EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso officials and community leaders gathered for a panel discussion on the proposed Downtown Deck Plaza project, a multi-million dollar initiative to create a public space above the freeway.
The panel, organized by the Urban Land Institute El Paso, was held on Aug. 27 at the Philanthropy Theatre.
“In El Paso, if achieved, this would translate into more jobs, new businesses and a more connected El Paso. Downtowns are the front door to most communities, and we need to work on bringing people back to the core of our city. And this project is not just about building a park, it’s about a vision and a transformation for our community. It’s about creating a new driver for economic development,” El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson said in his opening remarks.
The panel discussion served as a platform for both supporters and opponents to learn from the experiences of other cities with deck parks.
Speakers at the panel included former Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and people from consulting firms that were involved in the development of deck parks in Dallas, New York, and Boston.
They said the parks have been successful in spurring economic development in each city and described some of the challenges in getting the projects completed.
“If you put a lively park on top of the highway first, it’s quieter,” said Dan Biederman, president of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, who helped lead efforts to restore Bryant Park in New York City.
He described how the El Paso Deck Plaza could similarly draw many residents with an organized programming of events.
“It’ll be very attractive, greenery. And then you program (events). The things I’m going to talk about today are fitness classes, music, intellectual activities, like a reading room and chess and music. Those tend to attract people to a downtown location. You’ve got these 25,000 students not very far away and people in the downtown office buildings.”
While the project has garnered some support, community opinions remain divided, with concerns about its necessity and cost to taxpayers.
“Unless the developers are paying for this, taxpayers should not be footing the bill to let others make a profit,” Michael Towne said via Facebook, expressing a common sentiment among project opponents.
The Downtown Deck Plaza project has already secured $46 million in funding, primarily from private sources, with additional contributions from state and local funds. However, the total estimated cost of the project is $412 million.
The City of El Paso is actively seeking grants and other revenue sources to cover the remaining costs, with the design phase expected to begin within the next year.
El Paso backs grant application to help fund I-10 deck plaza project
As El Paso moves forward with the downtown deck plaza project, city officials hope to secure additional funding and begin the design phase soon. The project promises to bring economic growth and community spaces, but it must address the concerns of divided community support.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTSM. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTSM staff before being published.
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