then. Wessman was always going to need assistance, but that wasn’t the conversation we were having. Cathy Van Horn, John Raymond, Amy Blaisdell and Nona Watson toasting the end of the old Desert Fashion Plaza. Along with Mayor Steve Pougnet and the Palm Springs City Council, you then brokered the Desert Fashion Plaza Financing Agreement—an agreement with Wessman Development to redevelop 13 acres in the middle of downtown Palm Springs. It included the City’s purchase of parking and a commitment to construct new streets through the site, and the developer’s commitment to build the project. Why do you feel this project is so important to Palm Springs? JR: I can’t take any credit for brokering the deal—that was the Council authorizing Mayor Pougnet and Council Member Mills to have one final meeting with Wessman to see if they could craft a deal. I wasn’t even there. That was even after we had the “eminent domain” meeting with Wessman and the attorneys. They all deserve credit for taking a step back and coming up with a plan to cooperate, that was forward looking. My job is to be aware of all the pieces of the project: the Project Financing Agreement, the bond issue, the escrow, the design and entitlement process, the event center, the parking garages, demographic research, etc. It’s important to give the Council the credit because this is important—it may be the most important project the City undertakes for the next several decades—and they’re the only ones that could have done it. It’s our “100% corner”—the most dynamic economic location in the City, and as long as nothing moved forward there it didn’t matter what else happened in the City, because the perception was that “Palm Springs is dead, there’s nothing downtown, it’s full of vacancies, etc.” The emotion spent in negotiating with Wessman on the mall was entirely a function of how our own success is tied to the location’s success. I know cost has been a major concern around this project. For instance, it costs as much to build this project in downtown Palm Springs (minus the land) as it would in Beverly Hills, but the rents will be considerably lower. How have you navigated this issue? JR: Rents are going to be strong for the project, but they won’t be Beverly Hills rents. And, there are four parts of the cost in a project like this: the land, the materials (concrete, steel, wood), labor, and soft costs (financing, architecture, marketing). The land is most variable but reflects the economic potential of the location itself. Material costs are pretty consistent from area to area. There’s some variability in construction labor costs, but the more skilled the trade—like heavy equipment operators—the more the wages are “regional.” Financing costs aren’t likely to be less in Palm Springs than in LA. Designers and consultants typically charge the same no matter the market. That’s why developers—and cities—have to be extraordinarily creative to get things to happen. And that’s why the City Council has created a myriad of incentive programs to move projects in this city forward. John, you’ve said that you think theaters are very important and create such energy in communities—from the Grove Theater in Upland to the Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs. Can you comment on what might be next for the City-owned Plaza Theater now that the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies has announced their final season? JR: When I started working in Downtown Holyoke the most important project was the renovation of the 1919 Victory Theater, the last surviving movie palace in the downtown. At that time, in 1987, it had been closed for a decade. The project is finally underway, 25 years later. So for 35 years, the restoration of the Victory has been a key objective there—it was that important. In Upland, The