The community consists of 5,000 homes built in the "Spanish Colonial" style designed by the architectural firm Pekarek-Crandell, Inc. of San Juan Capistrano, California. Built between 1992 and 2004, it was developed by the Del Webb Corporation as an "active" community for people 55 years of age and older called Sun City Palm Springs. Despite its name, it was located from Palm Springs, and its postal address was in the Unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes. As it neared completion, its residents joined with the nearby city of Palm Desert to have their mail handled through that post office and renamed the community Sun City Palm Desert. The community remains in an unincorporated area, however, and has no voice in the city politics of Palm Desert itself. Sun City Palm Desert is no longer managed by Del Webb and today is governed by its own community association. In 2008, according to Riverside County officials the community was renamed Desert Palms by the county government. The Del Webb Company trademark name was dropped when it went out of business and the country club operations went to Indio, California-based Pulte Homes Inc., who also developed Sun City Shadow Hills. However, the retirement community remains called Sun City Palm Desert for commercial purposes.
Amenities
There is a par 72 36-hole regulation golf club within the community. The course is known as "Mountain Vista". It was designed by former PGA Tour players Billy Casper and Greg Nash. The club is divided into 2 courses: The San Gorgonio course and the Santa Rosa course. The community has 3 recreation centers, 3 restaurants, a karaokecoffee bar, 2 gyms, an indoor Olympic size swimming pool, and over 80 clubs. There is a community Public-access television cable station, a magazine and official website. There is a 600+ seat ballroom/theater boasting a professional audio/video capability, and which hosts plays and concerts. A ballroom is used for galas and the annual Christmas, New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day celebrations. The facility is also rented for formal weddings and other events. There are about 9,000 residents, about a third of which are winter residents only. Because of its spectacular setting, Sun City is also popular for professional photographers who use the site to represent Palm Desert and the Coachella Valley for postcards and travel brochures.
