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Old 02-04-2009, 11:19 AM
 
1,011 posts, read 2,818,723 times
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Keep the smokestack for its historical value and tear down everything else. If the city wants to use the land for anything, they'd have to pay a mint to have it cleaned up.

Actually, a copper smelter in the El Paso area might not be a bad idea, given the demand for copper worldwide and the need for jobs in the region--but put the smelter way out of town, far from any populated area, say in the desert between Santa Teresa and Columbus. The workers can live in El Paso or its western suburbs and drive out to the smelter or be bused out there. ASARCO could even put their offices in El Paso. Those won't generate any pollution. Of course, the smelter would still have to be watched for pollution and so forth by the federal and state governments; Texas can't even keep (doesn't want to keep?) track of which factories are operating here. Thanks to the recent salmonella scare, they just uncovered a peanut-processing factory in Plainview that's been running for nearly four years that isn't even supposed to be in operation because it doesn't have a license to produce food--and never had one. Maybe New Mexico can do a better job of keeping an eye on ASARCO.
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Old 02-04-2009, 11:39 AM
 
Location: 3rd rock from the sun
3,857 posts, read 6,937,196 times
Reputation: 1817
I can't think of any uses that would bring additional revenue into El Paso. Shopping or amusement facilities (anywhere in the city) would just attract locals. El Paso and environs is too small to support a Six Flags. Attracting professional & industral employers is the way to go - ie: hosipital expansion, possible auto plant [not at asarco].... The Asarco site is close to UTEP/hospitals & has the potential for educational expansion/research facilities. A tourist facility would have to be extraordinary & unique (not a Six Flags clone) to attract outsiders.

It could be used for townhouse type development (in conjuction with a park) but when I drive by at night in the colder months I can chew on the smog and wouldn't want to live there. The border wall would kill a river walk or any benefit from being on the river.
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Old 02-04-2009, 11:44 AM
 
Location: El Paso
430 posts, read 1,335,228 times
Reputation: 387
This may be slightly off thread but does the SmelterTown still exist? Is there anything to see out there? Sorry..but I have this thing for ghost towns.
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Old 02-04-2009, 12:31 PM
 
730 posts, read 1,888,422 times
Reputation: 551
Default Copper

i believe the demand for copper has really tanked recently...prices have gone down. Just a short while ago copper wasa being stolen in every which way for resale. Even copper tubing from school air conditioners. This is probably why ASARCO is folding the tent. Opening the smelter in the copper boom time seemed like a way to mitigate their bankruptcy but not anymore.


Quote:
Originally Posted by atrabilius View Post
Keep the smokestack for its historical value and tear down everything else. If the city wants to use the land for anything, they'd have to pay a mint to have it cleaned up.

Actually, a copper smelter in the El Paso area might not be a bad idea, given the demand for copper worldwide and the need for jobs in the region--but put the smelter way out of town, far from any populated area, say in the desert between Santa Teresa and Columbus. The workers can live in El Paso or its western suburbs and drive out to the smelter or be bused out there. ASARCO could even put their offices in El Paso. Those won't generate any pollution. Of course, the smelter would still have to be watched for pollution and so forth by the federal and state governments; Texas can't even keep (doesn't want to keep?) track of which factories are operating here. Thanks to the recent salmonella scare, they just uncovered a peanut-processing factory in Plainview that's been running for nearly four years that isn't even supposed to be in operation because it doesn't have a license to produce food--and never had one. Maybe New Mexico can do a better job of keeping an eye on ASARCO.
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Old 02-04-2009, 12:34 PM
 
730 posts, read 1,888,422 times
Reputation: 551
Default Amusement Park

I read Roswell is still trying get a park going with their alien hook. Like you mentioned for ELP, Roswell may be too remote for any success.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary Siete View Post
I can't think of any uses that would bring additional revenue into El Paso. Shopping or amusement facilities (anywhere in the city) would just attract locals. El Paso and environs is too small to support a Six Flags. Attracting professional & industral employers is the way to go - ie: hosipital expansion, possible auto plant [not at asarco].... The Asarco site is close to UTEP/hospitals & has the potential for educational expansion/research facilities. A tourist facility would have to be extraordinary & unique (not a Six Flags clone) to attract outsiders.

It could be used for townhouse type development (in conjuction with a park) but when I drive by at night in the colder months I can chew on the smog and wouldn't want to live there. The border wall would kill a river walk or any benefit from being on the river.
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Old 02-04-2009, 12:50 PM
 
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
507 posts, read 1,654,686 times
Reputation: 455
You can also build a nice stadium on the land, but the Sun Bowl being that close i doubt that will happen.

But I agree, the smokestack needs to stay! Paint ASARCO off of it and leave it. That smokestack was my indication that i was home when i drove into town from the West!
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Old 02-04-2009, 01:02 PM
 
Location: Van Nuys, CA
53 posts, read 187,092 times
Reputation: 46
Default Smeltertown Exists?

This may be slightly off thread but does the SmelterTown still exist? Is there anything to see out there? Sorry..but I have this thing for ghost towns.

Smeltertown has been razed completely. The elementary school that was there is gone, the church with its beautiful mural of Mt. Cristo Rey is gone, and all the homes are gone. Sadly enough, all the streets were named after locals that either died or missing in action during WWII and/or Korea. I wonder what happened to the street signs. Smeltertown used to be bigger but homes were razed the first time to build Paisano Drive. They removed about 1/4 of the buildings from what is now Paisano Drive.
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Old 02-04-2009, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Van Nuys, CA
53 posts, read 187,092 times
Reputation: 46
Ocean2026.... I thank you for your legal fight to keep that place closed. Everytime I think about, read about, or see TV about ASARCO I can "taste" that sulphuric/lead taste that we used to get and our throats would feel closed due to the smoke getting into our lungs. It used to be so bad that it felt as if you had asthma. Until the day I die I will always have that picture of the smoke coming down from the smokestack and that taste in my mouth of sulphur.
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Old 02-04-2009, 01:18 PM
 
Location: Van Nuys, CA
53 posts, read 187,092 times
Reputation: 46
Lipbalm..... You should have seen that part of Juarez before all those improvements were done. What we used to see when driving on Paisano to downtown in the area of Old Fort Bliss was sad to say the least. The shacks and I'm using the word loosely were made of cardboard and tin. No doors instead pieces of cloth or cardboard would cover the entryway. No utilities so you would see people carrying water from the Rio Grande and firewood from along the banks or wherever they could find it. Roads were dirt so dust was always weeping around the shacks. Then when it rained, you'd see the roads turn into mud and see the people struggling to walk on it. What really hurt me to see the most was the elderly and the little kids trying to live under those conditions.
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Old 02-04-2009, 01:41 PM
 
Location: El Paso
430 posts, read 1,335,228 times
Reputation: 387
Quote:
Originally Posted by RESCUE89 View Post
This may be slightly off thread but does the SmelterTown still exist? Is there anything to see out there? Sorry..but I have this thing for ghost towns.

Smeltertown has been razed completely. The elementary school that was there is gone, the church with its beautiful mural of Mt. Cristo Rey is gone, and all the homes are gone. Sadly enough, all the streets were named after locals that either died or missing in action during WWII and/or Korea. I wonder what happened to the street signs. Smeltertown used to be bigger but homes were razed the first time to build Paisano Drive. They removed about 1/4 of the buildings from what is now Paisano Drive.
Oh that's sad. I just like seeing the history that was here. It would have made a cool Old Town but with all the lead and arsenic I understand that that couldn't have happened. I think the cemetary is still out there. I'll have to check that out if I can find it.
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