Mayor Cook’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on PSB Land
Management met yesterday. You can read my
post on what happened. That post
includes the complete presentation on land management given by Pat Adauto. It’s
an education. It also includes the resolution proposed by the PSB and passed by
the Committee as that resolution was finally amended. Finally, the good news:
the Committee rescinded its earlier proposal which in essence stripped the PSB
of its land management role especially determining inexpediency.
The ballpark issue remains controversial. This evening
several City Council representatives are giving town hall meetings to discuss
that issue. City Representatives Steve Ortega, Dr. Michiel Noe,
Cortney Niland, Ann Morgan Lilly, Emma Acosta and Susie Byrd will host these
meetings from 7 to 8 p.m. The purpose of
the meetings was announced this way: “City Reps. want to ensure that the public
has the correct information on the downtown ballpark project.”
Meeting locations
are as follows:
- Mission
Valley Regional Command - 9011
Escobar Dr. (Ortega & Noe)
- Westside
Regional Command - 4801
Osborne Dr. (Niland & Lilly)
- Nolan
Richardson Rec. Center - 4435
Maxwell Ave. (Acosta & Byrd)
Get more information online
as well.
Whether you
approve or disapprove the new ballpark or tearing down City Hall and the
Insights Museum (and these are emotionally charged issues), there seems to be a
common perception that the deals went down in the dark of night without citizen
input or involvement. What adds to the alarm is that these issues are
coterminous with the Quality of Life Bonds and in the context of an economy
still hurting which translated means that people are still hurting. One of the
Quality of Life bonds is titled “MUSEUM, CULTURAL, PERFORMING ARTS, AND
LIBRARY FACILITIES PROPOSITION”.
Hidden in that is the downtown arena. I for one am having a hard time
justifying building an arena/performing arts facility when we are building a
ballpark, HOT tax notwithstanding.
Finally, and this is what has bothered me the most and keeps bothering me
– there is a persistent rumor that the City Manager’s undisclosed plan is to
tear down the Abraham Chavez Performing Arts Center (and, of course, Convention
Center) and replace it with that “arena” per the bond. Symphony lovers have
long complained about the acoustics of the Plaza theater and have indicated a
preference for Chavez Center. Unfortunately, the very powerful El Paso Community Foundation insists otherwise.
Talk about colonialism.
Hey Jim, I don't think its so much a rumour, the city has outright come out and said they are looking into tearing down the Abaraham Chavez and turning the convention center into a multi-purpose Arena. I think the Symphony sounds great at the Plaza but those my two cents.
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