All those QoL projects are stupid. I think that none of them will significantly improve anyone’s real Quality of Life, except for the real estate speculators, and the people the City hires to build them. But of all those stupid Quality of Life projects, I think the downtown arena is the stupidest of them all.
Do we really need another arena to enhance the downtown experience? We’ve already got the Plaza Theatre, the Union Plaza entertainment district, and the ballpark. We’ve got bars, and hotels, and apartments. We’ve got rental bikes. We’ve got Pokemon Go.
What is that arena going to do that the Coliseum can’t? Or the Haskins Center? Or the Civic Center? Why, really, are we building a $180 million arena?
Let’s take that $180 million and put it towards the Chicano Cultural Memorial Center. Or bike paths. Or a monorail. Or dental care for low income El Pasoans.
Or better yet, let’s not spend it at all.
Who, exactly, is so all het up for the downtown arena? Is there some cultural undercurrent of which I’m not aware? Some subset of society who aren’t content with the Haskins? Is it a cabal of futsal bookies?
Is it someone who thinks they’re too good for the Cow Palace?
Ha!
Wouldn’t it be cool if someone on City Council stood up and said, “Wait a minute.” And then read this post verbatim.
Or they could paraphrase. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings.
Amen! I agree completely. Still do not understand the entire QoL BS. Beyond that, I seriously doubt if many of them will ever come to pass, but the one that really, really needs to stop and die in its tracks is this wasteful idea of yet another arena in a city which is not exactly on the list of those that famous entertainers are dying to visit. So, let’s see if just one council member will grow a pair, and speak up for the citizens of El Paso.
The Plaza Theater cost tens of millions to renovate (and killed a few small, local establishments in the process–Sojourns, I still miss you!) and it has become like a luxurious new couch no one is allowed to sit on. It’s only used for the film festival once a year and some safe bets on big name acts along the way and that’s pretty much it. It’s beautiful but isn’t used enough. I can’t wrap my little brain around why they wouldn’t want to keep it moving all year with cult movies as well as the blockbusters. Why why why (not)?