Products, Vendors, CAD Files, Spec Sheets and More...
Sign up for LAWeekly newsletter
Bob Hope and golf are what come to mind when one thinks of Rancho Mirage. It?EUR??,,????'???s hard not to think about the two with sprawling golf courses as far as the eye can see. The main street in the city is aptly named Bob Hope Drive.
One thing that doesn?EUR??,,????'???t come to mind when thinking of Rancho Mirage is water. Another rarity to the city is commercial zoning. Eighty percent of the more than 13,000 residents of the desert resort town live in gated communities. Only 15 percent of Rancho Mirage is zoned for commercial use, so it was no accident when water and commercial development came together that it garnered a lot of attention.
It?EUR??,,????'???s the water that brings a desert to life. The water also helps bring the River at Rancho Mirage to life.
The River provides a park-like waterfront with an entertainment amphitheater, live music, fountains and cascading waterfalls. About an acre of water sits by the side of Highway 111 on Bob Hope Drive, near Palm Springs, Calif., surrounding a 240,000-square-foot shopping center.
The $50 million project drew concerns from many local residents in the high desert community where water is scarce. Their complaints weren?EUR??,,????'???t about the center itself?EUR??,,????'??+many are welcoming the facility?EUR??,,????'??+it was about water usage. The developers for the site, J.H. Snyder Co, say that The River uses less water than if single family homes were built in its place because of the large amount of buildings and parking lots on the parcel.
The brainchild of developer and part-time Rancho Mirage resident Jerry Synder, The River was envisioned as a unique shopping, dining and entertainment venue with a river as its focal point. Snyder?EUR??,,????'???s development firm, the J.H. Snyder Company, retained the architectural firm of Jerde Partnership to transform this vision into a workable development. In a public/private partnership, the Rancho Mirage Redevelopment Agency worked closely with the J.H. Snyder Company and Jerde Partnership in creating a plan that would serve as an oasis for both permanent and seasonal residents.
According to The Desert Sun, The River has about 1.7 million gallons of water in its ?EUR??,,????'??river,?EUR??,,????'?? which converts to about five acre-feet of water. A family of five uses about one acre-foot of water per year. In comparison, an average 18-hole golf course uses 600 acre-feet to 1,200 acre-feet per year.
Rancho Mirage put nearly 20 years and $16 million into developing the 30-acre piece of land. The design of the project consists of approximately 225,000 square feet of retail space. A 12 screen stadium seating theater anchors the project with a 75,000 square foot, 3,600 stadium seating multiplex theater. Incorporated into the design is a 25,000 square foot store for books and music,over 35,000 square feet of space for casual and fine dining, and approximately 100,000 square feet of specialty retail space. The initial design was quite flexible; store sizes and configurations can be considered to be elastic, taking into account the needs of the retailers.
The concept for the development of this high-profile property is to create a ?EUR??,,????'??Town Center?EUR??,,????'?? for the city of Rancho Mirage, as well as a landmark for the surrounding community.
To achieve this goal the developers have focused the development around a very significant water element, which will serve as the ?EUR??,,????'??river?EUR??,,????'?? through the project. The water feature utilizes approximately five acres of the site and creates a unique environment of waterfront shopping and entertainment.
The major frontage of Highway 111 will have the largest view of the water; Bob Hope Drive, at the lower elevation, will have a view of the water feature as it cascades down to both the street and parking lot levels.
The project is strategically positioned as a unique retail environment with a variety of tenants, that allow for a full-range of shopping, entertainment and dining. There currently is no such project in the Coachella Valley which offers the unique combination of location, design and proposed tenant mix.
Along Highway 111, passersby can seethe reflecting pool that runs along the stretch of roadway. Throughout the mall a stream with artificial rocks flows through the establishment. A waterfall and a fountain paved with river stones are also a prominent feature of the design.
The five major water areas (The River, The Cove, The Oasis, The Hot Springs, and The Wash) together will hold over 1.6 million gallons of water. According to the Rancho Mirage Redevelopment Agency, as part of securing water and sewer service, J.H.Snyder Company was commissioned by Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) to construct a million gallon water reservoir at a cost of $750,000. Construction on the new water tank will also serve the needs of future commercial growth on east Highway 111.
The River, the largest body of water in the project (1,058,000 gallons) is a crescent-shaped pond that reflects the Santa Rosa Mountains viewed from the perspective of the retail concourse. The water from The River cascades five feet over a rock formation into a circular pond called the cove (441,821 gallons). The side walls of The Cove are made of rocks and terraced landscapes to accommodate patios and outdoor dining. After disappearing for a short distance under a walkway, the water emerges in front of the cinema from a rock outcropping, where it cascades another 8 to 10 feet into The Oasis.The landscaping resembles a similar spot on a local Indian reservation.
From the oasis, water goes under a large rock, drops beneath a bridge and flows into the circular hot springs and landscaping.
The area called The Wash (3,523 gallons) represents the desert?EUR??,,????'???s sudden flash floods and heavy rains.
Not only will The River bring more needed foot traffic to the area and to surrounding businesses, it is also hoped that the complex will generate as much $600,000 annually in sales tax revenue. Tenants include:
Whether The River brings in the expected revenue still remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain, it?EUR??,,????'???s already become as much a part of the desert as Bob Hope and golf.
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
Sign up to receive Landscape Architect and Specifier News Magazine, LA Weekly and More...
Invalid Verification Code
Please enter the Verification Code below
You are now subcribed to LASN. You can also search and download CAD files and spec sheets from LADetails.