Grove was really an afterthought for most residents, but the theatre did such a great job staging productions, building a subscriber base, and bringing in the occasional celebrity—that it’s still the most exciting thing in an otherwise sleepy downtown. Even here in Palm Springs, we’ve charted the progress of the area at Palm Canyon and Alejo since 1997, when Palm Canyon Theatre first opened. People have forgotten how run-down that area was then, compared to today. In terms of the Follies, this is their last season. I know they’ll put on a great show, and their fans will show up to support them and to say farewell. They’ll go out on a real high note. As far as what happens after the Follies, there’s a lot of interest in the theatre from all sorts of groups. In the end, the City Council will decide which direction they want to go, and we’re grateful that we have plenty of time to consider the options. How have you seen the City change since you first moved here in the mid-90s? What changes would you still like to see occur? JR: When I started here in 1993, we reprinted a USA Today article about Palm Springs—one of the first that talked about how Palm Springs was “coming back.” It quoted Sonny Bono, who said “The great thing about Palm Springs is that there’s nothing to do.” After 19 years I finally get it. We run into people all the time that come back year after to do “absolutely nothing.” They drink their coffee and look at the mountains. They take a dip in the pool. They read. They walk downtown and have lunch. It’s not really “nothing,” of course, but they’re also not running to catch the tram to Disneyland. And that was Bono’s point. The fact is, there is plenty to do today, and that’s why people come here – more every year. When I started there was no Coachella; the City was still running a “Wildflower Festival” downtown as a replacement for Spring Break; the Film Festival was not the A-list destination it is today; there was no Tour de Palm Springs or Modernism Week; the Bob Hope Classic was losing steam; what is today the BNP Paribas was played at the Hyatt Grand Champions. And the White Party and the Dinah Shore Weekend were here but are so much more mainstream today than ever. The mix of groups that love Palm Springs is amazing. John Raymond, hiking the San Jacintos in Palm Springs What do you think are the most critical issues—or opportunities—facing Palm Springs? JR: The issue that’s as important today as in 1993 is developing good jobs. Back then we worked to recruit and retain manufacturers here and we still do. But it’s up and down: we had a couple of great local companies that, within a few years of each other, were acquired by the same Fortune 500 company and moved out of state. We’re fortunate to have some larger employers here, because they add a dimension to the local economy besides the jobs, but cities all over the world also value “grow your own” economic development. That’s why we’ve been so committed to the Coachella Valley Innovation Hub (iHub) operated by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership. This incubator is designed to help local entrepreneurs get through the early, treacherous stages of the business life cycle. What is the future you’d most like to see for Palm Springs? JR: A great, vibrant downtown, a dynamic creative economy, and a culture of entrepreneurship that yields and lots more jobs in all sorts of industries. A mix of housing, and a chance for kids to go to college and then come back and not be underemployed. Oh, and more live music. Why do you feel so passionately about the community of Palm Springs? JR: Because we’re like no place else. And I really mean that.
