State of the City 2025 features major economic development announcements and a unified vision for the Highway 111 corridor
At the 2025 State of the City address, council members delivered a clear, confident message: La Quinta is entering a new era of economic expansion, infrastructure investment, and community-centered growth. With the night’s theme labeled Momentum and Milestones, the tone was upbeat, conversational, and at times humorous, but the message underneath was firm. As one speaker said early in the evening, “Our momentum isn’t slowing down… it’s only building.”
A City That Pushes Through Headwinds
The event opened with a welcome from Mayor Linda Evans, who reminded guests that La Quinta’s recent success did not come without hurdles. She pointed to the completion of the long-awaited Dune Palms Bridge. “We had milestones, we had a tropical storm, we had COVID, we had funding partners that decided to change why they should fund it,” she said. “And then we fronted money, and then it came around, and now it provides a nice safety corridor.”
La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans addresses the crowd during the State of the City 2025 event.
She positioned the bridge as proof that the city knows how to keep projects alive through turbulence. “It really is an example of the right thing to do for our community,” she said, adding that the work on Highway 111 and Washington Street is now the next chapter in the city’s long-term infrastructure plan.
A Strategic Plan Based on Listening
Council Member Kathleen Fitzpatrick introduced the city’s updated strategic plan with a straightforward explanation: “A strategic plan is a living document that helps guide us to keep our goals and objectives in line with what our community needs.” The difference between it and the General Plan, she said, is simple. “A General Plan is really all about land use and how we grow as a city physically. A strategic plan is more about how our residents feel about the city of La Quinta.”
The plan outlines 13 focus areas, including power reliability, utility upgrades, housing, economic development, tourism, Highway 111 revitalization, recreation, and sustainability among others. Fitzpatrick noted that the city’s priorities are based on what the community consistently identifies as its “Sacred Values.”
Her bottom line was candid: “Our strategic plan is here to help us grow.” And, she added, any growth plan depends on maintaining “a strong and stable financial position.”
Financial Strength as a Foundation for Expansion
Mayor Evans returned to walk the audience through the city’s fiscal performance. She wasted no time getting to the headline: “The city of La Quinta ranked number seven in the statewide ranking… we earned a score of 96 out of a hundred.”
She tied the ranking to decades of conservative budgeting. “It reflects years of discipline from councils long before us,” she said, crediting staff, the Finance Department, and the Financial Advisory Commission. The city now holds $145 million in reserves. “We remain prepared, flexible, and very financially strong.”
She then reminded the audience why this matters. “You can’t do anything without money,” she said. That stability funds “pavement, new parks, cultural centers,” along with investments in public safety. And it allowed La Quinta to support businesses during the pandemic.
She praised local business owners who adapted during COVID. “They transformed the way they did things,” she said, pointing to outdoor dining, to-go programs, and innovative service models.
A Business Corridor Ready for Reinvention
If there was a single theme, from an economic development perspective, that was emphasized the most throughout the night, it was the central role of the Highway 111 corridor in La Quinta’s future.
Speaking in an on-screen segment, Evans underscored the corridor’s importance. “Highway 111… that short two-mile span represents about 75 percent of our sales tax revenue,” she said. “Sales tax revenue allows us to do enhancements like the wonderful paving job that we have… and other city infrastructure.”
She said the goal is to create “that work, live, and play” environment and to attract retailers, entertainment venues, pop-up events, and hotels. “We want to attract retail, entertainment… music, events… all of this will complement the staying power of the destination.”
She also noted that the corridor will host a new AC Hotel by Marriott, located across from the existing Residence Inn, creating a compact hospitality cluster.
New Businesses and an Expanding Commercial Mix
Evans highlighted a list of 24 businesses opened in the past year, including large national brands and popular restaurants. More are coming:
- Angry Chicks, next to Luna Grill
- Ono Hawaiian Barbecue, in the former Coffee Bean space
- Kava and Shake Shack, splitting the former Toscano location
These additions, she said, support residents by “giving our residents a reason to come out, support the city, shop local.” And she encouraged residents to make sure online orders are delivered to a La Quinta address so the city receives its one-percent Measure G allocation.
