Frank Tysen with Advocates for Better Community Development or ABCD is no stranger to fighting projects he sees unfit. He’s a former USC professor of urban planning who’s been doing it for decades.

“I used to be on the state environmental quality study council in the late sixties and there were two oil refineries planned for the pass which I got involved in and stopped the building of them,” says Tysen.

Now in his eighties, he says he was done fighting until he got word of the 300 thousand sq. ft. sports and entertainment arena slated for Downtown Palm Springs, “That basically would finish Palm Springs the way we know it, the traffic, the parking, the noise the pollution, the everything, it would completely kill Palm Springs.”

He filed a letter with the city and Dept. of Interior and sent it to other leaders outlining those issues including police and fire safety issues to try to get the arena moved out of downtown and closer to the freeway.

“I’m not against the project, I’m against the location,” says Tysen.

We reached out to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, for their perspective and ask how they’re mitigating the concerns. We did not get a response.

The mayor of the City of Palm Springs Geoff Kors says he takes pride in the working relationship the city has with the Tribe and they are not turning a blind eye to the concerns raised by citizens, “Those are important issues for all of us and not just for us they’re important for the Tribe if the arena is going to be successful there needs to be adequate parking and traffic needs to work much, much better than some people fear and we’re all committed to doing that.”

But he says it’s important to remember the Tribe is a sovereign nation, “I know there are people that would like to see it by the freeway but this is ultimately up to the Tribe, they get to decide what to build on their land.”

Frank has yet to hear back from those he sent his letter to, but he says he’s teaming up with Palm Springs Together, a group also fighting the project and the opposition is gaining ground.

He says he will fight the arena to the bitter end, “Places are only nice and livable and charming if people stand up for them.”

Another Group Wants the Proposed Downtown Palm Springs Arena Moved