Plans are underway for the restoration of a historic downtown El Paso four-story building that was severely damaged in a fire last month.
According to reports, the owner of the structure, which is most known for having once been the home to the old De Soto Hotel, says he still intends to proceed with renovating and upgrading the building, although the costs of the project have increased.
Owner Rogelio Gonzalez had earlier entered into an agreement with the City of El Paso allowing for up to $60,000 in fee and tax rebates to bring the building at 309 E. Mills Avenue back to life.
It was earlier thought that an estimated $1.2 million renovation of the structure would see it turned into an apartment building, before Gonzalez, who purchased the building in 2019, announced that the project could also include building hotel space on the top floor and restaurant and retail space on the ground level.
Built in 1904, the structure was once known as the Great Northern Hotel before becoming the De Soto Hotel in later decades.
Measuring around 22,400 square feet, the building has long been a focal point of interest for city officials concerned about its depleted condition.
The February 4 fire destroyed the building’s roof and significantly damaged its upper floors.
A timetable for when the restoration work on the structure will begin has not yet been announced.
By Garry Boulard
