Coachella Valley Library To Get New Lease On Life

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA — After lending years of service to the Desert Hot Springs community, this library building has gone largely unused since 2021. After reaching county approval to purchase the building for alternative uses, residents can soon check out new city services at the old DHS library.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors last week approved the sale of the former library, a county-owned building, to the City of Desert Hot Springs. The previous library, which served the community from 1972 to 2021 at 11691 West Drive, is contiguous with the Carl May Community and Senior Center, which are city-owned properties.

By acquiring the library building, the city will fully own the entire complex for future community use, according to Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas. Both are welcoming the transfer of the former library from the county to the city, which will benefit the community with a new space for services.

Perez described the effort, which came to his office by way of the mayor and city councilmembers from Desert Hot Springs "some time ago."

"We finally got it done,” Perez said. “This will allow the city to take over the building. It will be theirs to use as they identify new ways to expand their services to residents. We are very proud of our great partnership with the City of Desert Hot Springs that has created the opportunity to grow our services for our residents.”

Mayor Scott Matas says that the city is ready to take on the library as a project to aid residents and especially senior residents of his community.

“The City of Desert Hot Springs is excited to take ownership of this building so we are able to ensure this entire complex will be available to serve the residents and seniors of Desert Hot Springs,” Matas said.

The building transfer is possible because of the investment in the new library that was constructed in Desert Hot Springs, which was among the first projects Perez worked on as a county supervisor.

The new, modern $12 million library, built by Riverside County in Desert Hot Springs, was opened in 2021 and freed up the former library space owned by the county.

The City of Desert Hot Springs is purchasing the property from the county at a cost of $350,000.