Tricky Falls concert hall future in doubt in Downtown El Paso

Vic Kolenc | El Paso Times

Show Caption Hide Caption 58-year-old Downtown El Paso store closing Holland's Department Store on South El Paso Street is one of Downtown El Paso's oldest retailers.

The future of Tricky Falls, the popular, 7-year-old concert hall in Downtown El Paso, is in doubt as its building is for sale and its current lease expires at the end of October.

The owners of the building at 209 S. El Paso St., have turned down one offer, but have a couple of other potential buyers interested, said Greg Malooly, who owns the building with his brothers Gilbert, and Ronald Malooly. They also own and operate Casa Carpet, Tile & Wood in East El Paso, and other real estate.

"It's in a very hot area" in Downtown, Greg Malooly said, explaining why he and his brothers want to sell the building. "We have some other Downtown properties. We are moving some stuff (real estate) around."

The building is near the Hotel Paso del Norte, and Plaza Hotel buildings, both undergoing renovations to be new hotels. It's also at the beginning of South El Paso Street, which is Downtown El Paso's busiest retail strip.

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The building, which the brothers have owned since 2010, according to El Paso Central Appraisal District records, has been on the market since March.

It's listed at $1.65 million. The appraisal district's valuation for tax purposes is $724,616.

Negotiating lease extensions for the Downtown El Paso concert venue

Tricky Falls' lease was set to expire at the end of September, but Tricky Falls' owners asked for an extension, which was given through Oct. 31, Bobbie Welch, co-owner of the concert hall, said in an email.

"That is as far as we are currently booking, but two months ago, I was turning down October bookings as it looked like we would need to be out in September," Welch reported in late July.

She did not immediately respond to new questions from the El Paso Times.

Gilbert Malooly, who handles leasing for the owners group, said he is currently negotiating with Tricky Falls' owners for another possible lease extension.

Welch is a former booking and marketing coordinator for the Pan Am Center at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, and former director of special events at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Other Tricky Falls owners, as last reported in 2016, include: Jim Ward, a founding member of the band At the Drive-In, and his wife, Kristine; Gabriel Gonzalez, a singer and musician; and Luis Mota, who has been a band tour manager and club booking agent.

More: Catching up with El Paso musician Jim Ward

Architect Trost-designed building

The 103-year-old building housing Tricky Falls was designed by Henry Trost, the late, prolific El Paso architect who designed many of Downtown El Paso's architectural gems.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

It opened in 1914 as the Alhambra Theatre, and in 1915 began showing silent movies, according to information on the Henry C. Trost Historical Organization website.

Tricky Falls holds 1,500 people for concerts, according to its website. An often-repeating scene is music fans, mostly people in their 20s and younger, waiting in a long line for a popular show at the concert hall. It brings in a wide range of musicians.

The goal for Tricky Falls' owners is to book a wide range of musical genres and events that expand the scope of El Paso's entertainment scene, according to the Tricky Falls website.

"We’ve had anyone from Black Flag, and Sepultura, to Snoop Dogg play here – even the jugglers from the jugglers convention recently, so you can’t get any more different than that,” Gabriel Gonzalez told the DWNTWN Insider newsletter in August 2016 as Tricky Falls prepared to celebrate its fifth anninversary.

"There is a deliberate focus on bringing in entertainment in the medium market, Gonzalez said. “Whether it’s the guys on their way up or coming back, there’s always a need for a venue this size.”

Vic Kolenc may be reached at 546-6421; vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vickolenc on Twitter.