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John Raymond John Raymond feidhmíonn sé mar an Stiúrthóir na Forbartha Pobail & Forbairt Eacnamaíochta do Chathair Palm Springs . Tá sé Céim Mháistreachta i Beartas Poiblí agus Bainistíocht ó Carnegie Mellon Ollscoil. Ar dtús ó Holyoke, Massachusetts, cónaí John lena bhean Laura agus beirt mhac i Palm Springs. Kate Buckley shuigh síos le déanaí le John chun níos mó mar gheall ar a chúlra agus céard atá i ndán don Palm Springs fhoghlaim. John, tá tú ar dtús ó Massachusetts, ach tá cónaí i nDeisceart na California ó 1990-an chéad Upland, ansin Palm Springs. Cad a thug tú anseo? JR: Nuair a fuair mé ó Carnegie Mellon, thit mé isteach ar phost mar Bhainisteoir Tionscadail Main Street i mo bhaile dúchais. Ach mo bhean chéile ar athraíodh a ionad ach amháin go dtí an Chósta Thoir ó California go dul ar scoil iarchéime, ar intinn go hiomlán chun dul ar ais. Tar éis cruinniú dom bhfágfadh sé bliain eile i Pittsburgh agus trí bliana i Massachusetts. Faoi 1990, "againn" chinn mhaith a bhí againn go leor de na Chósta Thoir. Mar sin, thosaigh mé ag lorg i California. Do chéad phost i California a bhí mar Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin don tSráid Mhór Upland. Cad é do thionscadal is suntasaí ann? JR: Upland chruthaigh clár tSráid Mhór ar dhá chúis: a n-ancaire Downtown, siopa beag áitiúil roinn, bhí dóite díreach síos, agus bhí siad os comhair dlí nua á cheangal ar an stát iarfheistithe seismeacha (crith talún-phromhadh) foirgneamh saoirseachta unreinforced. Bhí siad lán de na foirgnimh bríce níos sine, agus ba é an costas iarfheistithe meán rud éigin cosúil le $ 40,000 in aghaidh na tógála-hit 'mór d'úinéirí maoine. Ach chabhraigh mé straitéis a fhorbairt agus a bhainistiú a aisfheistiú thart ar 26 de na 54 foirgnimh i dhá bhliain, d'íoc beagnach go hiomlán ag na húinéirí príobháideacha. Ba é an Amharclann Garrán serendipity íon. Bhí sé ina scannán amharclann folamh atá ar úinéireacht ag Guy a bhí ag iarraidh chun dul isteach i babhtála dhíon bualadh-uafásach d'aon Downtown. An Chathair bhrú ar ais, agus bhí t-ádh a fháil ar glaoch ó Sherry Kinison [dhlí deirfiúr-i-Sam Kinison ar], a bhí ag iarraidh a thiontú amharclann chun cónaí orainn. Bhaint siad suíocháin agus tógtha céim, backstage, agus bhoth teicniúil. Fuair muid fiú cabhair ó Péinteanna Sinclair ar na dathanna péint oiriúnach don stairiúil 1947 ollphuball. Sí fós ag déanamh ann post iontach 22 bliain ina dhiaidh sin. Amazing! Sa bhliain 1998 bhí tú ainmnithe Stiúrthóir Forbartha Pobail & Forbairt Eacnamaíochta do Chathair Palm Springs agus a sheirbheáil sa cháil sin ar feadh 10 mbliana. I Nollaig 2008 bhog tú chuig Fresno chun fónamh mar Stiúrthóir Feidhmiúcháin Cúnta don Ghníomhaireacht Athfhorbairt Fresno, cad a spreag an athrú? JR: Faoi 2008, bhí mé leis na Cathrach ar feadh beagnach 15 bliain agus ní raibh mé réidh a chaitheamh i mo shaol ar fad in aon áit amháin. Chonaic mé an post Fresno, agus bhí siad roinnt tionscadal suimiúil go bhfuil an chuma-cosúil leis an gcomhaontú le Cathair Foraoise, ar cheann de na forbróirí cónaithe uirbeach is mó sa tír, do thionscadal athfhorbartha $ 300,000,000 i lár. Tá 41,000 fostaí a oibríonn i lár, ach níl b'fhéidir leath dosaen áiteanna i lár dinnéar a grab i ndiaidh 06:00 Tá siad freisin dúchan iontach ina gcomharsanachtaí uirbeacha Fresno freisin. Ba iad na dúshláin go leor láidre. Fresno Tá bochtaineacht uirbeach níos comhchruinnithe ná aon chathair mhór sna Stáit Aontaithe, ach atá tú a dtagraítear do chuid ama ansin mar do "saoire shabóideach." Cén fáth? JR: Bhí mé ann ach 20 mí, ach san am sin rinne mé 10 Déileálann tithíochta inacmhainne. Plus, fuair muid airgead Chónaidhme a cheannach agus Rehab tithe foreclosed. Chaith mé cuid de gach lá le haghaidh siopadóireacht teach beagnach bliain. Conas is spraoi é sin? D'oibríomar i gcomharsanachtaí stairiúla éagsúla, agus cheannaigh muid teach go raibh an ceann is measa ar an tsráid agus a