A master-planned residential development is getting in on the wave of demand for surf parks in Southern California.
Real estate development and investment firm Meriwether Companies said it's partnering with Thermal Beach Club, an in-the-works Coachella Valley manmade surf lagoon. The collaboration calls for granting park access to the future residents of Meriwether's master-planned community in nearby La Quinta.
"As demand shifts toward adventure-forward, active, wellness-oriented communities, a wave basin is the penultimate amenity that will redefine what it means to live in the Coachella Valley," Noah Hahn, a managing partner at Meriwether Companies, said in a statement.
The 400-acre residential development, known as the Coral Mountain Desert Club, is expected to break ground this year and is set to be completed in 2027. In all, the development is set to have between 275 to 325 for-sale residential properties including custom homesites, village residence and cottage-style houses.
The Coral Mountain club is also set to include an 18-hole golf course, pickleball courts, a trail system, fitness facilities and access to public land in the Palm Springs area. A spokesperson said those amenities and the clubhouse are projected to be finished in late 2028.
Surf parks are becoming a hot real estate commodity
Even though Southern California offers access to miles of coastline, manmade surf lagoons have been gaining traction as training tools and entertainment hotspots.
Part of that growth has been fueled by advances in the technology behind the parks. Better hydraulic, pneumatic and mechanical systems can now produce bigger waves, drawing more users.
There are currently some 20 surf parks operating worldwide, with four open in the United States and several opening in the next two years. In SoCal, there are options like Palm Springs Surf Club and Surf Sports Park in Del Mar, and there are proposals for more projects in the Orange County area.
“People want more than a gym. They want an ecosystem that supports their lifestyle,” Nicholas Edelman, whose firm Aventuur has pitched surf park projects across the United States, previously told CoStar News.
With that, some developers, like the team behind Thermal Beach Club and the Coral Mountain Desert Club, have started finding ways to either add homes to their surf developments or give residents greater access to the parks.
“Interest in surf and the wave pool space is booming, and the addition of the surf lagoon will catapult Coral Mountain Desert Club into a category of its own,” Michael Schwab, partner at Meriwether Companies, said in a statement.