Elida S. Perez

El Paso Times

The city’s Historic Landmark Commission on Monday agreed to recommend that the City Council reconsider the Downtown arena site.

Commissioners voted unanimously to make the recommendation after trying to determine what if any recommendations or motions could be made. Commissioners William Helm and Don Luciano recused themselves from the vote.

Commissioner Daniel Cary-Whalen said the commission can make recommendations to the council, but the council has the final say in its decision-making process.

“They can do whatever they want,” Cary-Whalen said.

The site for the $180 million Downtown arena to be located south of the convention center has been met with opposition from community members, historic preservation advocates and area lawmakers.

The Historic Landmark Commission is an advisory board charged with making recommendations on the designation of historic landmarks and districts in El Paso to the City Council. The nine-member board also has the authority to grant certificates of appropriateness in compliance with historic guidelines.

After discussing its options, the commission agreed to make the recommendation that council consider another site.

The decision was met with cheers from the more than 20 people attended the meeting.

About 12 people spoke during the public comment period to express their concerns and disapproval about the site the City Council approved on Oct. 18.

Bernie Sargent, chairman of the El Paso County Historical Commission, said he was concerned about the lack of transparency in the city’s process in choosing the site.

Sargent, who serves on the Bond Oversight Advisory Committee, said the city had several opportunities to discuss the possible location in executive session but did not do so. He also said had city officials done that, he could have warned them about the resistance they would be receiving.

“I am not really opposed to an arena; it’s just that specific location,” Sargent said. "The impact on the residents and the neighbors far outweigh the importance of this site.”

The arena will be built in the Union Plaza District and is bounded by West San Antonio Avenue, South Santa Fe Street, West Paisano Drive and Leon Street. The selection of the site has been met with resistance by some residents of the area and historic preservation advocates.

The area contains 42 parcels and includes the Greyhound bus station, some apartment complexes and other buildings. However, the city has identified a total of 22 properties for the arena footprint. Of those parcels, five are vacant or surface lots, seven are commercial, seven are residential and two are city owned, the city said.

El Paso County Commissioner David Stout issued a letter to the commission stating he had concerns about how the council approved the arena site.

“What concerns my constituents — and me — is the process by which this location was selected and the permanent impact the footprint will have on longtime residents, business owners and the historical significance of the area. I believe the window for public comment and input was too short and that residents, members of the County Historical Commission, and other historic preservation subject matter experts were left out of a decision-making process that I think would have benefited greatly from their participation,” Stout said in the letter.

The City Council made the announcement for the designated site Oct. 13. The site was approved by the council five days later. More than 20 members of the community spoke against the designated site. Several pleaded with the council to delay voting on the choice to allow for more public comment.

City officials did not delay the decision.

City Attorney Sylvia Borunda Firth, City Manager Tommy Gonzalez and other legal staff presented the commission with information about how the city chose the site out of the four identified by HKS Urban Planning, the firm hired by the city to lead the process to acquire the land for the arena and other projects.

City officials have said the area does not have buildings with historical designation.

Preservation advocates however, have said that in addition to the old Fire Station No. 11 by Trost & Trost and built in 1930, the area’s historical assets include the Mansion built in 1904 and said to be the last standing former brothel in El Paso, as well as various tenements and Victorian-style buildings from the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

A 1998 study done by the city for the Sun Metro Transit Authority recommended 18 sites in the Union Plaza area be designated and identified as historical markers.

Borunda Firth told the commission she is not sure why the designations were never made following the report.

Seven of the 18 properties are within the arena footprint, including the fire station and Mansion building, as well as some residential properties.

Stout’s letter also states that while no buildings or structures in the proposed area are currently listed on any historical register, the county is making an effort to determine which should be.

“At the county we are in the process of conducting our own historical resources survey, which would include studying the neighborhood you are discussing today. As a public steward, I feel it is important to fully understand the significance of these historic structures before such a permanent decision is made that will forever change the landscape of our community,” Stout said in the letter.

The city opted out of conducting a historical and architectural survey of Downtown El Paso last year. The County Commissioners Court in February approved funding for a survey as a first step toward obtaining a National Historic District designation in the Downtown area that could help property owners secure federal and state tax credits to restore historic commercial buildings.

City officials have said the arena design will incorporate the area's existing fire stations and Firefighters Memorial Park. The new Fire Station No. 11 and the Police Area Representative station on Leon Street will remain open and operational. Borunda Firth said the city will follow design guidelines for the Union Plaza area and will try to incorporate some of the elements of the buildings into the arena design.

Commissioner Donald Sevigny said the buildings are critical pieces to the overall story of El Paso.

“Once a big piece of this is blown out, a plaque is a last ditch effort; keeping a façade is a last-ditch effort,” Sevigny said. “I cannot go forward; I cannot support this. There’s just too many questions before anything else needs to be decided.”

Sito Negron, read a statement on behalf of state Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso, that reaffirmed the senator does not approve of the site or the way the decision was made.

“I appreciate the historic preservation and heritage tourism community for stepping up and protecting residents and history, and for engaging the city government in this vital conversation. Regarding the role of the Historic Landmark Commission, I urge members to not support the arena at this time, at least until a full and detailed survey of the area — which the County is undertaking — can answer the questions that would be directly relevant to your role in preserving, celebrating, and protecting El Paso’s unique architectural heritage,” Rodríguez said in the statement.

The arena is the largest project under the $478 million Quality of Life Bond approved by voters in 2012.

The city has scheduled its first community meeting regarding the arena plans for 6 p.m. Monday at the vacant fire station located at 331 S. Santa Fe St.

Elida S. Perez may be reached at 546-6137; eperez@elpasotimes.com; @ElidaSPerezEPT on Twitter.