fheabhsú go leor iad chun iad a dhéanamh ar an teach is fearr ar an tsráid. Rinne sé difríocht urghnách, ach chiallaigh sé freisin muid thar-infheistiú sa mhaoin ó thaobh go docht eacnamaíoch. Ach an raibh an clár go díreach cad a bhí i gceist é sin a dhéanamh: comharsanachtaí a chobhsú. Rinne mé freisin déileáil corr: a dhíol na talún faoin Óstán Radisson go dtí an t-úinéir óstán. Bhí sé réimse amháin áit a raibh mo thaithí anseo tá go leor de thalamh ar léas príomh-Palm Springs. Scor na fáltais díola chuid d'fhiacha Coinbhinsiún Center agus a shábháil na Cathrach $ 1,000,000 in aghaidh na bliana. John, tá tú soiléir taithí shuntasach ag déileáil le tithíocht inacmhainne; a cheapann tú níl gá le tithíocht breise ar ioncam íseal i Palm Springs? JR: Tá an chuid is mó cathracha i California hainsealach gearr de thithíocht inacmhainne. Tá sé ag dul ach a fháil níos measa toisc go bhfuil an Stát dhíchur gníomhaireachtaí athfhorbairt. Scríobh muid le déanaí le seic chuig an Stát do uile-tá, uile-ar ár n-airgead tithíochta. Roinnt blianta ó shin, dúradh linn is gá dúinn tithíocht ar cíos níos mhór-teaghlaigh agus ó shin i leith, tá thart ar 125 aonad tógtha. Ach is féidir linn a úsáid níos mó árasán sinsearacha cáilíochta. Tá daonraí riachtanais speisialta acu ar gá tithíocht-daoine atá i mbaol easpa dídine, le VEID / SEIF, fiú le saincheisteanna sláinte mheabhrach. Agus tá an Ghleann ach tús curtha le tithíocht chun aghaidh a thabhairt do dhaoine nach bhfuil ag obair "bocht," ach in ann íoc as an teach airmheán phraghas. I Meán Fómhair 2010, bhí tú an deis chun bogadh ar ais go dtí Palm Springs agus atosú do sheasamh ar Stiúrthóir Forbartha Pobail & Forbairt Eacnamaíochta. Agus shiúil tú ceart isteach an chaibidlíocht leis Forbartha Wessman thar an Faisean Plaza Desert. An féidir leat a thabhairt dúinn cúlra beag ar seo? JR: Faoin am a tháinig mé ar ais i 2010, bhí mé dearcadh beagán difriúil ná i 2008, i bpáirt ó thaithí Fresno le Cathair Foraoise. Bhí "bearna"-an difríocht idir an costas a thógáil agus a luach-ar fíor thar $ 75,000,000, agus b'fhéidir $ 100,000,000 Sin tionscadal $ 300 milliún. Aon duine a bhíonn riamh é, aon duine figured amach conas a dhúnadh an bhearna, fiú tar éis chaith na páirtithe $ 4,000,000 ar EIR. An geilleagar iachall ansin an cheist agus shiúil Cathair Foraoise. Bhí gotten an caidreamh idir an Chathair agus an Wessman amach rian i 2010. Áitigh Wessman go raibh an cúlú an t-am mícheart a chur le déileáil le chéile. Cuireadh frustrated An Chathair le bliain i ndiaidh bliana de mhoill. Nuair a cheadaigh siad an bPlean sonracha i ndeireadh na bliana 2009, chreid siad go raibh sé an hurdle deireanach agus gur Wessman gá a dhéanamh. Ach ba mhaith oibrigh mé freisin ar mholtaí an dá forbróirí 'roimhe, agus an tionscadal a bhí bearna maoinithe i gcónaí, fiú amháin ansin. Cuireadh Wessman dul i gcónaí cúnamh a theastaíonn, ach ní raibh an comhrá a bhí muid ag. Cathy Van Corn, John Raymond, Amy Blaisdell agus Nona Watson toasting deireadh an sean Desert Faisean Plaza. Chomh maith leis Méara Steve Pougnet agus an Chomhairle Cathrach Palm Springs, bhróicéireacht tú ansin an Faisean Desert Plaza Maoiniú Comhaontú-comhaontú n le Forbairt Wessman chun athfhorbairt 13 acra i lár an Downtown Palm Springs. Chuimsigh sé ceannach na Cathrach páirceála agus tiomantas a thógáil sráideanna nua tríd an suíomh, agus tiomantas an fhorbróra a thógáil ar an tionscadal. Cén fáth a mbraitheann tú go bhfuil an tionscadal seo chomh tábhachtach go Palm Springs? JR: Ní féidir liom a ghlacadh aon chreidmheas i leith bróicéireachta ar an déileáil-go raibh údarófar don Chomhairle Méara Pougnet agus Mills Ball Comhairle a bheith acu cruinniú deireanach amháin le Wessman a fheiceáil má d'fhéadfadh siad a ceardaíochta go leor. Ní raibh mé fiú ann. Go raibh fiú tar éis a bhí againn