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OT: Next Big Thing for El Paso?

What will be El Paso's next big thing to come?

  • State of the Art Aquarium

    Votes: 3 6.7%
  • Great Wolf Lodge / Other form of new waterpark

    Votes: 15 33.3%
  • New Amusement Park

    Votes: 6 13.3%
  • New Pro Team (pending Arena resolve)

    Votes: 5 11.1%
  • IKEA / Other Large Retailer

    Votes: 11 24.4%
  • Other (fill in blank)

    Votes: 5 11.1%

  • Total voters
    45

Maximus Miner

Rookie
Jul 1, 2005
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just curious to gage your thoughts what El Paso can realistically land in the future. the El Paso Chihuahuahus are now entering it's 5th season and has been a tremendous succes. Top Golf just recently opened as well. Mountians Star Sports also just announced a new pro soccer team in hopes of luring MLS down the road. Of course we know what's going with the quality of Life bonds and the Arena fiasco. Unfortunately we also had no chance in landing Amazon's second headquarters.
 
The arena needs to be put back to a vote so it can hold sporting events like basketball, hockey, boxing, MMA, etc. Otherwise it will be a waste and not sustain. The longer we wait to build the size we want, the more it will cost.

Other than MLS , I can't imagine El Paso sustaining another pro sport or pro stadium/arena.

El Paso is not a vacation destination, but we could have a much better amusement park. I think wet n wild is just fine for a water park. Maybe continue to add on and make an actual parking lot.

Children's museum is coming. A museum of natural history like Albuquerque and Denver would be awesome too.

Top Golf is doing great. Our local golf courses are sputtering.

I would like a Cheesecake factory. Im not sure why we don't have one. Food is top dog in EP.

I think drag strip that could handle and host NHRA events would be cool.

Some other small things I would like are an indoor shooting range and better places to mountain bike on the eastside. How about some zip lines up on the mountain too.
 
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ELP has been led to the dumps by Democratic leadership.

ELP can make a come back, but mexis have to stop voting straight Dem on their ballots. Mix it up a bit and you will get better results.
Straight ticket is ALWAYS a bad idea no matter which way you lean. We NEED a mix to keep proper balance. It's a shame that El Paso blindly follows the current demo party and their "woe is me" thinking. We are better than that.
 
ELP has been led to the dumps by Democratic leadership.

ELP can make a come back, but mexis have to stop voting straight Dem on their ballots. Mix it up a bit and you will get better results.
That is 100% road apples and you know it.
 
Look at what we have plenty of and that's good weather and outdoor life within any direction. Hunting is quietly huge in El Paso and golf as well. PGA greats have been rumored to fly into El Paso quietly (by local country club elites to play at CCC Golf course because the turf is similar to PGA tours). Former SC Judge Scalia died at a hunting lodge just outside Marfa. Rock climbers from all over come to Hueco Tanks.

Food. Food. Food. All sorts of trendy eateries are popping up all over. That is a growing market here.

Brick and mortar retail. Strip mall construction and retailers.

Residential construction. Association of realtors will not broach it but El Paso has urban sprawl. It's not Denver or Dallas urban sprawl, but El Paso has it. It's a good thing and a not so good thing.

Call planning and as where do you see the most permits taken out for and go from there.

I can't wrap my mind around the IKEA culture and the merchandise is eh?!

A)Abundant sunshine
B)Ample critters outside metro area to shoot.
C)Food for foodies and suppliers within El Paso.
D) Strip retail construction ("tilt wall" building)
E)Residential construction

That's where it is and that where it is going for next 5 or so years. The rest mentioned above will gauge the local market but they typically don't show their cards unless it looks solid.
 
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Apparently Great Wolf Lodge is already in the works for EP. Land just east of Blackie Chester park belongs to water company and is being looked at for the Lodge.
 
Apparently Great Wolf Lodge is already in the works for EP. Land just east of Blackie Chester park belongs to water company and is being looked at for the Lodge.

That would be idiotic. The Great Wolf Lodge will have to be primarily visited by out of towners and the city is gonna put them south of the freeway? The GWL needs to be near nice surroundings.
 
I’ve always thought El Paso should take advantage of its proximity to Juarez and build a riverboat casino and hotel on the Rio Grande. Make it a Mercado and crossing.

