A dispute between the city of Palm Springs and a business owner who wants to renovate a historic property south of downtown has escalated into a legal battle.
Architectural engineer Joe Praner has sued the city, alleging it placed too many conditions on his application to renovate a gas station originally built in the 1950s, located at 1100 S. Palm Canyon Dr.
Praner said in the lawsuit the city has placed "unduly burdensome, and unlawful conditions" on the property when he applied to renovate it.
"As a longtime member of the community and a businessperson in Palm Springs, he feels concerned for his city," Praner's attorney, Eve Brackman, said in a phone interview, referring to his decision to file a lawsuit. "He really is taking a stand."
The lawsuit
could cost the city $60,000 in damages, along with additional legal fees and other costs.
"I'm sure that everyone else in the city — at least most people — would rather see those dollars used for something else, for the public good, rather than fighting with Joseph Praner in court," Brackman added.
First filed in December 2025, the case has stalled in the Riverside County Superior Court system for around nine months. A status hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 29.
"This item is pending litigation," Palm Springs spokesperson Kitty Alvarado said in an email to The Desert Sun. "The City will address it through the appropriate legal process and has no further comment at this time."
Previously, the city has said theconditions of approval are standard requirements that are applied to all properties.
A long fight to begin construction
Built in 1959, the gas station has a mid-century modern design that has persisted into the present day. Praner bought the property in 2020, with the intention of using it as private storage for his business.
But he received his first roadblock when the Palm Springs Planning Department rescinded an approval for his Minor Architectural Application in 2022 after discovering a steel canopy on the site encroached the right-of-way for South Palm Canyon Drive.
Praner said he spent $150,000 to redesign the project. When he resubmitted his application, the city added 41 conditions to his plans.
Some of the conditions included connecting sanitary facilities to the public sewer system, removing the existing curb cut and adding off-street parking.
Praner appealed most of the additional conditions, but the Palm Springs City Council voted to reject the appeal in September 2025. At the time, city officials said the site did not contain an adequate parking plan, which would show how vehicles would be able to drive safely onto South Palm Canyon Drive, although Praner says the site will not be open to the public.
The property remains locked behind chain-link fences as the dispute plays out in court. It has been unused since the early 2000's and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.
"Mr. Praner is committed to seeing this to the end, not only for his own business interest, but just as a matter of principle," Brackman said. "He's just one of those people who's willing to put his time and his treasure behind fighting something that's unfair."
Sam Morgen covers local government for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Why an old gas station in Palm Springs has sparked a lawsuit
