This is your weekly update, which takes a quick look at the week ahead and some developments that El Paso Matters is following.
City’s Multipurpose Center Remains in Limbo: The El Paso City Council on Tuesday again postponed voting on whether to build the multipurpose performing arts and entertainment center at the Union Depot area of Downtown El Paso. The vote was postponed for two weeks. The council in February delayed voting on the proposed site until after it held two public meetings for community input. About 80 people attended the virtual and hybrid meetings.
The Market to Open at Camp Cohen: The city’s Downtown Art and Farmers Market is moving to Camp Cohen in Northeast El Paso starting Saturday, March 16. Rebranded as The Market, the program features original arts and crafts, food vendors, regionally grown agricultural products, artisans, regional farmers and live entertainment from local artists. The move better addresses the need for fresh, local produce, supports the vision of developing the Cohen area and connects with military families at Fort Bliss, the city said in a news release. The market will be featured in community pop-ups and major festivals such as WinterFest throughout the year. A program of the city’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the market will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays next to Camp Cohen, 9700 Gateway Blvd. North. Information: The Market on Facebook.
City Rep Wants Reprimand Withdrawn: City Rep. Henry Rivera’s attorney is asking Mayor Oscar Leeser to withdraw a reprimand recently issued against him. The letter, sent by Rivera’s attorney Mary Stillinger, asks the reprimand be withdrawn, in part, because the complainant sent an email to the city requesting the complaint be withdrawn. Rivera’s office sent a copy of the email to the media Tuesday that shows an unidentified District 7 staffer’s email to the city’s human resources and Rivera asking to withdraw the complaint. The City Council voted on Feb. 26 to have Leeser issue a letter of reprimand against Rivera following an investigation stemming from a complaint that found Rivera allowed a non-city employee to supervise and direct the day-to-day duties of a city employee and allowed a non-city employee to access city resources. Stillinger said in the letter to Leeser that the reprimand was not based on the violation of any policy, rule, or law and there was no pending complaint to be investigated or decided, because it was withdrawn shortly after it was filed.
Locomotive FC to Host FC Juárez: The El Paso Locomotive FC will host Liga MX cross-border rival FC Juárez in an international friendly match next week. “These are the two premier professional soccer teams in the Southwest region, and this will be the first time in history that we play a match in front of both fanbases,” Locomotive General Manager Andrew Forrest said in a statement. FC Juárez competes in Liga MX, the highest division of soccer in Mexico and the most competitive league in the Concacaf region. El Paso Locomotive FC is a member of the USL Championship, a second division soccer league in America under the U.S. Soccer Federation. The match is at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20 at Southwest University Park, 1 Ballpark Plaza in Downtown. Tickets and information: (915) 235-4625 or eplocomotivefc.com
The Democratic Party candidates for district attorney are Nancy Casas, left, James Montoya, middle, and Alma Trejo, right.
District Attorney Endorsement: El Paso district attorney candidate Nancy Casas, who finished third in the March 5 Democratic primary with 27% of the vote, has endorsed James Montoya, who took 38% of the vote. Montoya is in a runoff against Alma Trejo, who won 35% of the vote. The runoff is May 28 and the winner will face Republican and current DA Bill Hicks in the November general election. The runoff is needed because neither of the three candidates received more than 50% of the vote. For more information on the candidates, visit El Paso Matters’ voter guide here.
WinterFest Survey: The El Paso WinterFest with its tree-lighting ceremony, parade and ice-skating rink drew more than 400,000 visitors last year, city officials said. Now the city wants to know if you liked it, or how you would improve it. The city is asking those who visited the holiday fest to fill out a survey, which is available here. The deadline to respond is March 30. The results will be used to plan next year’s event. For more information about the city of El Paso’s WinterFest visit, EPWinterFest.com.
Does Your Neighborhood Need a Streetlight?: The city of El Paso has set aside $5 million to add some small amenities, such as streetlights, playgrounds and picnic tables, to various neighborhoods. The city will spend $625,000 for neighborhood projects throughout the eight city representative districts. The projects will be competitively selected from the neighborhood and civic association submissions. The deadline to submit is May 31 and each project must be on city-owned land or a city public right-of-way. Click here to submit an application. Information: Email neighborhoodservices@elpasotexas.gov.
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