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Indian Wells was not a friendly place in 1800s....but, oh, have things changed.

Indian Wells was hot, barren, and hostile to outsiders in the early 1800s, especially in the summer months when temperatures went over 110 most days. Largely ignored except by the Indians in the area, the eastern Coachella Valley, located just east of Palm Springs, was still a part of the American frontier. There was one stage coach line that served the Valley, but it quit in 1875, and Wells Fargo Company took over the abandoned stage coach route in 1876 and didn't have much luck either. Holdups and robberies were common in the late 1800s, and there was always Endless Ed, a noted stage coach robber who loved to steal money from the US Government. He took the Yuma cavalry payroll of $9,000 in 1906 and regularly plundered the Indian Wells cavalry station. He surely thought that the spoils of this remote desert location were there for the takin'. But things changed in early 1900s.....when Indian Wells' first residential project was begun by Will Hayhurst, a muleskinner from Twentynine Palms and Melvin Harmon, who exercised his father's Civil War grant to homestead what is now the Indian Wells Country Club in 1913.

Well, Melvin and Will would not recognize the place today. Things have, indeed, changed in Indian Wells. The rich, the famous, and America's elite have discovered that Indian Wells is one of the truly world-class resorts and residential areas.

Palm-tree-lined avenues, lush golf courses, impeccable residential areas, and a world-class tennis resort have attracted discriminating tourists and residents. With a population of just under 6,000, Indian Wells has more millionaires per capita than any other city in America. It's median household income of $110,000 is highest in the Coachella Valley. The annual Bob Hope Classic is the only five-day golf tournament on the PGA, and since its founding in 1963 continues to be the highlight of the PGA Tour. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford made the famous Thunderbird County Club their home in nearby Rancho Mirage. Today, there are over 170,000 full-time residents in the trade area.

It's no wonder the Indian Wells Town Center is coming online.....

With the City of Indian Wells solidly behind this new project, developer Sanderson J Ray Development (SJRD) are more than confident that their project is going to open in late 2011. The City has committed to an aggressive marketing program to position Indian Wells as a premier shopping, dining, and entertainment center in the Coachella Valley....they are investing over $50 million to improve existing nearby golf courses and is financially supporting the world-famous, 16,100-seat Indian Wells Tennis Garden, assuring its fiscal health for years to come. The Tennis Gardens is host to one of the major nine WTA events on the World Tour and attracted more than 330,000 in March 2009 for its annual championship event, which is now known as the BNP Paribas Open.

Indian Wells Town Center will feature retail, luxury resort hotel and resort residential.

With this platform on which to develop the Indian Wells Town Center, SJRD Partner Gary Mierau and his four partners are very positive about the progress to date. Working with architects Keisker & Wiggle, SJRD has developed a three-part development plan that includes: 1) 370,000 square feet of retail and commercial, which includes 182,000 sf -- specialty retail; 56,000 sf -- restaurants; 66,000 sf -- office; and 66,000 sf -- Krikorian theater; 2) a luxury resort hotel and spa, and 3) 18 acres of resort residential. The Eddy Company has been retained as a retail and restaurant consultant -- CB Richard Ellis is the project broker.

Why Indian Wells? "It was a natural place for all of us partners. We all had second homes in the desert, and we always enjoyed the lifestyle, cool evenings, golf and tennis. Indian Wells epitomized what the desert means to residents and tourists," Gary said. "We hated to drive back up the Valley to Rancho Mirage or Palm Desert for dinner or shopping, and we said, 'well, why not develop our own right here in Indian Wells?"

SJRD started to acquire the property in 2002, just after 9/11. "The entire resort and tourist industry was overwhelmed after that tragedy, and we explored many different sites," Gary noted. "We came across the 70 acres adjacent to the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens and finally, we reached agreement with the City of Indian Wells in 2004 to proceed with the entitlement process, which took us five years." Indian Wells Town Center will feature a unique luxury hotel and spa component -- 600-room hotel and 20,000 sf spa. "It will be the most luxurious hotel in the desert, and it will be adjacent to the residential development where residents will be able to get room service, have their air conditioning turned on and food in the refrigerator before they arrive," Gary stated. "The City was a bit reluctant for that one, but we finally worked out our deal. We're very excited about this unique opportunity."

A native of Long Beach, California, Gary Mierau lives in San Clemente, which -- as most of you know -- is right on the water in Southern California, and on most weekends, you'll find him in beautiful Indian Wells. "Yeah, I guess I have the best of both worlds."

Yup, Melvin and Will wouldn't recognize the place. Nor would Endlsss Ed and his band of stage coach robbers.
 


The Eddy Company is one of America's leading specialty retail leasing consultants. For information, please contact Bill Eddy at our Newport Beach office -- 949-640-7475. Or e-mail us at bill@theeddycompany.com or visit our web site -- www.theeddycompany.com