West El Paso Tower Plan Canceled

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.

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.

26-Story Tower Proposed for Downtown El Paso

By Armando Landin   

Plans are in the works to bring a 26-story, mixed-use tower to El Paso's downtown. The brand new addition to the city's skyline would include a mix of retail spaces, hotel rooms, and apartments, at the corner of Mills Avenue and Campbell Street.

A 26-story mixed-use building has been proposed for Downtown El Paso. (Kobi Karp Architecture via City of El Paso)

An eight-level parking garage is also part of the overall structure.

Lofts Breathe New Life Into Historic Five Points Building

By Armando Landin     

The historic Five Points neighborhood in Central El Paso has seen a steady resurgence in recent years, and a recently completed renovation project is adding loft apartments to the mix.

Left: Stairs lead to the street level entrance of the Stevens Block 3 Lofts in Central El Paso. Right: A newly renovated loft space still includes historic touches such as exposed brick. (Courtesy Hiett, Pharr & Associates)

Stevens Block 3 Lofts are now open at 801 North Piedras Street on the second level of the historic Stevens Building, built in 1921.

Avalon West: Phase One of New Desert Pass Development

By Armando Landin
 
A new project featuring apartment homes in West El Paso is the first part of a multi-phase development bringing residential and commercial uses to a long-vacant area off of Interstate 10 and Resler Drive.

The Avalon West apartment community is the first project to open along Desert Pass Street, a new area between Remcon Circle and Resler Drive in West El Paso. (Courtesy Maria Nuzzo/Bohannon Development)

Avalon West, an apartment community that will be built in two phases, officially opened its doors on July 22, 2016.

Artspace El Paso Lofts Now Accepting Applications

By Armando Landin

Artspace officials are now accepting applications, effective September 1, 2016, from those interested in securing a spot in the Artspace El Paso Lofts.

A rendering of the upcoming Artspace El Paso Lofts, scheduled to open in November in Downtown El Paso. (Artspace)

Applications will be considered on a first come, first served basis and can be submitted at the El Paso Community Foundation during regular business hours, located at 333 North Oregon Street in Downtown El Paso.

New Details Emerge for Montecillo Town Center

By Armando Landin   

A greater number of apartments and less street retail space are some of the details discovered in recent renderings and leasing listings for the Montecillo Town Center, the smart growth development currently under construction in West El Paso.

Retail and mixed-use buildings surround a plaza at the future Montecillo Town Center, currently under construction on El Paso's West Side. (EPT Communities)

As vertical construction nears, we're getting a clearer picture of the final layout for the buildings that will make up the Town Center and the form those buildings will take.

Artspace Lofts Applications Available August 15th

Several Application Workshops Also Scheduled

By Armando Landin

Residents interested in applying for a live/work unit at the upcoming Artspace Lofts can pick up an application beginning next week through the El Paso Community Foundation.

The Artspace El Paso Lofts, currently under construction Downtown, will release applications to potential residents beginning August 15, 2016. (Artspace)

Artspace officials will hold an "Application Release Celebration" on August 15, 2016, at Cafe Mayapan from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., located at 2000 Texas Avenue, east of Downtown El Paso.

See Before and After Street Views of Major El Paso Projects

By Armando Landin

Apartment rental site RENTCafé has compiled a series of eleven before and after Street View images of major projects in El Paso.

This screenshot shows an image slider at the RENTCafé website that allows El Pasoans to see the Street View from the same spot and how it's changed from 2007 to 2015. Here, the Venue at Montecillo apartment buildings line Mesa Street in the newer image. (RENTCafé)

The sliders on the images at the site allow El Pasoans to view the changing streetscape by dragging the arrow bars left and right. The right side of each image depicts the Street View in 2007 while the left side shows the same spot in 2015.

$15M North Loop Apartments Break Ground

By Armando Landin   

The developer of a brand new apartment complex in El Paso's Lower Valley broke ground last week on the $15 million project that will provide more housing options to residents in the area.

Executives of WestStar Bank and Exigo Architecture are joined by City Representative Claudia Ordaz (second from right) and North Loop Apartments president Hamilton Peck (third from right) at recent groundbreaking for the $15 million residential project in El Paso's Lower Valley. (ZTEX Construction)

This marks the start of construction on the North Loop Apartments which will bring 214 units to a vacant lot near the intersection of North Loop Drive and Loop 375/Americas Avenue.

Montecillo Teases Home Buying Options

By Armando Landin   

As the Montecillo smart growth community's progress moves slowly but surely to the west, its home-buying options are getting a little clearer.

A group of "Spanish" townhomes in this rendering line a street at the Montecillo development in West El Paso. (EPT Communities)

Construction should begin soon in an area that will be comprised of townhomes and single family homes not too far from the existing apartment buildings just off of Mesa Street in West El Paso.

