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May 9, 2026, El Paso, TX:
The Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation and its political allies are promoting the construction of a five-block deck plaza over Interstate 10 as a once-in-a-generation opportunity “to reconnect neighborhoods, enhance quality of life, support inclusive economic development, add green space, and celebrate the region’s vibrate heritage and culture.”
While the project may seem like a marvelous idea, (El Paso) city and county leaders have admitted it cannot succeed without substantial financial support from local governments, and the potential impact on our property tax is the primary reason for growing public opposition.
In November 2022, our City Council voted to pay Stantec Consulting Services $1,321,785 to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of the deck plaza, and the resulting report estimated the cost at “roughly $400 million, separate from the reconstruction of I-10.”
In June 2024, Joaquin Rodriguez, Director of Grant-Funded Programs at the city, gave a closed-door presentation to Mayor (Oscar) Leeser estimating the net price to be $412 million.
Elsewhere in the Stantec study, the total cost is a mere $207 million, with the private sector expected to invest $205 million around the perimeter of the project footprint — hence the $412 million figure.
BALLOONING COSTS, FUNDING SHORTFALLS
But at the City Council meeting on March 3, we learned that an additional $43 million will be required for “future proofing” (re-engineering the I-10 trench for a deck plaza) and is not included in the $207 million.
Even more concerning, Joaquin Rodriguez presented a PowerPoint before City Council claiming they are $18,932,000 short. Tracy Yellen, Chair of the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation, insists that $10 million of the shortfall is included in the $207 million.
If we give Yellen the benefit of the doubt, the net cost of construction and future proofing is approximately $240 million.
To help cover this expense, the city applied for $80,440,000 in grants, with $17,307,109 in matching funds, for a total of $99,723,789. Yet the project has been awarded only $997,789, about 1% of the funds requested. Four of eight grant applications have been rejected so far, totaling $60,000,000 (including $11,000,000 in matching funds).
How much has been allocated for the deck plaza so far?
According to the Elevate the 10 webpage, it “has received $74.15 million in funding commitments to date,” including $10 million from TXDoT, $25 million from the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization, $3.15 million from Federal Community Project Funding, and $1 million from the county.
The Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation has pledged $35 million “in private philanthropy to support park amenities” without identifying the investors or specifying whether the assets would be publicly owned.
GROWING OPPOSITION
Given the strain on the city budget caused by the Ballpark, trolleys, La Nube, water parks, and other large capital improvement projects, the public rightly fears the deck plaza will morph into a debt plaza.
In the March 3 primary election, 15,361 Republicans (65%) supported Proposition 1, opposing “the spending or commitment of tax dollars for the promotion, design, or construction” of a deck plaza.
On March 21, approximately 60 out of 70 precinct chairs of the local Democratic Party voted to oppose public funding for the project.
Dave Marino, county chair of the Libertarian Party, asked on Facebook: “If families are already struggling to afford basic expenses, how does taking even more of their money through higher taxes and higher cost of living make their situation better?”
To counter fears the deck plaza will be financially ruinous, Yellen’s foundation commissioned a study from HR&A Advisors claiming it will generate $1 billion “in total economic output” and create 300 permanent jobs over a period of 30 years.
But if one were to invest $240 million in instruments yielding 5% interest annually instead of in a deck plaza, after 30 years one would have $1.04 billion, and this calculation assumes there will be no debt servicing.
Beyond the construction cost, the city estimates operations and maintenance will run as high as $8 million annually. Yellen is guaranteeing her unendowed foundation will assume this cost but without indicating how.
The voting public is expected to believe the deck plaza will be completed on budget, yield an optimal return on investment, and that its benefits will outweigh any increase to our property tax, though the city and county have a long record of executing large projects that are financially distressed.
Pressured by wealthy campaign contributors, the City Council and County Commissioners Court recently voted to proceed with a non-binding memorandum of understanding despite strong public opposition.
Of course, our politicians have no intention of putting the matter to a vote of the people, just as the construction of the ballpark never appeared on a ballot. They know the voters would reject the expenditure, just as they rejected using bond funds for the failed multipurpose basketball arena.
One can only hope they will start placing the needs of the taxpayers at large above the whims of their moneyed supporters.
Max Grossman, El Paso Taxpayer Revolt.
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