The community consists of 5000 homes built in the "Spanish Colonial" style designed by the architectural firm Pekarek-Crandell, Inc. of San Juan Capistrano, California. Built between 1992 and 2002, it was developed by the Del Webb Corporation as an "active" community for people 55 years of age and older called Sun City Palm Springs. Despite its name, it was located 15 miles (24 km) from Palm Springs, so its postal address was in the Unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes. As it neared completion, its residents joined with the nearby city of Palm Desert to have their mail handled through that post office and renamed the community Sun City Palm Desert. The community remains in an unincorporated area, however and they have no voice in the politics of Palm Desert itself. Sun City Palm Desert is no longer managed by Del Webb and today is governed by its own community association.