$250M Palm Springs Arena: Groundbreaking Ceremony Halted

PALM SPRINGS, CA — A groundbreaking ceremony planned for next week to start construction of a 10,000-seat arena on tribal land in downtown Palm Springs has been postponed due to unspecified "extenuating circumstances," the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians announced Wednesday.

The tribe did not indicate why the Tuesday ceremony was being postponed or if the entire project itself was being delayed. A new date for the ceremony was not immediately announced.

Patch reached out for additional comment but spokesperson Kate Anderson said no further details were being released today.

The tribe has partnered with the Oak View Group, a venue development company, to construct the $250 million arena on a 16-acre parcel bounded by East Alejo Road on the north; East Amado Road on the south; Calle El Segundo on the east; and Calle Encilia on the west. The site is near the tribe's casino and the site of future tribal developments.

The 252,000-square-foot arena is expected to be the home of the top minor league affiliate of Seattle's NHL expansion team. Oak View Group and the Seattle NHL franchise have jointly submitted an application for an American Hockey League expansion team that would play at the arena beginning in fall 2021, tribal officials have said.

The arena is expected to open by fall 2021 in coordination with the Seattle team beginning play, the tribe said previously.

The arena will be built to accommodate conventions, large meetings, international events as well as award shows and exhibitions, according to the tribe, and will have approximately 10,000 seats for hockey games and 11,000 for entertainment events.