This, from KTSM:
City Council approved a controversial proposal Tuesday to create a special taxing zone to spur development along the Northwest foothills of the Franklin Mountains.
Now, KTSM has learned about the major project that could be coming to the area.
El Paso Water has plans to conduct a feasibility study for an unnamed mountainside resort.
According to a draft report obtained KTSM, the purpose of building the attraction is to help re-brand El Paso as a destination community.
I guess then the relevant question then would be, is there a demand for another destination community?
The destination community marketplace is crowded with cities vying for the destination community dollar. The likelihood that El Paso will fail to attract that destination community customer is far far greater than the likelihood that it will succeed. How long will it take, and how many more billions of debt, will it take to turn El Paso into the next San Diego, or Austin, or Las Vegas, or even Marfa?
Never and several billions? Most likely.
Coincidentally, the people advocating for the “destination city” will make money off the plan whether it works or not.
Isn’t it funny how, for some people, their “honest mistakes” always work to their benefit?
Until and unless elected officials remember what made El Paso, and what might keep it going (forget about this constant litany of growth for its own sake), we have little hope. We need local people to work with the federal government to relax the border crossing process. We should be pushing to get the CBP Gestapo away from the border itself, and let them set up down the highways outside the City. Re-establish the sister city concept. Let locals freely cross the border at will for more than commerce. Make El Paso shopping attractive to Mexicans who live as far away as Guadalajara want to come here again for shopping. Believe it or not, that used to be rather common. When we were younger, we used to expect and receive visitors from all over Chihuahua (at least) constantly, because there we so many advantages for them to buy so much here. Actually, imho, some of the baubles and toys we’ve been paying for over the last several years might begin to show real profits if we open up the city, instead of keeping it closed.
Well said John Dungan.
El Paso neeeds to preserve and promote what makes it special: its 9 Historic Districts. Heritage tourism is a multi billion dollar industry and El Paso is missing the boat on this.
Not really. Savannah and Atlanta Knoxville Memphis are known for antebellum mansions. Our heritage isnt interesting to most. Why would anyone visit when its cheaper to stay in a 40 gloor room in corpus Christi overlooking the bay or in port aransas and go deep sea fishing. Ot to barton springs in austin. Or riverwalk in san Antonio. We have nothing. I went to jury duty last week and walked to the cvs on mesa. Slum. Homeless. Kipps cheesesteak closed. Nothing interesting and i drink to find interest in things. Georges pawn shop is more interesting than el paso. Poncho villas finger smelled like rotten tijuana hooker and i liked it