First-Ever Sports Arena Expected To Be A Major Financial Gain in the Coachella Valley

Plans are on track in Thousand Palms as the community prepares to welcome the Coachella Valley’s first-ever sports arena.

"It’s not just representing the cities of our region, but as well the unincorporated area," said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. "When you hear "CV", Coachella Valley, to me it also means "el corazon de valle", the heart of the valley and that’s what I think of Thousand Palms."

On Wednesday, fans learned the name of the arena, a name that is all about giving back to the community that will be home to the AHL’s 32nd franchise – the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

"It’s rare when you find a combination of not only a company that wants to put their name on the outside of a building and use it as a marketing aspect, but more importantly, use it as a philanthropic asset to improve the lives of people that live in the community," said Daniel Griffis, President of Global Partnership for Oak View Group.

The arena will not only be an entertainment attraction for fans near and far. It will also be a source of revenue for families and local businesses in the valley.

"Jobs galore. 1,400 jobs, and 1,500 jobs once it’s open," said Supervisor Perez. "We’re talking about jobs that are going to be ongoing, that are going to be provided to folks throughout the Coachella Valley and obviously, that’s going to be very helpful for our local revenue. I believe those dollars are also going to stay here locally."

Earlier this week, the Firebirds unveiled the inaugural season hockey jerseys during a special event at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Now with the name unveiling, the arena is one step closer to becoming the cultural hub for sports, music, and entertainment in the Coachella Valley.

"There are going to be millions and millions of positive memories that are going to be generated from attending family shows, or music concerts, or sporting events that happen inside this arena," said Griffis. "It’ll be a real pillar of good things and good memories and that’s really what we want to have folks in the community take away. Not to mention, all the philanthropic initiatives that we’ll be aligning with."

The 11,000 seat arena is still under construction, but is on track to officially introduce the world of hockey to the Coachella Valley community in December of this year.

"Stay tuned," said Supervisor Perez.