On Friday, April 22, 2022, the College of the Desert’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the construction of its Automotive Technology Center, better known as Roadrunner Motors, to remain at its original location on Margot Murphy Way in Cathedral City. This location was announced and approved previously by the college in 2019, but that decision was placed in jeopardy when COD released a press statement on October 27, 2021 stating that projected cost overruns had caused them to seek alternative locations.
After the relocation announcement back in October, city elected officials, city staff, business leaders, community stakeholders and residents organized an educational campaign to inform the college leaders and the community that the Margot Murphy Way location remained the best choice. The group advocated that the costs to build the facility at the original location behind the Volkswagen and Lexus dealerships were no greater than building it in other locations including one identified by the college in Indio along the I-10 corridor. Additionally, the location in Cathedral City was most ideal since the college already owned the land, it would be adjacent to the largest automotive sales and service center in Eastern Riverside County, provide potential jobs and internships for students, and the ability for students to get to and from classes was accessible by utilizing nearby public transportation.
On April 2, 2022, the group held a “Build It Here” rally near City Hall to further stress the need to keep the training center in Cathedral City. COD Board Chair Perez spoke at the event and stated that the college was holding a special meeting on April 6 to look at three locations, two in Cathedral City and one in Indio. He believed that Cathedral City will be happy with the outcome. On April 6th, it was learned that two of the locations identified by COD as potential sites were not for sale. The owner of the location in Indio reportedly decided to develop their own project and would no longer consider selling it to COD.
This community-driven educational campaign proved effective for an issue important to the future of our students and their access to higher education. Keeping Roadrunner Motors at its original location was vital for students seeking careers in the automotive and transportation industry while addressing the needs of having highly trained workers for the largest business industry in Cathedral City. The two sides, along with leaders in city government, worked in tandem on this important economic development issue as the automotive industry in Cathedral City cannot continue to thrive without skilled labor available to get the job done.
