El Paso, Texas has been working since 2012 to build an arena in the city’s downtown, but on Tuesday, voters said ‘no’ to continuing work on the project. The initial $180 million bond was approved by 72% of voters when it appeared on the ballot in 2012.
Now, with $128.5 million still unused, 56% of voters supported a proposition that would no longer allow the city to borrow the remaining funds to build the arena.
According to El Paso Matters, “This vote effectively halts plans for the long-proposed arena under the original bond, which despite its strong support in 2012 has been mired in controversy over its location, size and scope for more than a decade.”
The intended arena was meant to serve as a multi-purpose space for entertainment, sports and arts. It was originally pitched to the community as one part of a three-part project that also included a children’s museum and Mexican American Cultural Center. Both the museum and cultural center are opening this year.
Voters voiced concerns about the potential locations for the arena, which included Union Depot and the Duranguito neighborhood where the city has recently purchased lots of land.
Prior to the final vote, Karla Nieman, city attorney of El Paso, said, “It’s hard to tell exactly what might happen next. We’re in the middle of an election and it’s going to be a new council. … Irrespective of the results, it’s going to be up to the council to decide how to move forward.”
The public opposition to the arena doesn’t mean that the city has no path forward to building one. It simply means they cannot use the remaining bond money to do so. Future city councils could pursue other funding opportunities or present a new bond system to the public for a vote.
