Drivers heading down Palm Canyon Drive are in prime position to catch an early glimpse of Palm Springs' latest luxury living development.
But what might really get their attention is the banners prominently displayed on the fencing around the construction site south of Vista Chino: “Luxury new homes from the low $2 millions.”
Even in Palm Springs, $2 million is far from chump change. And the price point might seem particularly notable given that at a glance, the complex appears to consist of boxy condos, reminiscent of many contemporary apartment developments, and will front one of the city's busiest thoroughfares.
It all begs the question: Will people really paytwice the going rate (or more) of a standard home in Palm Springs to live next to Palm Canyon
Drive?
So far, two of the four homes that have been put on the market have sold for $1.975 million and $2.25 million. The remaining eight are still under construction and have yet to be listed for sale, but the website states they will "come to market at higher pricing."
The very existence of the development, which has been named The Twelve at Old Las Palmas, is a big bet that people will pay.
To woo them, the developers are including some eye-catching amenities you won’t find in many condos, including in-unit elevators, private "cocktail pools" and rooftop decks with their own outdoor kitchens.
Approved by Palm Springs’ planning commission and city council in 2022 and 2023, respectively, The Twelve at Old Las Palmas will consist of what are described in city documents as 12 condo units ranging from 2,200 square feet to 2,700 square feet.
The development is being built on an undeveloped 0.95-acre site wedged between Palm Canyon Drive to the east and Camino Norte to the west. Aloe Palm Canyon, a 71-unit affordable senior living complex that opened in the fall of 2025, will neighbor the complex to the north while a two-story office building sits just to the south.
The complex’s branding emphasizes its location at the northeast corner of Palm Springs’ Old Las Palmas neighborhood, long known for being among the most famous, pricy and celebrity-laden in the city.
Marketing copy on the development’s website describes the sole remaining home in the first phase of the project as a “best value opportunity in Old Las Palmas,” stating that comparable homes in the neighborhood run from $4.5 million to $19 million.
The condos are advertised as having three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. Among the selling points is that the homes will be separate two and three-story structures that do not share walls the way typical condos and townhomes do.
The condos will each have their own private cocktail pool, a small and relatively shallow pool designed for lounging and cooling off rather than swimming. There are 31 parking spaces, with each condo having a built-in two-car parking garage. An initial plan for a gated vehicle entry was nixed by the city.
City documents describe the development as having a modern architectural style with "flat roofs, stucco siding and recessed windows and doors." The website states that the development’s first three homes, which are located on the west side of the parcel, have already been finished. However, it does not say when the rest of the units will be put up for sale and ultimately completed.
The development is pitched as offering a place to “live the life you came to Palm Springs for, with “the freedom to lock the door and leave whenever you want, knowing everything is taken care of.”
“The Twelve gives you a fully detached home in Old Las Palmas, finished to a standard that doesn’t exist at this price point anywhere else in the desert,” the website reads.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: See the $2 million condos being built in Palm Springs
