EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The City of El Paso and the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation held their final public meeting on Tuesday night, July 20 as part of the feasibility study for the proposed “Deck Plaza” over I-10 in Downtown El Paso.
This follows a series of other community meetings held early last year where El Paso residents provided feedback on the project.
Over 30 people attended the meeting, including residents from the Sunset Heights area, who expressed positive feedback about the project. One resident described the potential transformation for the city.
Oriana Bottaro/KTSM
Oriana Bottaro/KTSM
Oriana Bottaro/KTSM
“It’s for everybody, whether you’re on the West Side, the Northeast, or the East Side. You can come down here and enjoy a dog park, a multipurpose facility, food trucks, retail, and all sorts of things that really bring this community together. It’s what makes El Paso, El Paso,” said Steffen Poessiger, a Sunset Heights resident.
Joaquín Rodríguez, the grant funded programs director for the City, explained that the nearly $207 million project would cover an estimated 8.5 acres, about the size of six football fields. The space would feature gardens, playgrounds, and office spaces.
“The Deck Plaza gives us an opportunity to take the trench that I-10 cuts through our downtown, separating it from uptown and surrounding neighborhoods, and cap it with something that is a public space, an amenity, a driver for economic development, and most importantly, useful to the public rather than just empty space above ground,” Rodríguez said.
The proposed deck plaza would extend from Kansas Street to Santa Fe Street, right in the heart of El Paso. Another resident highlighted the economic benefits of the project.
“With the deck park, you’ll have a lot more walkable spaces and interesting things to do, likely driving more traffic Downtown, benefiting businesses,” said Marcus MacNealey, an El Paso Resident.
Rodríguez also mentioned that they are working closely with TxDOT to align their plans with TxDOT’s modernization plans for I-10.
“So really, our goal is to work closely with them so that if this project comes to fruition, we ensure the community is only inconvenienced once with both projects,” Rodriguez said.
As the project is still in its feasibility phase, officials with the El Paso Community Foundation stated that the next step is to figure out funding through local investment or philanthropy.
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