Plaza Hotel Renovations Moving Forward

Update: Work on the Plaza Hotel should start after renovations to the nearby Hotel Paso del Norte begin, according to the El Paso Inc. story. The tentative sale and planned renovation of the Paso del Norte has convinced Paul Foster that the Plaza Hotel project will now be viable.

Original Story:

The vacant Plaza Hotel tower in Downtown El Paso could soon see activity related to its long-awaited renovation.

The vacant Plaza Hotel in Downtown El Paso will proceed with renovations to return it to its glory days as a hotel, shown at left in this rendering. The Mills Building is to the right with the Hotel Paso del Norte in the background. (Mills Plaza Properties)

The El Paso County Historical Commission indicated on its Facebook page over the weekend that businessman Paul Foster has announced the project will proceed.

Downtown El Paso Alive with Investment

A Comprehensive List of Downtown Projects   

By Armando Landin   

A couple of years back, it was the hope of City officials that a new baseball stadium and other Quality of Life projects would breathe new life into Downtown revitalization efforts and spur private investment in El Paso's largely-ignored center.

Downtown El Paso is seeing a clear surge of investment with private and public projects spread throughout the area. 

The Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas are now in their third season, and two short years after Southwest University Park opened its gates on the site of the former City Hall, signs of burgeoning investment are becoming clear.

West El Paso Tower Approved by City Council

By Armando Landin   

City Council has unanimously approved a rezoning change that will allow the 22-story Shadow Mountain development in West El Paso to proceed.

The City of El Paso has approved the 22-story Shadow Mountain mixed use project on the West Side. (Meyers Group)

In a special meeting held solely to consider the project on July 19, 2016, City Representatives heard from members of the community on both sides of the issue, those supporting and those opposed to the tower.

Canyons at Cimarron Bringing 'Casual Lifestyle' Shopping Center to West El Paso

By Armando Landin   

A new, "casual lifestyle" shopping center is headed to West El Paso and will be located in the Cimarron master planned community.

This rendering depicts one of the "Main Street" areas of the future Canyons at Cimarron, planned for West El Paso. (EP Riverbend Development)

The Canyons at Cimarron will be an open air, walkable center which will include 92,000 square feet of space for retail, restaurant, and office uses.

Artspace Holding Info, Meet & Greet Sessions

By Armando Landin

Residents interested in moving into the Artspace Lofts in Downtown El Paso will have two opportunities next week to get information on how to apply.

The Artspace El Paso Lofts, shown in this rendering, will open this fall, and officials are holding community meetings to provide information on the building and living at the lofts. (Artspace)

Officials will hold an Info Session on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at Cafe Mayapan from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Artspace Staff will be on hand providing information on living in the building, the application process, and the project timeline.

Update: City Postpones Vote on West Side Tower

Update: The El Paso City Council has postponed a vote on the Shadow Mountain development, stating the rezoning application will be considered in one week. City Council no longer holds weekly meetings, so it's unclear if the City will hold a special meeting or actually means the vote will be postponed until the next regular meeting on July 29, 2016. We will update the date of the vote when it is official.

Original Story:

Monday, July 11, 2016

El Paso City Representatives will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow a 22-story tower to go up on the West Side. City Council will vote on a rezoning request at its biweekly meeting.

The El Paso City Council will decide the fate of the proposed 22-story Shadow Mountain tower at its July 11, 2016 meeting. The existing Coronado Tower is to the right. (Meyers Group)

The project, located at 201 Shadow Mountain Drive, just east of the Sunland Park Drive and Mesa Street intersection, requires a General Mixed Use zone to allow for hotel, residential, and retail uses within the same building.

New Westside Tower Stirs Up Opposing Views

By Armando Landin

Supporters of a proposed 22-story tower in West El Paso have set up a Facebook page and online petition that urges City Council to approve the ambitious project unveiled in April.

Shadow Mountain Tower would rise 22-stories in West El Paso, as seen in this rendering. City Council will consider approving the project in the coming weeks. (Meyers Group)

Meanwhile, opponents have also setup an online petition calling for the City to deny the required zoning change for the project unless the height of the tower is lowered or it is moved to Downtown El Paso.

Artspace El Paso Lofts to Open November 2016

Construction is ongoing at the Artspace Lofts site in Downtown El Paso, and residents will be able to move in as soon as November.

This rendering shows what the Artspace El Paso Lofts will look like once completed, scheduled to open in November in Downtown El Paso. (Artspace/HHL Architects)

According to the official website, Artspace will begin taking resident applications on September 1, 2016 from those interested in living in one of the lofts. Officials hope to have the apartments ready for occupancy by mid- to late-November.