El Paso Times Editorial Board

The plan to restore and renovate El Paso’s historic Hotel Paso del Norte is a welcome move toward further redevelopment of Downtown.

The $70 million project was unveiled last week. It includes $34 million in city, county and state tax incentives, which appears to be a good investment.

The landmark hotel, which has been operating under the Camino Real brand, has long been a focal point of Downtown. But the hotel has slipped badly in recent years as traveler expectations have increased. The current ownership hadn’t shown interest in providing the necessary renovation.

Now, El Paso developers the Meyers Group and Two Sabes LLC will lead the redevelopment of the hotel, which was designed by renowned architect Henry C. Trost and built by Zachary T. White.

“This is such a part of El Paso, so we take responsibility for that. We are excited by it — we look forward to doing the right thing and making this as amazing as we can,” said Cito Beguiristain, senior vice president of planning and development with the Miami-based Meyers Group.

One of the most exciting aspects of the redevelopment plan is the influx of new money into El Paso for key projects.

The Meyers Group has family ties in El Paso, but had not been a major player in the city’s real estate scene until proposing to build a 22-story residential and commercial Shadow Mountain Tower on the West Side.

The West Side project has generated concerns from neighborhood groups, but has the support of both environmental and business groups because it is a significant infill project for El Paso.

The City Council will consider zoning changes later this month that will allow construction to proceed on the West Side tower.

“I wanted to start to build something on this side of the country and what better place to do it than in El Paso,” said Josh Meyers, director of real estate development for the Meyers Group.

The new ownership plans to restore the traditional Hotel Paso del Norte name to the landmark Downtown property, and once again make it a destination convention hotel.

The deteriorating Camino Real has been a pockmark on a revitalizing Downtown. Issues like heating and cooling problems and outdated accommodations made it difficult to attract larger groups to El Paso.

A renovated Hotel Paso del Norte, combining modern amenities with steep history, can be a valuable asset in El Paso’s overall economic development efforts.

Last week’s announcement has been long-awaited by many. Tens of thousands of past visitors have fond memories of their stay at the Hotel Paso del Norte; it looks like new memories are now possible.