latest news on the downtown revitilazation project? (San Antonio, El Paso: apartments, condominium)

[holmes]

Originally Posted by mando111

I first stumbled across the sale of the property while looking at the City Council meeting agenda for 1/22. It is currently owned by the city, so the council has to vote on the final contract of the sale, which is supposed to take place 1/29. According to the contract, the buyer must develop the property in accordance with a conceptual drawing that had been submitted to the city (Exhibit B, #6). The drawing is unfortunately not included as part of the online agenda item. http://www.elpasotexas.gov/muni_cler...8/01290812.pdf

Then, while I was watching the videos for the December and January meetings of the TIRZ board, Director of the Economic Development Dept. of the city Kathy Dodson gave updates on downtown projects. During this time, she mentioned the sale of the property and described what the buyer intended to do with it. In the January meeting, Brent Harris describes what is being done to the Mills Bldg., then does a fantastic teaser about what will be announced "next month."

You can check out the video on the following city website. Scroll down to the "Other" section and select which TIRZ meeting you'd like to view. They're both just over 1 hour in length, but you can try and find Kathy Dodson's updates by clicking at different intervals:
www.elpasotexas.gov - City of El Paso

Sweet! Thanks for the info..

[mando111]

Originally Posted by HIGH!Lonesome

What would be really nice and that is if they would expand San Jancinto Plaza by closing down Main street and extending San Jancinto Plaza it into that parking lot along with putting a cover over that trench that is the Bataan Memorial Railway.

I totally agree. The exposed tracks (however depressed they may be) are an unpleasant sight. The Chase Building was built over them, so it only makes sense that they could be covered the length of downtown.

[HIGH!Lonesome]

mando111, I think this matter has surface before a very long time ago during previous city council administrations about putting a cover over the Bataan Railway Memorial, enabling developement, but I'm not sure but I think there were issues concerning Southern Pacific and who ever else owns the property below obviously the Railroad companies own the property and they also own the airspace above.

But now with this go getter administration by mayor John Cook, maybe the city and the railroad could go in on a joint effort to cover that trench and build or put something nice while the trains continue to roll back and forth underneath.

Anything that makes El Paso a better city a more attractive city my heart is all for the better of El Paso and all of it's people.

[holmes]

I'd rather the railroad companies relocate to the present ASARCO property, opening up a ton of new downtown acreage. That would really be something! I hope I see it in my lifetime..

[HIGH!Lonesome]

I've heard rumours that they are relocating to Santa Teresa, I doubt it to be true, but where Asarco is located now would make an ideal place to relocate the railroad yards there, and then It would free up all that land to build what ever they want, I loved that idea by former Mayor R, Caballedo the Central Park idea was awesome, I hope they reconsider it, and you know that that trench can still be put to good use, like someday when El Paso has Light Rail that trench could be use for downtowns main station.

[mando111]

I believe the relocation of the railyard to Santa Teresa is in the "study" phase. If I'm not mistaken, the study was funded a couple of years ago. But it would free up tons of prime real estate (and along I-10 too!). Caballero's idea was great. He incorporated light rail into the Central Park plan, imagining it would connect downtown to the Medical Center of the Americas campus. Plus, I loved his vision of an arena along the western edge of the park. Very ambitious, but he had a bunch of reps with completely different views.

[HIGH!Lonesome]

The Santa Teresa location aint a bad idea either, besides Santa Teresa is a suburb of El Paso even though it's in New Mexico, but ooooh Yeah! I remember seeing a computer graphic design of the the Light Rail with stops along the Medical Center of the Americas
campus the Central Park where the downown railroad yards are located, it look like a huge green bush where trains use to run through, it look really CENTRAL PARK, realative small to the real one in New York City but Caballedo had the right idea and that Arena, my oh my, anyway I still think that some of those plans will come back, but like you mentioned, (a bunch of city reps with completely different views). Thats been the story of El Paso for a very long time, but I think people like you and myself and others will change that at the polls somedays I hope.

[holmes]

Found a very interesting city document regarding the proposed light rail system:

http://www.ci.el-paso.tx.us/developm...l_proposed.pdf

[Muhnay]

Originally Posted by holmes

Found a very interesting city document regarding the proposed light rail system:

http://www.ci.el-paso.tx.us/developm...l_proposed.pdf

Can we get this as a separate thread.. great find holmes. I hope they go though with this. Would be a nice change for El Paso, over toll roads.

Check this out.. we used to have them, we should once more..

El Paso Streetcars Home Page

http://transit.toronto.on.ca/images/...ar-4706-20.jpg ( linked for copyright reasons. )

[LEVOW]

Did anybody else here of this, i wonder what happened to this proposal:

Bustler : Plan turns Rio Grande into binational meeting place