New shops, local restaurants and more: Here's what's coming to Palm Springs airport

Those traveling through Palm Springs International Airport over the next few months will likely notice things start to look a little different as two major construction projects get underway.

The first, which has already begun, is a renovation of the gate areas in one of the terminals. The second is the overhaul of the airport’s dining and shopping offerings, which was first announced last year.Here is what you need to know.

What's happening and why?

The gate areas in the Sonny Bono concourse, which opened in 2002, will get new flooring, lighting upgrades and new passenger service desks. Those desks will be relocated within the concourse to offer more spacious and open gate areas with improved sightlines, the airport says.

The second project will double the airport’s dining offerings by replacing three existing vendors and adding three new ones. Beyond dining, all the existing shops will also be replaced with new ones.

The airport said the gate upgrades are one of several recent projects meant to improve the passenger experience. Others included a $36 million expansion of the ticketing area completed in 2021 and a $7 million project to replace the jet bridges.

The gate renovations come as the airport has seen record numbers of flights and passengers, with management expecting even more flights to be added.

As contracts with existing concessionaires came to an end, the city said it wanted to give the airport's dining and shopping offerings more of a local feel.

What new restaurants are coming?

The planned new restaurants include Cactus to Clouds, which will serve food and drinks at a new circular bar that will replace the fountain at the center of the Bono concourse.

Also planned is a new restaurant in the courtyard that the airport says will be inspired by the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. That bistro will also serve coffee and ice cream from local shops. Other culinary additions will include a restaurant and bar focused on local craft beer and another focused on wine, plus airport locations of Palm Springs restaurants Trio and El Mirasol. Coachella Valley Coffee will be a new option, while existing vendor Half Moon Empanadas will move to a new spot.

What are the new shops?

Travelers looking to take home a piece of Palm Springs will be able to do that at Uptown Essentials, a new store the airport says will channel mid-century modern aesthetics and feature items from businesses located in the Uptown area of Palm Springs. It will replace the CNBC store in the regional concourse.

Those looking to buy something that evokes the high desert, meanwhile, can look to Hey Joshua, a store dedicated to items found in and around Joshua Tree National Park. Other additions will include an electronics store called InMotion, the airport’s first duty free store and a new store called The Pink Door that will be located in the terminal and accessible before security. The airport says that store and two others planned for the concourses will offer “full-service food and retail experiences.”

When will the work be done?

The airport says the gate renovations will be completed in early 2024. The concourse contains eight gates and the upgrades are being done in stages with two or three gates closed at a time while the rest remain open. Last week, the airport said Gates 5, 7 and 9 were being worked on first.

Work on the shop and restaurant renovations will also occur in stages. The first phase will begin next month, replacing restaurants in both concourses and the airport’s outdoor courtyard area. Two new shops will open in the fall and four restaurants will follow in the spring. Others will open in the summer, fall and winter of next year, with all work slated to be finished by the end of 2024.

Will there still be places to eat and shop during construction?

The airport said in a press release announcing the start of construction that temporary retail kiosks will be placed throughout the concourses during construction while the shops are being replaced. The restaurant closures, meanwhile, are being staggered to ensure that there will always be food available at the airport.

What else is coming for the airport?

The city council recently approved a contract with a company that will renovate the airport’s baggage claim area while expanding it by 50%. In February, officials announced the airport had been awarded a $5.7 million grant to help fund that project.

The airport also has projects in the works to renovate restrooms and expand the amount of parking.

And the system that moves baggage from the ticketing counters, where travelers drop it off, through security will need to be replaced, officials have said. That system was installed as part of the 2021 ticketing area upgrades and cost about $7 million.However, city officials have said the system has defects that have made it unable to process the number of bags its manufacturer said it would, which has left the airport needing to hire staffers to move bags by hand.

The airport’s spokesperson said the Transportation Security Administration has promised to provide funding for the new baggage handling system. Earlier this year, the city solicited proposals from companies to design it.

How can the public weigh in on the airport's future?

There will be an open house next month for the public to weigh on in the airport’s master plan, which is being updated for the first time since 2015. The open house is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Primrose room A at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the start of the open house.

Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and contact him via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: New shops, local food and craft beer coming to Palm Springs airport