When you go to a cruise ship destination, the cruise company usually owns all of the ‘authentic’ local shops at the pier. I imagine something in which tourist come to a riverboat complex near the bridge and think they’re visiting a foreign country.
 
I’ve always thought El Paso should take advantage of its proximity to Juarez and build a riverboat casino and hotel on the Rio Grande. Make it a Mercado and crossing.

When you go to a cruise ship destination, the cruise company usually owns all of the ‘authentic’ local shops at the pier. I imagine something in which tourist come to a riverboat complex near the bridge and think they’re visiting a foreign country.

I would love that but first the river would need water in it
 
ELP has been led to the dumps by Democratic leadership.

ELP can make a come back, but mexis have to stop voting straight Dem on their ballots. Mix it up a bit and you will get better results.

News Flash.....Local leadership is non partisan. Almost certain that the current mayor is not Democratic and many of the previous mayors have also not been.
 
Shovellman66 is Debbie Downer.
I bet at parties you complain about food and music. Thats if you get invited.
 
Shovellman66 is Debbie Downer.
I bet at parties you complain about food and music. Thats if you get invited.

ShovelMan is realistic. I would complain if the food or music sucked or I would just leave. If I was complaining, I'm sure you would go running to the host and ask me to be removed. While wearing your helmet and velcro shoes.
 
Resort/Spa Hotel w/golf nestled into the mountains. I'd hire a piper to play at dusk every night light at Spanish Bay. Maybe on weekends only.
 
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News Flash.....Local leadership is non partisan. Almost certain that the current mayor is not Democratic and many of the previous mayors have also not been.

Because few local leaders aren’t all left is why we have the things we have.

I’m talking state and Fed House.
 
News Flash.....Local leadership is non partisan. Almost certain that the current mayor is not Democratic and many of the previous mayors have also not been.
Im sure you know this but that probably has something to do with who actually votes..
 
ShovelMan is realistic. I would complain if the food or music sucked or I would just leave. If I was complaining, I'm sure you would go running to the host and ask me to be removed. While wearing your helmet and velcro shoes.





Oh great now you somebody that talks in 3rd person. Explains everything now.
 
Resort/Spa Hotel w/golf nestled into the mountains. I'd hire a piper to play at dusk every night light at Spanish Bay. Maybe on weekends only.
Great idea but golf courses are having a hard time in EP (outside of EP country club I believe). I would love it though. Through in a real casino and you would have a monster on your hands (just wishful thinking)
 
El Paso is not a vacation destination, but we could have a much better amusement park. I think wet n wild is just fine for a water park.
Agree that Wet 'n Wild is just fine. El Paso certainly could have a better amusement park, but Western Playland has had no competition since Magic Landing so they've become complacent. (Although they did add a roller coaster in the last decade, but it's nothing special from what I can tell.)

El Paso won't have a Six Flags in the foreseeable future, but for what El Paso could and should be able to support, look at Adventureland in Iowa, close to Des Moines. El Paso has, what, about 700,000 people? Des Moines has about 200,000? (The Des Moines metro, including Ames where Iowa State is, approaches the population of the city of El Paso, but then the El Paso metro is bigger than the Des Moines metro.) And people from Juarez WOULD visit El Paso for a quality amusement park, so add that to the El Paso area population. Adventureland has 5 roller coasters, two of which have inversions and two of which are classic wooden coasters, of which Western Playland has neither. I mean, if the middle of freakin' Iowa can support a quality mid-level amusement park, there's absolutely no reason El Paso can't. But Western Playland has no incentive to improve because El Pasoans are complacent (they'll go to Western Playland because it's the only game in town) and there's no competition prodding Western Playland to improve.

As for another suggestion, I've floated this idea before and I'll do it again. One thing El Paso has over the rest of the state is that we have mountains. San Antonio and DFW might have Six Flags, but we can build something that they can't: a mountain (or alpine) coaster. I've ridden alpine coasters in the Smoky Mountains and they're fun. We could build a mountain coaster on the side of the mountain with a great view of the city on the ride down. It would be great and unique for El Paso, the only ride of its kind in the state of Texas.

 
Agree that Wet 'n Wild is just fine. El Paso certainly could have a better amusement park, but Western Playland has had no competition since Magic Landing so they've become complacent. (Although they did add a roller coaster in the last decade, but it's nothing special from what I can tell.)

