Opening Day Arrives

El Paso Chihuahuas Set to Play First True Home Game

Chico, the El Paso Chihuahuas mascot.
(El Paso Chihuahuas)

Many months of construction and tens of millions of dollars later, the brand new baseball stadium in Downtown El Paso will host its first game ever tonight. The El Paso Chihuahuas Triple-A team will take on the Fresno Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m. in a game that sold out months back.

The stadium will not be 100% complete when the doors open to the public in the early evening, though those areas vital to the game's operation are expected to be up and running, including most public areas.

According to the Chihuahuas website, the total cost of the park is $74 million. Construction crews have been racing against the clock, and team officials earlier this year opted to play the team's first official home stand in Tucson to allow more time to ready the Downtown El Paso ballpark, moving opening day from April 11 to April 28.

Southwest University Stadium gets a final drenching before opening day in Downtown El Paso. (El Paso Chihuahuas)

Last year, the former City Hall building was demolished to make way for the stadium, which will seat 7,500 but has room for larger crowds, such as today's expected 9,000 plus. Recently, the team's mascot Chico was introduced, and the park's official name, Southwest University Park, was announced.

Tickets are still available for other games in the eight-game home stand and can be purchased at the box office or at epchihuahuas.com.

Planned Campbell Apartments Pictured In Rendering

A concept rendering of the Campbell Apartments, a 88-unit mixed use project planned for a neighborhood near Downtown El Paso, has been posted at the website of the architectural firm behind the design, EXIGO Architecture (www.exigoarch.com).

Rendering of Campbell Apartments. (www.exigoarch.com)

The rendering includes four levels, which was the original design. The latest plan includes a fifth level of apartments.

Read our previous story regarding the Campbell Apartments: Design Changes for Apartment Project Near Downtown

Mixed-Use Apartments Proposed for West El Paso

Two Four-Story Buildings to Include Housing, Commercial Spaces

A rezoning application with the City Plan Commission reveals a mixed-use apartment complex planned for West El Paso. Two four-story buildings will make up the project, located on De Leon Drive, just off North Mesa Street.

(City of El Paso, City Plan Commission)

The project includes a total of 16 apartments, including 12 two-bedroom and four one-bedroom units, spread between both buildings. The apartments comprise a total area of 16,064 square feet.

Less Than One Week Left for Stadium

Crews Have Only Six Days Until Triple-A Home Opener

In just six days, the seats at the brand new Triple-A ballpark will be filled to capacity in the very first game for the El Paso Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park. Construction crews are working non-stop to ensure the stadium will be ready for opening day on April 28, 2014.

The field at the Downtown ballpark is lush with green grass. Construction is ongoing behind right field. (Armando Landin/El Paso Development News)

A tour of the stadium on Saturday made clear that there is much left to do before the gates open to the public. Construction workers seem to be working on every level, installing wiring, laying pavers, and generally honing in on the details that need finishing up.

The concourse, which was somewhat soaked from an afternoon downpour, has clear views of the field. Concession stands and carts sit ready to be filled with food and drink.

Stenciled wayfinding signage is included along the concourse at Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso. (Armando Landin/El Paso Development News)

The team store has empty shelves and display units awaiting merchandise like t-shirts and baseball caps. It is accessible from the concourse level. Nearby, elevators will take game attendees to and from the upper concourse as well as to the suite levels on the upper floors.

Weekly Edition, Issue 52

The Weekly Edition, Issue 52 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• One Week Left for Stadium: Crews Have Only Seven Days Until Triple-A Home Opener
• Mixed-Use Apartments Proposed for West El Paso: Two Four Story Buildings to Include Housing, Commercial Spaces
• Planned Campbell Apartments Pictured in Rendering

>>> GO TO THE WEEKLY EDITION <<<

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TxDOT to Present Proposed I-10 Collector-Distributor Design

Public Hearing Set For End of April

The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) will hold a public meeting on April 30, 2014, to provide progress details on the proposed Interstate 10 Collector-Distributor (C-D) lanes. The project stretches from Executive Center Boulevard to Mesa Street in West El Paso.

(Texas Department of Transportation)

The C-D lanes will be additional, outside lanes that run parallel to the main lanes in the center of the freeway. C-D lanes will “collect and distribute” vehicles entering and exiting the freeway along the 5.75-mile stretch of I-10. This allows traffic in the main lanes to flow for several miles without having to deal with on- and off-ramps.

