This city–referred to recently in national news reports as “an unsightly dry, dusty border town”–is getting a multimillion-dollar face lift that city fathers hope in five years will have tourists flocking here the way they now flock to San Antonio.
City officials and associations created to revitalize El Paso’s downtown have carved out an ambitious plan that could cost $200 million in public and private funds. It would create an entertainment district, a civic center, museums and historic walkways in hopes of luring tourists to the state’s biggest border city.
When the work is finished, they say, El Paso will look like a real Old West town–replete, of course, with all the modern conveniences.
“You know, people go down to San Antonio to that nice little River Walk and take one of those boats, and they think the other side of the river is Mexico,” said Tenny Berg, president of the South El Paso Revitalization Association.
“What San Antonio’s pretending, we really are,” Berg said.
Nonetheless, more tourists continue to go to San Antonio, which is a few hours’ drive from the border, than they do to El Paso, which is right on it.
The civic pride of this city of 555,000 people was injured recently when some national newspapers, reporting on the federal investigation of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., which began here, referred to El Paso as an unsightly and dirty city.
Mayor Carlos Ramirez said people would change their opinions about his city and its image if they simply would “get off (Interstate Highway) 10 and take a look.”
Noting San Antonio’s successful River Walk, U.S.Rep. Sylvestre Reyes (D-El Paso), recently suggested the same thing be done along the Rio Grande here.
But that suggestion was deemed too ambitious and costly for El Paso, although everyone agreed the city must do something to add to the estimated 3 million tourists who visit annually.
“Why should we replicate San Antonio?” Berg asked. “We can build our own reputation as an Old West town on the border.”
That’s just what city officials want to do.
They’ve recently put aside $100 million and hired a Houston consulting firm to redevelop downtown in five years. The private sector is expected to put in at least that much for further refurbishment.
“Wait till you see what it’s going to look like,” said Chris Peck, an associate with the Houston-based Goodman Corp., the consulting firm hired to direct redevelopment efforts.
“It’s going to be great. We’re really pleased with the efforts,” Peck said.
Among proposals is an entertainment district of several square blocks.
“It’s going to be similar to Dallas’ West End,” Peck said.
Other items include:
– An enlarged and improved civic center.
– An art museum that is being enlarged and moved from central El Paso to downtown.
– Movement of the History Museum from east El Paso to downtown.
– A mounted police force and increased private security.
– Renovations of some old luxury hotels into private, upscale apartments.
– More first-rate hotels.
– An outdoor festival area for performances and craft shows.
El Paso has been somewhat slow in revitalizing its downtown. But observers say one reason is that retailers in the city were probably hurt less than retailers throughout the rest of the country when the nation went to suburban malls.
