Family Dollar to Replace Three Buildings in Central El Paso

National discount retailer Family Dollar plans to construct a brand new store in Central El Paso where three structures currently stand. The plan was revealed in a recent Detailed Site Development Plan Review through the City of El Paso.

The site plan for the future Family Dollar in Central El Paso shows it will have zero setbacks along both Fort Boulevard and Piedras Street.

Family Dollar plans to build a 8,470 square foot store after demolishing three structures at the corner of Fort Boulevard and Piedras Street, including one commercial and two residential buildings.

Brand new apartments planned near the Downtown El Paso ballpark?

A recently discovered rendering shows a possible new infill apartment complex planned for a property near Southwest University Park in Downtown El Paso. The simply named Franklin Apartments have made an appearance at a local architecture firm's website.

The Franklin Apartments, pictured in this rendering, could go up on West Franklin Ave. in Downtown El Paso. (www.exigoarch.com)

No specific location details are available, but the rendering shows the apartment structures on a vacant property on West Franklin Avenue about 800 feet west of the Downtown ballpark which is home to the El Paso Chihuahuas Triple-A baseball club.

H&M Opens Thursday at Cielo Vista Mall

H&M will open its second El Paso store on Thursday at Cielo Vista Mall on the East Side. The popular apparel retailer opened an outlet store earlier this year on the West Side at the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso.

A screenshot of H&M's grand opening event at the retailer's Facebook page. (facebook.com/hm)

The new Cielo Vista store is a larger, 29,000 square foot location which occupies two levels next to Macy's on the mall's east end.

Aldea Developer Seeks Incentives Agreement for I-10 Overpass Construction

The developer of the future Aldea SmartCode project in West El Paso is seeking a Chapter 380 incentives agreement for construction of a freeway overpass adjacent to the property.

A new overpass is planned at Interstate 10 for Mesa Park Drive, the main thoroughfare that will take I-10 commuters into and out of the 196 acre Aldea development. Mesa Park will cross I-10 about three quarters of a mile north of Executive Center Boulevard.

The new Mesa Park Drive overpass is denoted here by a green arrow. The new interchange will provided access to the Aldea El Paso project on the West Side. (Schematic: City Council Agenda)

The agreement would provide Geltmore, LLC, the developer, with incentives in the form of rebates on the City's portion of sales and use tax. The incentive could total between $3.7 million and $4.7 million, depending on the cost of construction. The rebates will be calculated on sales by retailers within the Aldea development.

Update: City Approves 'Metro 31' Mixed Use Project for Northeast El Paso

City Council voted unanimously today to approve the new SmartCode, mixed-use project planned for Northeast El Paso at the former Northpark Mall property. This gives Hunt Development Group the green light from the City to move forward with final design and construction for the vacant 31-acre property.

An artistic rendering of the western entrance to the Metro 31 development off of Diana Street, coming to Northeast El Paso in the next few years. (City Council Agenda)

Up next, Hunt will seek a similar incentives agreement from the County of El Paso worth $5 million, which would add to the $13.7 million that City approved.

Read our previous story from November 28, 2014: This is 'Metro 31': City Reveals Northgate SmartCode Project Details

Developer Buys Entire Block in Downtown El Paso

National developer Hunt Companies, headquartered in El Paso, has purchased an entire Downtown block, according to an El Paso Inc. story.

The property in question is bounded by Mesa Street, Missouri Avenue, Oregon Street, and Wyoming Avenue. It is home to a two-story bank building on one side and a surface parking lot on the other half. Hunt also purchased a motor bank across Missouri Avenue.