Work is expected to start soon on the renovation of a well-known historic El Paso hotel, re-launching a project that was delayed by a 2022 fire.
Members of the El Paso City Council have given their approval to a proposal that would extend and expand economic incentives to rehabilitate an apartment building in a declining condition into an upscale boutique 34-room hotel.
The project will also see the rehabilitation of the building’s storefront, windows, and doors, upgraded heating and cooling systems, and space built on the first floor to accommodate a restaurant.
Located at 309 E. Mills Avenue, the four-story De Soto Hotel was built in 1904 and was originally known as the Great Northern Hotel. Plans for its restoration were announced in 2021, just months before a fire destroyed the building’s roof and significantly damaged its upper floors.
While city incentives for the project have been updated, the project has also become more expensive: from an initial $1.2 million, the price tag for the De Soto’s renovation has ballooned to $2.4 million primarily because of the fire repair work and an increase in the cost of building materials.
According to city documents, it is thought that the hotel, once renovated and open for business, will generate around $1.9 million in revenue spread out over a 15-year incentive period.
Work on the hotel is expected to begin by this spring, with an early 2024 completion date.
By Garry Boulard
