News from: Office of Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez

DESERT HOT SPRINGS – A future library in the City of Desert Hot Springs will break ground later this year after a key vote by the Board of Supervisors today.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, who worked with the Riverside County Library System over the past two years to pursue a new replacement library in Desert Hot Springs, joined his colleagues in approving the final financing piece to move the project forward and today unveiled the design of the future library.

“This new library, a direct investment in education, literacy, and lifelong learning, is a phenomenal improvement that means a lot to the community,” said Supervisor Perez. “The facility will come with amenities that have been missing in the community library for a long time. Features such as study rooms, adult and teen spaces, a children’s library, opportunity spaces, and a community room. Students and community members will have a great place to learn. I share in the excitement of the people of Desert Hot Springs who have anxiously awaited this new library.”

The modern, state-of-the-art library will replace the branch built over 45 years ago, in 1972, when the population was nine times smaller than today. At 15,500 square feet, the new library will be four times larger than the current 3,527-square-foot facility.

The library will be located on county-owned property at Palm Drive and Park Lane.

The larger facility will allow the county to expand programming and provide improved technological capabilities for research and training, with plug-in areas for laptops and personal mobile devices. Features include a large community room, study rooms, “opportunity spaces” to be used for a variety of activities, a children’s library with a dedicated family reading area and technology stations, and a teen space.

The library will be developed by Omni West Group, Inc., which is also building two new library branches in French Valley and Menifee. The project will be delivered through a public-private partnership and operated through the Riverside County Library System.

The county will permit the building plans, with construction expected to begin in late 2019.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez represents the eastern two-thirds of Riverside County on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Stretching from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River, the 4th District is the largest geographical district in the county.

Supervisor Perez’s office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.