Construction has officially begun on the DSRT Surf Resort in Palm Desert. The 17-acre project, designed by AO Architects and developed by Beach Street Development & Operations, is a hotly anticipated surf destination for the Inland Empire and much of Southern California.

The groundbreaking ceremony, attended by a diverse group of local officials, industry leaders, stakeholders, and surfing professionals, marked the beginning of construction on the project. The resort will feature a 5-acre surf lagoon using Wavegarden Cove technology. This surf lagoon, the first of its kind in California, can accommodate up to 80 surfers simultaneously and will offer a range of wave settings similar to URBNSURF’s two locations in Australia and The Wave in Bristol.

In addition to the surf lagoon, the DSRT Surf Resort will host a four-story hotel, surf center, restaurant, boardwalk, and beaches, creating a unique mixed-use inland surf zone. The hotel will offer 92 rooms and luxury amenities, with various vantage points to view the wave pool, including a multi-level indoor-outdoor deck and meandering boardwalks and paseos.

“Today marks an exciting moment for the Southern California surfing community and for the city of Palm Desert” said John Luff, Managing Member of Beach Street Development and Operations. “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony culminates years of development and starts the next chapter in bringing this unique and iconic vision to life, expanding the Southern California surfing landscape.” 

Environment

Surf parks have faced environmental scrutiny, especially in the desert, as we saw with the city of La Quinta’s about-face on the Coral Mountain project. Beach Street’s innovative “Turf for Surf” initiative will repurpose turf areas from Desert Willow’s golf courses to achieve net zero water use for the lagoon, saving over 10 million gallons of water annually. Conversely, La Quinta has greenlighted plans for a golf course that will, ironically, use more water than thier proposed surf lagoon. WavePoolMag explored the water use in wave pools issue in a feature article which can be viewed here.

Design

The resort’s design, inspired by the desert surroundings, blends contemporary and mid-century modern elements, featuring wave-inspired roofs, clean lines, and a mix of stone, metal panels, and wood accents. Extensive glazing throughout the resort provides panoramic views of the lagoon and the desert landscape, creating a seamless connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

AO, a leader in architecture and design for surf-anchored resorts, has several similar projects underway in various states across the country. The groundbreaking event on May 23rd was attended by AO leaders Rob Budetti, Bruce Greenfield, Diego Alessi, and Jim Glina, showcasing the team’s expertise and commitment to creating innovative and active destinations like the DSRT Surf Resort.

Beach Street Development has extensive experience in surf technology, real estate development, project finance, and surf resort operations. Their background in designing, constructing, and operating similar projects in the surf and hospitality sectors makes them well-suited to push DSRT Surf across the finish line. 

DSRT Surf has been approved to run as many as 18 hours a day under the lights in peak season offering over 1200 sessions a day to locals and tourists.  DSRT Surf will focus on a public model offering waves to everyone including public sessions and private buy out sessions. 

“Palm Desert is the ideal location for our surf lagoon, nestled between Desert Willow’s world class golf courses and in the middle of Coachella Valley,” said Beach Street’s Blake Hess.

Beach Street is also thick in the mix of pushing HTX Surf online. The California company will also operate the Wavegarden Cove being built at the Atlantic Park project in Virginia Beach (yes, the Pharrell Williams development.)

If you want more detailed information on this and other Beach Street projects, check out our podcast with Blake Hess and get behind-the-scenes insight into the process of running a surf park.