Yet another obstacle may be in the path of building a new multi-purpose arena in El Paso.
The project, first proposed in the fall of 2016, had been planned to go up in the downtown Duranguito neighborhood, but a series of court challenges by preservationists and community activists finally last year prompted City of El Paso officials to look for another site for construction.
Now, as the City appears to have settled on a site near the old Union Depot station, an El Paso publication is questioning whether the project might be violating an earlier signed contract.
That contract between the City and the MountainStar Sports Group, which operates the Southwest University Park, specifically forbids the “development or approval of any outdoor concert venue that is reasonably expected to compete with the ballpark.”
Because the Duranguito proposal was for an entirely indoor facility, the MountainStar contract was not a factor. But the latest proposals for the arena have suggested an indoor-outdoor amphitheater, reports the publication El Paso Matters.
The publication further notes that “city officials have not mentioned the ballpark clause in public discussions about the amphitheater, and several city council members said they were not told of the clause as they’ve discussed plans for the long-delayed multipurpose center.”
In a statement released specifically to El Paso Matters, city spokesperson Laura Cruz-Acosta said in part that the new proposed arena site will not be in violation of the MountainStar contract because it will be a “hybrid facility that will provide a completely different experience to event goers than the ballpark.”
Members of the El Paso City Council are planning to discuss and vote on the new site for the arena during their upcoming March 12 meeting.
By Garry Boulard
