Old K-Mart Building Has New Tenant; New Company Doing CBD Research & Development

There’s a new tenant moving into the old K-Mart building in Desert Hot Springs.

You won’t be able to shop there, but city officials are thrilled that Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals, a scientific research organization, has signed a lease with the option to purchase the former Kmart building at Palm Drive at Two Bunch Palms Drive in Desert Hot Springs.

Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals also has acquired the site adjacent to the old K-Mart and is set to spend $15 million to create a corporate headquarters on that site, in addition to building out the former Kmart building into a Research and Development site.

Building improvements will begin immediately. The company anticipates hiring more than 50 people in the late summer of 2020 to begin research and development work, eventually swelling to 90 employees.

Add another 100 workers at the nearby corporate headquarters. Company founder Mark Crozier said he will prioritize hiring local residents: “We acknowledge the Coachella Valley and especially the residents of Desert Hot Springs as the type of talent needed in order to succeed in our company’s mission, we are excited to facilitate the growth of the local community.”

The City of Desert Hot Springs competed against surrounding cities to win the business of this groundbreaking research organization. A deciding factor was the City Council’s foresight in having an ordinance already in place to allow testing within a commercial zone.

Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017 by Mark Crozier, (photo above) a first responder and military veteran. Crozier stated, “It is our mission to alleviate the impacts of PTSD and other health consequences veterans and first responders experience by creating safe and effective medicines.”

The company’s vision is to be leaders in the pharmaceutical field by creating non-addictive medicines for people suffering from the effects of trauma. The company contracts with the federal government; it also is the only commercial company with a cannabinoid-related GSA license.

Their Desert Hot Springs Research and Development facility will be used to create non-addictive drugs for pain and opioid addiction, sleep apnea, PTSD, and other medical conditions.

The core management team will relocate from San Diego to start the new operation. For more information on Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals, visit https://royalemeraldrx.com/