Digital Wall to Be Housed in Protective Pavilion

Museum of History Chooses New Design for Entrance Plaza

The project to bring the country’s first TouchCity Digital Wall to the El Paso Museum of History took another step forward recently when officials chose the tentative design for a pavilion that will protect the new installation.

A 1,661 square foot pavilion will protect the future TouchCity Digital Wall and its users at the El Paso Museum of History. (Courtesy MNK Architects)

Designed by MNK Architects of El Paso (www.mnkarchitects.com), the 1,661 square foot pavilion features a protective roof with distinctive angles, new signage for the museum and the Digital Wall, and materials that both distinguish it and marry it to the existing building. In effect, it will serve as an entrance plaza to the Museum’s exhibit spaces.

The Digital Wall itself will be attached to the south-facing wall of the museum building, to the west of the existing entrance doors. The five screens that make up the Digital Wall will be enclosed in an insulated structure, supplied by EuropTec USA of West Virginia, a company specializing in anti-glare glass.

A solar study was conducted using 3-D imaging to determine how the path of the sun will affect the pavilion. (Courtesy MNK Architects)

The protective glass will actually float above the screens, allowing a 1/8 of an inch gap of air. It will have a LUXAR antireflective coating to lessen glare, and will include an easy-to-clean treatment that will lessen effects of fingerprints from users. Dust-proof enclosures will protect HyperSound speakers from dust.

Sun Metro to Offer Park & Ride to Chihuahuas Games

Service to Run on Opening Day, Then Fridays-Sundays

Baseball fans attending the El Paso Chihuahuas Triple-A baseball opening game may not have to try and find parking Downtown. Sun Metro will offer Park+Ride service from five different locations around the city when the brand new baseball stadium is broken in on April 28, 2014.

(www.sunmetro.net)

Park+Ride locations include: the Mission Valley Transfer Center on Alameda Avenue; the Westside Transfer Center on Remcon Circle; the Northeast Transit Terminal on Dyer Street; the Eastside Transit Terminal at Cielo Vista Mall; and the Park and Ride location at Edgemere Boulevard and R.C. Poe Road in Far East El Paso.

Weekly Edition, Issue 51

The Weekly Edition, Issue 51 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• Digital Wall to Be Housed in Protective Pavilion: Museum of History Chooses New Design for Entrance Plaza
• Sun Metro to Offer Park & Ride to Chihuahuas Games: Service to Run Opening Day, Then Fridays-Sundays
• TXDOT to Present Proposed I-10 Collector-Distributor Design: Public Hearing Set for End of April
• Get a Sneak Peak at Airway Aesthetics Project Sculptures
• Men's Clothier Haggar Added to Outlet Shoppes Lineup

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UTEP Construction Updates

Centennial Plaza, Sun Bowl Drive Work Continues

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has seen many months of major construction throughout campus, and the fruits of that labor is starting to take shape.

Progress continues along Sun Bowl Drive, which is being widened into a four-lane road. Current work is focused on the school’s third roundabout, located at its intersection with Glory Road, just north of Sun Bowl Stadium.

Crews work on the Sun Bowl/Glory Road roundabout project at UTEP. (UTEP News)

Although the intersection is closed, Sun Bowl Drive remains open to traffic. Officials expect that the intersection will be temporarily opened for the May 17 commencement ceremony that will take place at the Sun Bowl. Final completion is expected in the summer.

Haggar Added to Outlet Shoppes Lineup

Men’s Clothier to Open April 12

The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso is adding another retailer new to the region. Haggar will open a factory store at the center this weekend.

The retailer was created in 1926 in Dallas, where it is still based. Haggar even coined the term “slacks” in 1938, according to a press release. It currently has over 70 factory stores throughout the United Stated and Canada. The El Paso store will offer apparel at 30 to 70 percent off regular prices.

El Paso Rent Growth 2nd Fastest In U.S.

Rental rates in the Sun City have risen faster in the last five years than cities like New York and San Francisco. That’s according to the online investment analysis site Nerd Wallet, which compiled a list of cities with the fastest-growing rents.


Via:  NerdWallet

Since 2009, rent has risen 33.5% in El Paso, largely in part to a major increase in demand due to an economy bolstered by Fort Bliss. This puts El Paso at number two on the list. The site states that a thriving energy industry and a large presence of federal regulatory agencies also add to the local economy.

