Despite the opposition of some property owners, the move to create a historic district in downtown El Paso is advancing.
The Texas Historical Commission has now submitted papers to the Washington-based National Park Service for its approval.
If at last finalized, the designation would allow for property owners to receive federal tax credits for renovations and upgrades to buildings within the district.
In submitting the documentation to the National Park Service, Mark Wolfe, a Texas State Historic Preservation Officer, said, “This is an extraordinarily important historic district, and we appreciate your consideration.”
While more than 120 property owners have opposed the historic district designation, arguing that it will impose a set of burdensome rules when it comes to renovation and upgrade projects, the proposal is also controversial because it would also include the Duranguito neighborhood as part of the district.
That neighborhood has been ground zero for the last 4 years in a battle between the City of El Paso and community activists. El Paso has wanted to demolish the neighborhood to make way for the construction of a multi-purpose arena, while opponents have said that because several structures in the neighborhood date to the 19th century, it should be preserved.
In submitting the request to the National Park Service for the historical district, the Texas Historical Commission also attached the written objections of the property owners, noting: “Because the number of owner objections constitute a majority of property owners, we request your determination whether or not the district is eligible for being in the National Register of Historic Places.”
As proposed, the district would be comprised of 143 acres containing 174 buildings. Many of those buildings, in the city’s Central Business District, are categorized as Art Deco structures, largely built in the 1920s and 30s.
By Garry Boulard