ar an "bhfearann eminent" cruinniú leis Wessman agus an attorneys. Tuillte siad go léir creidmheas do cur le céim siar agus ag teacht suas le plean a oibriú le chéile, a bhí ag súil go. Is é mo phost a bheith ar an eolas go léir na píosaí an tionscadail: an Comhaontú Tionscadail Maoiniú, an cheist banna, an escrow, an próiseas deartha agus teidlíocht, an t-ionad ócáid, an garáistí páirceála, taighde déimeagrafach, srl Tá sé tábhachtach a thabhairt don Chomhairle an chreidmheasa mar go bhfuil sé seo tábhachtach-fhéadfadh sé a bheith ar an tionscadal is tábhachtaí geallann an Chathair le haghaidh an chéad cheann eile blianta fada agus tá siad na cinn amháin a d'fhéadfadh a bheith déanta air. Tá sé ar ár n "cúinne 100%"-an suíomh eacnamaíochta is dinimiciúla sa Chathair, agus chomh fada agus a athraíodh a ionad rud ar bith ar aghaidh ní raibh sé ábhar cad eile a tharla sa Chathair, toisc go raibh an dearcadh go bhfuil "Palm Springs marbh, níl aon rud Downtown, tá sé iomlán na folúntais, etc "Ba é an emotion a chaitear i mbun idirbheartaíochta leis Wessman ar an Meall hiomlán feidhm de chuid an gcaoi a bhfuil ár rathúlacht féin ceangailte le rath an suíomh a. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an costas imní mhór ar fud an tionscadal seo. Mar shampla, cosnaíonn sé an oiread agus a thógáil tionscadal seo i Downtown Palm Springs (lúide an talamh) mar a bheadh sé i Beverly Hills, ach beidh na cíosanna a bheith i bhfad níos ísle. Cén chaoi a bhfuil navigated tú an cheist seo? JR: Cíosanna ag dul a bheith láidir le haghaidh an tionscadail, ach ní bheidh siad cíosanna Beverly Hills. Agus, tá ceithre chuid den chostas i dtionscadal mar seo: an talamh, na hábhair (coincréite, cruach, adhmad), saothair, agus costais bog (mhaoinithe, ailtireacht, margaíocht). Is é an talamh is athróg ach a léiríonn cumas geilleagrach an suíomh féin. Tá costais Ábhar leor teacht ó cheantar go ceantar. Níl roinnt éagsúlacht i gcostais saothair tógála, ach an níos oilte ar an trealamh trom ar thrádáil-mhaith oibreoirí-an níos mó an pá nach dócha go mbeidh níos lú i Palm Springs ná i LA ". Réigiúnach" costais Airgeadú. Dearthóirí agus comhairleoirí in aisce go hiondúil mar an gcéanna is cuma an margadh. Sin an fáth go bhfuil na cathracha-forbróirí agus a bheith fíor-chruthaitheach a fháil ar rudaí a tharlóidh. Agus sin an fáth chruthaigh an Chomhairle Cathrach ar iliomad cláir dreasachta chun tionscadail a bhogadh sa chathair seo ar aghaidh. John, atá tú ag rá go gceapann tú go bhfuil amharclanna an-tábhachtach agus fuinneamh den sórt sin a chruthú i bpobail-ón pictiúrlann Gharráin i Upland chuig an pictiúrlann Annenberg i Palm Springs. An féidir leat trácht a dhéanamh ar cad a d'fhéadfadh a bheith seo chugainn don Chathair-úinéireacht Plaza pictiúrlann anois go bhfuil an Palm Springs Fabulous baoiseanna Tá sé fógartha ag a n-séasúr deiridh? JR: Nuair a thosaigh mé ag obair i Downtown Holyoke bhí an tionscadal is tábhachtaí an athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar na 1919 Bua pictiúrlann, an Pálás scannán deireanach a mhaireann i lár. Ag an am sin, i 1987, tá sé bhí dúnta ar feadh deich mbliana. Tá an tionscadal ar siúl ar deireadh, 25 bliain níos déanaí. Mar sin, ar feadh 35 bliain, tá an athchóiriú an bua a bhí príomhchuspóir ann-go raibh sé sin tábhachtach. I Upland, bhí an Garrán ndáiríre afterthought don chuid is mó cónaitheoirí, ach ní raibh an amharclann sórt sin a post iontach léiriúcháin ar stáitse, ag tógáil bonn suibscríobhaí, agus a thabhairt i ó am go chéile celebrity-go bhfuil sé fós ar an rud is spreagúla i Downtown codladh orm ar shlí eile. Fiú anseo i Palm Springs, tá muid an dul chun cinn an cheantair ag Palm Canyon agus Alejo leag ó 1997 i leith, nuair a d'oscail Palm Canyon Amharclann dtús. Daoine a bhfuil dearmad conas anchaoi limistéar a bhí ansin, i gcomparáid le lá atá inniu ann. I dtéarmaí na baoiseanna, is é seo a n-séasúr seo caite. Tá a fhios agam go mbainfidh siad a chur ar seó iontach, agus beidh a lucht leanúna a thaispeáint suas chun tacaíocht a thabhairt dóibh agus chun slán a fhágáil. Beidh siad ag dul amach ar nóta ard fíor. Chomh fada agus cad a tharlaíonn tar éis an baoiseanna, níl a lán de leas san amharclann ó gach cineál de ghrúpaí. Sa deireadh, beidh an Chomhairle Cathrach cinneadh a treo is mian leo dul, agus táimid buíoch go mór dúinn neart ama chun breathnú ar na roghanna. Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú ag feiceáil an t-athrú ó bhog tú Chathair anseo den chéad uair i lár-90s? Cad iad na hathruithe ba mhaith leat fós a fheiceáil tharlaíonn? JR: Nuair a thosaigh mé anseo i 1993, reprinted muid airteagal Sa lá atá inniu Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá faoi Palm Springs-cheann de na chéad a Labhair faoi conas a bhí Palm Springs luaite sé Sonny Bono, a dúirt "Is é an rud iontach faoi Palm Springs" ag teacht ar ais. " go níl aon rud a dhéanamh. "Tar éis 19 bliain liom a fháil ar deireadh é. Reáchtáil muid isteach daoine go léir an t-am a thagann ar ais bliain i ndiaidh a dhéanamh "aon rud fíor." Deoch siad a gcuid caife agus breathnú ar na sléibhte. Glacann siad ar snámh sa linn. Léigh siad. Siad ag siúl Downtown agus tá lón. Níl sé i ndáiríre "rud ar bith," ar ndóigh, ach tá siad freisin nach bhfuil ag rith a ghabháil leis an tram go Disneyland. Agus bhí an bpointe Bono. Is é fírinne, tá neart le déanamh lá atá inniu ann, agus sin an fáth a thagann daoine anseo - níos mó gach bliain. Nuair a thosaigh mé nach raibh aon Coachella; Cuireadh an Chathair ag rith fós "Féile Wildflower" Downtown mar athsholáthair do Spring Break; Ní raibh an Féile Scannán an A-liosta ceann scríbe atá sé inniu; ní raibh aon Tour de Palm Springs nó Seachtain Modernism; Cuireadh an Classic Bob Hope a chailliúint gaile; cad é sa lá atá inniu a bhí imir an Paribas BNP ag an Hyatt Seaimpíní Mhór. Agus an Páirtí Bán agus an Deireadh Seachtaine Shore Dinah bhí anseo, ach tá i bhfad níos mó príomhshrutha lá atá inniu ann ná mar a bhí riamh. Is é an meascán de ghrúpaí go bhfuil grá Palm Springs iontach. John Raymond, hiking an San Jacintos i Palm Springs Cad a cheapann tú go bhfuil na ceisteanna is tábhachtaí-nó deiseanna-os comhair Palm Springs? JR: An tsaincheist sin chomh tábhachtach lá atá inniu mar go bhfuil i 1993 a fhorbairt post maith. Ar ais ansin d'oibrigh muid a earcú agus a choinneáil monaróirí anseo agus a dhéanann muid go fóill. Ach tá sé suas agus síos: bhí againn cúpla cuideachtaí áitiúla mór go, laistigh de chúpla bliain ar a chéile Fuarthas, ag an gcéanna Fortune 500 cuideachta agus bhog sé amach as an stáit. Tá ádh orainn go bhfuil roinnt fostóirí móra anseo, mar gheall ar chur siad gné don gheilleagar áitiúil sa bhreis ar an bpost, ach cathracha ar fud an domhain chomh maith luach "ag fás do chuid féin" forbairt eacnamaíochta. Sin an fáth atá againn a bheith tiomanta amhlaidh leis an Mol Nuálaíocht Coachella Valley (iHUB) arna oibriú ag an Ghleann Coachella Comhpháirtíochta Eacnamaíochta. Tá an gorlainne a ceapadh chun cuidiú le fiontraithe áitiúla a fháil tríd an luath, céimeanna fealltach den saolré gnó. Cad é an todhchaí gur mhaith leat an chuid is mó mhaith leat a fheiceáil do Palm Springs? JR: A mór, Downtown bríomhar, geilleagar cruthaitheach dinimiciúil, agus cultúr na fiontraíochta go táirgeacht agus go leor níos mó post i ngach cineál tionscail. Tá meascán de thithíocht, agus deis do na páistí chun dul go dtí coláiste agus ansin teacht ar ais agus gan a bheith underemployed. Ó, agus ceol níos mó beo. Cén fáth a mbraitheann tú mar sin paiseanta faoi phobal na Palm Springs? JR: Toisc go bhfuil muid cosúil aon áit eile. Agus Ciallaíonn mé i ndáiríre go.