The River: an Oasis in Rancho Mirage.

Those who frequent The River, whether on a sun-drenched weekend hop to the desert, or a weekly dinner-and-a-movie, immediately sense that it is a place like no other. Certainly, the 1.7 million-gallon man-made river creates the look and feel of a desert oasis that cannot be found elsewhere on the desert and mountain landscape of the Coachella Valley. The project's waterfront atmosphere, state-of-the-art Century Theatres cinema and its fun, eclectic mix of popular "lifestyle" retailers and restaurants such as the Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Borders Books & Music, The Yardhouse and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse made this project an overnight success in the resort community of Rancho Mirage.

Public officials who were as thrilled with the outcome of the project as the local residents have praised the project--and the developer--for putting the city of Rancho Mirage on the map.

The most notable achievement however, was the creation of public open space in a region with very few public areas.

"We have provided something like a downtown area for the City of Rancho Mirage," said senior partner Jerry Snyder.

Rich in gated resorts devoted to tennis and golf, the Coachella Valley had been lacking in some other important urban amenities, such as shopping streets and places where people could linger a few hours at a bookstore or a gallery, between seeing a movie or having a meal.

Jerry Snyder further commented, "Although we do not think of resort communities like Rancho Mirage as places that need redevelopment, the River is one further example of the company's commitment to urban infill redevelopment, not entirely unlike the West Hollywood Gateway, NoHo Commons or downtown Ontario."

The site had been abandoned by a previous developer, and had become a headache for the city's redevelopment department. Although an open-air project was an untested idea in the Coachella Valley, Snyder believed that an innovative project would win support from shoppers and theatergoers.

Snyder's gamble paid off-when The River opened four years ago, merchants reported that sales were well beyond expectations and several merchants, including Borders, reported they had to hire additional staff to handle the crowds.

"For us, the River is an example of a project that adds something to a city," said Snyder. "This is the kind of project that fulfills the original purpose of redevelopment: to improve the community."