El Paso won't have a Six Flags in the foreseeable future, but for what El Paso could and should be able to support, look at Adventureland in Iowa, close to Des Moines. El Paso has, what, about 700,000 people? Des Moines has about 200,000? (The Des Moines metro, including Ames where Iowa State is, approaches the population of the city of El Paso, but then the El Paso metro is bigger than the Des Moines metro.) And people from Juarez WOULD visit El Paso for a quality amusement park, so add that to the El Paso area population. Adventureland has 5 roller coasters, two of which have inversions and two of which are classic wooden coasters, of which Western Playland has neither. I mean, if the middle of freakin' Iowa can support a quality mid-level amusement park, there's absolutely no reason El Paso can't. But Western Playland has no incentive to improve because El Pasoans are complacent (they'll go to Western Playland because it's the only game in town) and there's no competition prodding Western Playland to improve.

As for another suggestion, I've floated this idea before and I'll do it again. One thing El Paso has over the rest of the state is that we have mountains. San Antonio and DFW might have Six Flags, but we can build something that they can't: a mountain (or alpine) coaster. I've ridden alpine coasters in the Smoky Mountains and they're fun. We could build a mountain coaster on the side of the mountain with a great view of the city on the ride down. It would be great and unique for El Paso, the only ride of its kind in the state of Texas.


Like that idea of a mountain side roller coaster.
 
Oh Shoveldude, glad not everything El Paso needs your approval. Have a snickers or something !!!
 
Oh Shoveldude, glad not everything El Paso needs your approval. Have a snickers or something !!!


Shovell66 is someone who would eat a snickers. Then go back to store a try and return the wrapper and say he didnt like it and wants his money back. Then store would just give him back his $2 cause they dont want deal with him. Then Shovellman would go buy another snickers. Then when he leaves he would trip on his own feet and fall and blame the store.
 
Shovell66 is someone who would eat a snickers. Then go back to store a try and return the wrapper and say he didnt like it and wants his money back. Then store would just give him back his $2 cause they dont want deal with him. Then Shovellman would go buy another snickers. Then when he leaves he would trip on his own feet and fall and blame the store.

I'm positive you aren't a psychologist, so your "diagnosis" based off of my posts on a UTEP message board are about as good as the Browns chances of winning the Super Bowl next year.

I wouldn't waste my time with a $2 snickers. How's your internet research going? Still giving out rebounding tips?
 
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I'm positive you aren't a psychologist, so your "diagnosis" based off of my posts on a UTEP message board are about as good as the Browns chances of winning the Super Bowl next year.

I wouldn't waste my time with a $2 snickers. How's your internet research going? Still giving out rebounding tips?


Browns are going to be good next year.

I bet though that you have returned something that you already used? Dont lie .

I was a good rebounder when i played and i didnt need to box out. Thats how players hurt their back.
 
Six Flags closed a park in HOUSTON to help pull from bankruptcy. No way would they build one in El Paso. Not only that, but I think the last time they actually built a new amusement park was about 50 years ago.
 
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Browns are going to be good next year.

I bet though that you have returned something that you already used? Dont lie .

I was a good rebounder when i played and i didnt need to box out. Thats how players hurt their back.

Nice callout. Actually I did return a pair of anal beads once. They weren't up to me and my boyfriends standards. I cleaned them up a bit before I returned them though
 
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I haven’t been to Speaking Rock in years but that could be a huge draw if was fixed up. I don’t know exactly how but Eagle Pass has a casino with Poker rooms and tournaments. A bud told me how they get around the loophole but I don’t remember exactly. Last time I was there, I remember it being a dump with crappy slots. Sunland Park has better machines, last time I was there I won $1500 on a slot that they promptly took out of the casino the next week lol.

I’ve always said that EP could benefit from some type of old west cowboy museum or amusement park.
Imagine an “Old El Paso” style mock up complete with gunslinger actors. Think Red Dead Redemption style old town.
 
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Six Flags closed a park in HOUSTON to help pulp from bankruptcy. No way would they build one in El Paso. Not only that, but I think the last time they actually built a new amusement park was about 50 years ago.
Fair point, most of Six Flags (and Cedar Fair) parks were acquisitions. Of course, when Six Flags or Cedar Fair acquires a park, they deck it out with their trademark thrill rides, so it makes for a better park even if they didn't build it from scratch.

So for El Paso to have a Six Flags, