By Armando Landin
Plans for a west side mixed-use tower have changed significantly, according to new plans released by the developer. The Avery Shadow Mountain project will no longer consist of a 22-story tower as the centerpiece of it's development. Meyers Group of Florida is the developer for the project.
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| An artistic rendering of the planned Avery Shadow Mountain mixed-use project in West El Paso. (Meyers Group/Exigo Architecture) |
Instead, the new plans show multiple four- and five-story buildings consisting of mostly residential apartments. The original plan included 228 apartments and 219 hotel rooms, for a total of 447 units, while the new plan consists of 293 apartment units and no hotel.
A 560-space parking garage is also included, down from 700 spaces in the original plan.
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| This rendering shows a bird's eye view perspective of the proposed Avery Shadow Mountain project in West El Paso. (Meyers Group/Exigo Architecture) |
Other areas of downsizing include a reduced retail area, down from 42,000 square feet to 2,559 square feet, a decrease of 94%. The overall maximum building height has been reduced from 256 feet to 79 feet.
(Previously: 22-Story Mixed-Use Tower Planned for West El Paso)
The new plan does include a 7,108 square foot restaurant planned for a corner of a building facing Shadow Mountain Drive. The retail space mentioned above also faces Shadow Mountain.
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| An overhead view of Avery Shadow Mountain, proposed for West El Paso. A pool deck is visible atop the planned parking garage. (Meyers Group/Exigo Architecture) |
Site plans show that a rooftop deck and swimming pool will be located atop the parking structure, on the northern side of the property. The garage itself is nestled within the area and will mostly sit hidden from outside view.
There will be multiple access points, according to the plans, with garage access via Pebble Beach Drive.
The new mixed-use rezoning request was approved by the City Plan Commission at its July 14, 2022 meeting and awaits City Council approval. The application is scheduled to be voted on by Council at its September 13 meeting.
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| A rendering of the now-canceled plan for Shadow Mountain Drive in West El Paso. (Kobi Karp Architecture via City of El Paso) |
Meyers Group previously won a controversial rezoning vote for the canceled 22-story tower project in 2016 and had planned to spend over $100 million developing the project. There has been no indication of the new development cost.
(Previously: West El Paso Tower Approved by City Council)
Interestingly, the website for the developer still contains an older description for Avery Shadow Mountain, including plans for two 20-story towers at the site (as of this writing).
The developer has had an interest in development projects in El Paso for several years, most notably renovating the historic Hotel Paso del Norte located Downtown. It is now part of Marriott Hotel's Autograph Collection.
Meyers Group also won a request for proposals in 2017 to develop a City-owned parking lot into a mixed-use tower in Downtown. That project never moved forward.
(Previously: 26-Story Tower Proposed for Downtown El Paso)