Building a $180 miilion arena in Duranguito was a bad idea 10 years ago, and it’s a bad idea now, especially since the proposed size has shrunk and the costs have ballooned.
The current proposal is for an arena that seats 8,000 to 10,000. That’s about the same size as the Don Haskins Center. Who needs an arena the same size as the Don? I mean, El Paso already has an arena the same size at the Don. It’s the Don. And we don’t even have to pay for it.
El Paso taxpayers will be hit with the initial cost of construction, and then ongoing Operations and Maintenance. At least until the City files for bankruptcy.
The only possible return on that investment is collateral development. Maybe Hewlett Packard will relocate to El Paso because we have a 10,000 seat downtown arena. Am I right?
Of course not. El Paso will be stuck with a white elephant boondoggle that we’ll be feeding with tax dollars till we die.
I am opposed to any future vanity projects that will cost the taxpayers money without any significant return on investment.
(This is a political advertisement.)