Ballpark to Pursue LEED-Silver Certification

With the finishing touches being put on Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso, the City is now highlighting the structure’s level of sustainability. The Engineering and Construction Management Department of the City of El Paso will seek LEED-Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council.

A recent aerial photograph of Southwest University Park, released by ZTEX Construction, shows newly placed sod on the field. (ZTEX Construction)

The LEED designation—LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design—is described by the Council as “a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.”

Retail Roundup: Two New Eateries Open at 'Fountains'

Craze, La Madeleine Latest to Open Doors on the Promenade

La Madeleine Country French Café is now open
in El Paso. (Fountains at Farah)

Two new eateries are the latest to open in the Promenade lifestyle section of the Fountains at Farah shopping center in East El Paso. La Madeleine Country French Café and Craze Yogurt Lounge have opened their doors at the center.

La Madeleine, a franchise venture of local businesspersons Paul Foster and Alejandra de la Vega Foster, specializes in fresh-baked baguettes, bold espressos, and delicate pastries. The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Retail Roundup: Tilted Kilt to Open in West El Paso

Chain Brings Sports Pub Experience with Scottish Twist

A national sports pub chain will open a new location in West El Paso this summer. The Tilted Kilt, a Celtic-themed restaurant and bar whose servers wear Scottish kilts, will open its sixth Texas location in the Sun City.

"Tilted Kilt is ecstatic to be opening this new location in El Paso and continue to expand across the market," states Teo Regalado, the Tilted Kilt franchise owner in El Paso, in a press release. 

"The Tilted Kilt concept continues to flourish and grow as people seek more convenient, casual dining options with a unique ambiance, innovative menu options and unbeatable hospitality."

According to the press release, the sports pub’s theme will combine “Celtic décor, humorous and slightly bawdy limericks and sexy cast members with great food, drinks and a fun entertaining atmosphere.”

Weekly Edition, Issue 50

The Weekly Edition, Issue 50 has arrived! Take a look at the newest issue of our Weekly Edition, by clicking HERE. (Note: The newsletter will open in PDF format.)

In this edition:

• Tilted Kilt to Open in West El Paso: Chain Brings Sport Pub Experience with Scottish Twist
• Two New Eateries Open at 'Fountains': Craze, La Madeleine Latest to Open Doors on the Promenade
• Ballpark to Pursue LEED-Silver Certification
• UTEP Construction Updates: Centennial Plaza, Sun Bowl Drive Work Continues

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Under One Month Left for Downtown Stadium

Sod Goes In, Concessions Menu Announced for Triple-A Ballpark

Crews at the Triple-A ballpark construction site in Downtown El Paso began laying down the infield sod on Friday, exactly one month before opening day for the brand new stadium. The Bermuda grass being used was grown at a sod farm in central Texas.

Sprinklers drench recently laid sod at the Downtown El Paso ballpark . (El Paso Chihuahuas)

Construction is ongoing as workers race to beat the clock and open the stadium on time on April 28, 2014. The El Paso Chihuahuas Triple-A baseball team will take the field at the 7,500-seat ballpark in what will be the first official game in the Sun City.

West Elm to Open at Fountains at Farah

A national home furnishings and décor chain will open a new location this fall at the Fountains at Farah shopping center in East El Paso. West Elm will open a 22,000 square foot space at the center, according to El Diario de El Paso.

The West Elm store will be located in the Promenade lifestyle section of the Fountains, and may occupy one of the two-story spaces near the middle of the center. West Elm is a subsidiary of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

2nd Charrette to be Held for Upper Valley Property

Findings from First Community Design Meeting Released

Long before ground is broken on the newest neighborhood in El Paso’s Upper Valley, developers and City officials will hold their second public meeting discussing and drawing ideas for the 120 acre development on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.

These were the most and least liked images
for commercial spaces during the
charrette in January. (City of El Paso)

UV120, a local land development partnership, is holding the meetings in coordination with the City of El Paso’s Planning Division to get the public’s feedback on how the future neighborhood should be designed, what amenities it should include, and how the land plan should be laid out.

During the first meeting, which was held January 30, 2014, officials showed participants different general images in the categories of housing, thoroughfares, commercial, parks & open space, civic buildings, amenities, and canal-scapes. Attendees used stickers to indicate which version of each category they preferred.