Coachella Valley housing starts continue increase

Public Record, The, Jun 19, 1998

First quarter housing starts show a considerable increase from the prior year. Overall, the total number of single, multi-family and mobile home starts for the first quarter of 1998 is 703, an increase of 288 or 69 percent from the first quarter of 1997.

There was new construction of single family homes in seven of the nine Coachella Valley cities and all three of its unincorporated areas. Only the cities of Coachella and Desert Hot Springs had no new single-family housing starts for the first quarter.

In contrast, there were 50 in Cathedral City, 35 in Indian Wells, 64 in Indio, 141 in La Quinta, 164 in Palm Desert, 21 in Palm Springs and 46 in Rancho Mirage. In the unincorporated portions of the Valley, the Palm Springs region saw eight new housing starts; Desert Sands registered 121 and the Coachella district saw another one.

The total number of new single-family housing starts for the entire Valley was 651, an increase of 266 from 1997's first quarter. Multi-family housing starts also showed a gain with 11 in this year's first quarter compared to only two for the same period of 1997.

New mobile homes followed the trend as well with 41 being started in the first quarter compared to only 28 for 1997's first quarter, an increase of 13 for 46 percent.

Preliminary figures for April show the boom continues. There were 325 single-family homes started in that month, the highest monthly total since May 1990.

Development news also indicates a continued housing boom. Riverside County Supervisors gave conditional approval of a 52-acre project to build 40 custom homes near Indian Canyon Heritage Park. If a buyer cannot be found for the land, the developer can start construction next year.

Also, an affordable-housing project has been proposed for La Quinta at the intersection of Jefferson Street and 48th Avenue. It includes 86 moderate-income single-family houses and an 118-unit senior apartment complex for low-income seniors.

La Quinta's Palm Royale Country Club is in the process of finishing 48 condos. They range from 763 square feet to 926 square feet and sell for between $85,000 and $130,000.

Cathedral City plans an affordable senior housing project east of Date Palm between Gerald Ford and Dinah Shore. This project features 50 one-bedroom units.

Model homes are open in Palm Desert's Canyon Crest 68-house development at the northeast corner of Deep Canyon and Magnesia Falls. The houses vary from 1,950 square feet to 2,600 square feet and are priced between $179,000 and $219,000.