Housing: Growth, Mandates, and Strategic Land Use
Turning to housing, Evans explained that the state is requiring La Quinta to plan for another 1,500 residential units in the next RHNA cycle. RHNA, the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, is the statewide process that determines how much housing each city must accommodate at various income levels to meet California’s overall housing demand. The requirement begins with the state housing department setting regional housing targets, which are then divided among cities. Each local government must update its housing element to show where those units can realistically be built. “You think about La Quinta and that we’re almost built out… and you think, where is this all going to go?” she said. “We have a few ideas.”
Key projects include:
- 96 new affordable units behind the Residence Inn, adjacent to the AC Hotel site
- 316 mixed-use units east of Best Buy, tied to transit and retail access
- 175 affordable and workforce units behind Chick-fil-A and Quick Quack Car Wash
These developments, she said, “work our way towards a few other pockets in the city” and are designed to support local employers with nearby housing options.
Infrastructure: Roads, Bridges, and a City Built to Last
Council Member Steve Sanchez walked through an extensive list of capital improvement projects, speaking with a tone equal parts technical and enthusiastic.
On pavement management: “The overall condition of the city’s road network is very good with an average pavement condition index of 80 out of a hundred.” That rating, he said, helps secure additional funding and shows the city “maintains them regularly, which we do.”
He highlighted:
- $1.1 million in slurry pavement rehabilitation
- $600,000 in cove area slurry seal
- $7.5 million in Highway 111 widening and repaving
Sanchez also reviewed major bridge projects, including the Avenue 50 Bridge, now in design at approximately $16 million. “We cannot wait for that to happen,” he said.
Economic Development: A City That Sells Itself
During her remarks on economic development, Evans leaned into the city’s appeal. “People want to live in La Quinta,” she said. “We want that diverse group of residents to be able to be here, walk to school, shop, go to church, and recreate all within the confines of where they live.”
She described mixed-use districts as the next evolution of the city’s development pattern. She emphasized that the new corridor plan balances “housing and retail, again with hotel… to complement the entire two-mile stretch of La Quinta as it grows into the future.”
A Realistic, Candid Update on SilverRock
La Quinta city manager, Jon McMillen, presented an encouraging SilverRock Resort development update.
City Manager John McMillan received one of the warmest introductions of the night as he stepped forward for the long-awaited SilverRock update. He joked immediately, “I know I’m supposed to talk about Silver Rock, but there’s not much to talk about.” Then, after laughter, he clarified the reality.
He explained that the city provided up to $13 million in debtor-in-possession financing during the project bankruptcy. “I know now what a DIP loan is, and it’s not a loan to a dip,” he quipped.
He recounted trips to bankruptcy court in Delaware and a year and a half of nonstop work. But the payoff is near. “We have a fantastic new developer… approved by the city council, ready to invest,” he said. The bankruptcy court has approved the sale, and “very soon we’ll have a project.”
He closed with optimism: “When everybody says it’s easy to build it, I truly believe it’s everything that happened ahead of it that’s difficult. And we are very close.”
A Brand That Reinforces Identity
In closing, the Mayor unveiled the city’s new brand message. “We are more than a destination. We are a place to land and a place to launch,” she said. “A place where you come live, work and play and recreate and retreat.”
The new branding, she said, “celebrates our rare blend of natural beauty, cultural vibrancy, and the personal connection that we all have with our surroundings.”
A City Moving Forward Together
Evans ended the night by circling back to the theme of momentum. “Our journey is one of continuous improvement,” she said. “We want to shape that momentum to be more resilient, more vibrant, and more prosperous for that next generation of La Quinta.”
She thanked the council, staff, businesses, volunteers, and residents. “It is the residents… who really make this partnership grow.”
And with that, the city demonstrated not only where it stands, but where it intends to go — with clarity, confidence, and a united voice.
