Larry Ellison's Luxury Retreat Moves Forward In Rancho Mirage

RANCHO MIRAGE, CA — Plans to reposition billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison's Porcupine Creek private estate in Rancho Mirage into a posh retreat got a green light Thursday from the city’s planning commission.

In a 5-0 vote, the commission approved the final environmental impact report for the project, as well as ordinances, that move the proposed development along to the Rancho Mirage City Council for consideration.

The project calls for approximately 191 acres of Ellison's 230-acre Porcupine Creek estate to be turned into an exclusive retreat with a total of up to 50 studio, single-bedroom, and multi-bedroom units. Proposed upgrades on the property include a modified main house, a new restaurant, dining deck, upgraded spa complex, additional retreat-related facilities, and a rerouted 18-hole golf course, according to city documents.

Ellison purchased the property in 2011 for a reported $43 million from billionaire Tim Blixseth. He has since remodeled the estate to include an additional 16,000 square feet to the site's total building footprint. The upgrades have included spa treatment rooms, a tennis pavilion, a fitness center, a gatehouse and new villas, according to city documents.

Ellison is a tennis fan who has helped expand the sport in the Coachella Valley. He purchased the BNP Paribas Open and the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for $100 million in 2009. The annual BNP Paribas Open attracts the world's top tennis players and brings millions of tourism dollars to the valley each March (except in 2020 and 2021, when the event was canceled due to the coronavirus). Ellison has hosted top players at Porcupine Creek during the event.

The property is located about a half-mile southwest of Highway 111, and west of the Magnesia Falls Cove neighborhood.