This is 'Metro 31': City Reveals Northgate SmartCode Project Details

Hunt Development Group Proposal Awaits Council Approval

Update: City Council has approved the project.  Read More >>

Original Story: 
The City of El Paso has unveiled details on the planned 31-acre transit-oriented mixed-use project slated for the former Northpark Mall site in Northeast El Paso at the corner of Dyer Street and Diana Drive. The proposal, submitted by Hunt Development Group, will be considered by Council on December 2, 2014.

This concept image shows a residential area within Metro 31, the SmartCode development planned for Northeast El Paso. (City Council Agenda)

Renderings of the project, which is called Metro 31 in several places within the development agreement, show buildings laid out in an urban fashion with little to no setbacks from streets. Structures are of varying height and scale, with some apartment buildings rising four stories.

City to Lease Two Restaurant Spaces in Public Buildings Downtown, Near UTEP

Two City of El Paso buildings will get new restaurant tenants, according to this week's City Council agenda. The City2 building and the Glory Road Transit Terminal may see eateries in the coming months.

A Schlotzsky's restaurant will lease storefront space at the City's Mulligan Building in Downtown El Paso, one of two retail spaces in the historic structure. (City of El Paso)

City2, the civic name given to the historic Mulligan Building in Downtown El Paso, has two storefronts for lease, and a Schlotzsky's sandwich shop is poised to open up in one of the spaces. The building is located at 218 N. Campbell Street, across the street from City Hall.

Whole Foods Market Site Plan Revealed, Includes Adjacent Shopping Center

Whole Foods Market officially announced its El Paso location two weeks ago, verifying that it will build a new store on North Mesa Street on the West Side. Now, a rezoning application filed with the City shows the potential site plan for the property on which the grocery store will sit.

The site plan for a development which includes a Whole Foods Market shows its proposed location in West El Paso. An adjacent center may include restaurant, retail, and office uses. (Original Site Plan: City Council Agenda)

Plans show a 45,000 square foot store with a 5,000 square foot mezzanine for a total of 50,000 square feet of space for the Whole Foods Market, which will go up at the corner of North Mesa Street and Pitt Street, about 600 feet east of North Resler Drive. It will be situated towards the back of the property with parking located on the north and east sides of the building.

See New Renderings of Savoy Apartment Loft Units Slated for Downtown El Paso

Construction is expected to begin soon on the Savoy Loft Apartments project in Downtown El Paso, and now an architect involved with the development has posted renderings of what the loft units may look like once completed.

Rendering of the living/dining area of a unit at the coming Savoy Loft Apartments in Downtown El Paso. (www.insituarc.com)

The renderings show relatively narrow, modern spaces with historic touches such as exposed brick walls.

Loop 375 Extension Now Called 'Border West Expressway'

State and local officials held a groundbreaking this week for the now renamed Border West Expressway project in West El Paso. The project, formerly known as Border Highway West, will create a tolled expressway and complete the loop around the city.

The Border West Expressway will be a tollway for 5.6 miles from West El Paso near Sunland Park to Downtown. (TXDOT)

The largest part of the 7.4 mile project will be the construction of a four-lane tollway stretching from Racetrack Drive on the West Side to Loop 375's current terminus at Santa Fe Street south of Downtown El Paso. Racetrack Drive is located along Paisano Drive just south of Interstate 10 in the vicinity of Sunland Park Drive.

Site Plan Shows More Redd Road Crossing Details

The site plan for a future retail development in West El Paso is now available, offering a peak into what the shopping center will eventually offer.

Redd Road Crossing in West El Paso may include a grocery store and new restaurants, according to the latest site plan. (www.ropelpaso.com)

Redd Road Crossing is a 15-acre traditional shopping center planned for the corner of Desert South Boulevard and Redd Road which will include 118,700 square feet of leasable space, according to the developer's website.

Airport Hotels Suing City of El Paso and Westin Developer

Two (possibly three) hotel operators near the El Paso International Airport are suing the City of El Paso and EP Vida, LLC, the developer of the high-rise Westin Hotel and attached retail complex that are planned for airport land.

The timeline for the Acequia Park hotel/retail project near the El Paso airport has shifted multiple times. A lawsuit naming the developer, EP Vida, will be discussed in Executive Session at the next City Council meeting. (Ronkot Design Vimeo Channel)

The City is scheduled to discuss two items in executive session on Tuesday, November 11, 2014, relating to EP Vida, which wants to build the Acequia Park hotel and retail complex that would include the Westin brand. The first item is the pending legal case while the second regards the Chapter 380 incentives package approved for the project last year.

Will Whole Foods go up in West El Paso?

Whole Foods Market revealed plans to build twelve new stores in an earnings report today, including the first El Paso location. However, no other details regarding the El Paso location were announced.

After years of public outcry asking for a store to open up in the Sun City, Whole Foods Market states in the earnings report that a lease has already been signed. So where in El Paso will it be built?