While flipping through old photos of El Paso’s downtown, I was drawn to one particular image of a 1911 dream-like painting of El Paso’s future. With its skylines, subway, bustling streets, motorist, low flying aircraft and the San Jacinto Plaza in the middle ground, it is a profound picture. The painting made me wonder who this individual was, what became of the piece and what kind of reaction did it provoke almost 100 years ago?
A few months back when I attended the Paso Del Norte Group's (PDN) unveiling of their plan for the downtown, like others, I was caught up by the excitement that finally someone was willing to step up to the plate and do something. Although It took me some time to really digest what was being presented, the underlying details, along with the immediate fears or reservations others had, I knew that whatever the outcome, something needed to be done. This is nothing new, talk of transforming downtown and its potential has been the talk for years now.
Not long ago, one local TV network station was posting videos of persons in the city who were being singled out for not cleaning up their lawns and not maintaining their properties. Fines were being imposed to keep people from letting their properties become an “eyesore.” I thought, how is it that these little guys are made spectacles of, yet many downtown building owners, including those who have a lot of money and own not one, but several buildings, seem to get away with allowing their buildings to look the way they do?
Thinking outside the box. Making our downtown look like another “mall” city is not really my idea of improvement. It would be nice if it took on a more homegrown appearance. But, homegrown does not mean what has transpired over the years downtown. Change and diversity is needed. First, why would we want more of the same chain or corporate stores when across town there are dozens? Why would tourist traveling through El Paso’s downtown want to find more of what is already back home? The corporate store image takes away from the true soul and charm of any city. Part of the PDN plan is to create a Mexican Mercado. To me, it only makes sense that something like that would be better placed along the freeway where the rail-yards are, in order to attract tourist traveling through. Mexicans have a mercado already. One of the biggest challenges for El Paso’s downtown is to reinvent itself. We can look to other cities that have done just that. Even small places like Silver City and Old Mesilla have taken what was already there and built on that. Sadly though, is the mentality downtown, one of just survival with little attention paid to appearances or diversity. The result is tacky and repetitive. Why so many discount stores and businesses for loans and bail bonds? Too much of the same keep others from coming to downtown. For those wanting to shop or open more “upscale” restaurants, clothing stores, novelty stores etc., it is a problem. By more “upscale,” I don’t mean expensive. A lot of people in El Paso have more than a couple of dollars to spend and would be more than happy to spend it downtown if given the opportunity. Has quantity superseded quality? Isn’t that the Wal-Mart tactic? With few exceptions, store after store downtown all start to look the same.
A downtown this size should offer more. Then the money spent on these locally owned, one of a kind businesses would put that money back into the community, strengthening the tax base. Sadly though, chain stores are going to take their place. I heard one person say, “We don’t need gourmet pizzas and new age music, tacos is all the culture I need.” Well, I don't consider myself a new-ager but, I love tacos and enchiladas too, other types of foods and musical forms, like new age Mexican musician Jorge Reyes, opens the door to a bigger world and tears down imaginary borders we create and pass on to the next generation. If we want to attract locals and tourist to downtown, how about other culinary plates including various dishes from other parts of Mexico; instead of just tacos and burritos, Chinese buffets, and Jack in the Box.
History Repeats Itself.
After the malls and bank branches spread across the city, people had no need to come downtown. Now they are getting a “mall” city to lure them back. Looking at the old history of El Paso centered in downtown, change has always been taking place, including, sadly, the razing and facade changes of historic buildings in order to make room for the new, losing the integrity of the original architecture. Protest against change took place back then, too, just as the birthpains of something new is taking place today.
And people cared enough to put up a fight, as they do today. What would be far more significant would be if Mr. Sanders and company were to invest in a tuition plan by making education the cornerstone for all those people that are going to be affected using the same model called “The Kalamazoo Promise”, rather than just on physical improvements in hopes of spurring economic and social progress and putting people to work in chain stores.
The artist that painted the 1911 futuristic painting never imagined that another painter one day, too, would be taking a ringside seat on the top of a building downtown witnessing another revolution of change.
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Asi es mi Tierra
I was once asked to come up with an illustration for this location downtown. Specializing in unique gifts from various parts of Mexico, I felt the store would attract business if it reflected the vibrant colors that represent traditional Mexican art and culture.
Writer’s Block cafe bar
There are so many buildings with potential. Taking one section at a time would encourage others to come into the area and relieve the congestion around Cincinnati St. A trolley would take patrons back and forth if they wanted to bar hop.
Metropolis books
In old photos of downtown one would see book and music stores, movie theaters, shops carrying American, Mexican and Native American curios. People need diverse places to express themselves, not one type of gallery or music venue fits all, which is lacking in the city now.
Vinos
At one time the untamed river left the land rich and fertile, yielding great harvests of most anything. As late as 1896 there were still famous vineyards in Paso del Norte, Concordia and Ysleta. Wines made from these grapes were world renowned.
Kids-N-Co.
Around 1896 a huge dragon, over fifty feet long, wiggled back and forth in a procession, delighting the spectators. The parade formed at the Chinese temple on Oregon and Second Streets (now Paisano drive, a building the PDN wants to raze) then proceeded to Texas and Oregon streets. I imagine parades, music and food heritage festivals where the Korean, Indian, Greek, German, Mexican, Irish and other communities would all come out every year to draw locals and tourist into downtown. The Day of the Dead should be one of the biggest attractions, with banners hung across the streets, the festivities could attract tourist and fill our hotels downtown. Like el Festival Internacional Cervantino in Guanajuato México.
La Sirena billiards
You can’t hide in a barrio or gated community and ignore how the other side lives. It only breeds division, suspicion and prejudice, like the gang issue, it eventually becomes everyone’s problem. Downtown El Paso in the center of many different kinds of neighborhoods and has the capacity to bring people of varying ages and backgrounds together.
Caples
If owners of these dilapidated buildings create basic affordable living spaces, people would come downtown to live. You then create a community which may bring new business opportunities and downtown wouldn’t have to shut down at five. Parking is a big issue now, so perhaps we need a parking building for residents and business owners. With more shopping and entertainment options downtown, residents wouldn’t need to use their cars very often as everything they need would be walking distance.
{With the exception of the Caples building located on San Antonio most of the images I altered begin Downtown through Texas Ave., but it could just as well have taken place in any part of Downtown. These were created and included in a slide presentation for a business entrepreneurial basics conference, before the PDN unveiled their plan.}
