Zoo, park, museum, and sports facility projects are all part of the upcoming Quality of Life propositions that will appear on the November 6 general election ballot, and a
new website is making clear exactly what types of projects El Pasoans will see if the items pass:
http://www.elpasobonds2012.com/.
Three items will appear on the ballot, and the website offers many details about them, including which projects fall under which propositions, the cost to an average homeowner, and details about each project.
Proposition One is worth $245 million and includes:
• New parks as well as park improvements like shade canopies, play structures, field lights, and new landscaping,
• Multiple new soccer fields, including a championship tournament field,
• The creation of new walking and biking trails, trail heads, and parking,
• Upgrades and expansion to current senior centers,
• Construction of a new, indoor competition pool facility, including a 50-meter pool, and major improvements to existing community pools, and
• Improvements to the Zoo, including an African Wildlife Theatre, a new Aquatic Exhibit, and a new Chihuahua Desert Experience.
The Zoo may see major improvements including a wildlife amphitheater to showcase demonstrations with live animals; a Chihuahua Desert exhibit, featuring rare wild and plant life native to our area, aquatic exhibits featuring South American penguins and a ray touch tank; new animals such as komodo dragons, red pandas, African painted dogs, flamingos, alligators, big cats, Asian rhinos, and birds of prey; a turtle-shaped reptile building; a large carousel featuring endangered species; an endangered species breeding center; and a Tree House Playground, Bug House, Fossil Finding Mine, and an open-air Ranch House.
Proposition Two is worth $228 million and includes:
• Significant upgrades to our libraries, including the main library and the regional facilities. It will also mean upgrades to our Bookmobiles, Techmobile, Express Libraries, and acquisition of new library materials
• Enhancements to our museums, and the construction of a new Children’s Museum.
• The installation of a “Touch City” interactive 3-D Digital Wall in our History Museum – the first wall of its kind in the United States
• A new Hispanic Cultural Center, highlighting our demographic makeup and the heritage and history of El Paso del Norte
• A new multi-purpose performing arts and entertainment facility – an enclosed, modern facility that can accommodate large-venue concerts and other events that we cannot currently handle here, such as NCAA regional basketball tournaments, major concerts, and theatrical shows.
The Children's Museum will be unlike anything the city has seen before, a brand new "30,000 square foot facility of interactive, educational exhibits with learning opportunities in the areas of science, arts, engineering, technology, and the environment." And the Multi-Purpose Arena would be built downtown and seat 17,000 people, which will help in attracting larger concerts and events that El Paso has missed out on in the past due to lack of adequate venue space.
The third proposition on the ballot would ask to approve a 2% increase in the Hotel Occupancy Tax to help pay for more than 70% of the cost of the upcoming downtown baseball stadium. (Read more about it in our post
here.)
The website contains a great amount of information about each project as well as at-a-glance looks at each proposition. Also included are messages of support from the Hunt Family Foundation, infographics, and a Frequenty Asked Questions section. A copyright notice indicates the website was created by the Paso Del Norte Group.
El Paso Bonds 2012 website:
http://www.elpasobonds2012.com/
Paso Del Norte Group website:
http://www.pasodelnortegroup.org/
Previously:
City Finalizes Quality of Life Ballot Questions
Quality of Life Items Narrowed Down; Streets Get $210M
The City of El Paso will receive an update this week on the 2014 Public Art Plan that will list projects already in progress as well as those expected to start this year.
Simplified floor plans of some City of El Paso points of interest are now part of Google Maps. City sites such as the Convention Center and Plaza Theater have floor-level details that may help visitors find their way around the buildings.
The Zoo may see major improvements including a wildlife amphitheater to showcase demonstrations with live animals; a Chihuahua Desert exhibit, featuring rare wild and plant life native to our area, aquatic exhibits featuring South American penguins and a ray touch tank; new animals such as komodo dragons, red pandas, African painted dogs, flamingos, alligators, big cats, Asian rhinos, and birds of prey; a turtle-shaped reptile building; a large carousel featuring endangered species; an endangered species breeding center; and a Tree House Playground, Bug House, Fossil Finding Mine, and an open-air Ranch House.
• A new Hispanic Cultural Center, highlighting our demographic makeup and the heritage and history of El Paso del Norte
The third proposition on the ballot would ask to approve a 2% increase in the Hotel Occupancy Tax to help pay for more than 70% of the cost of the upcoming downtown baseball stadium. (Read more about it in our post here.)
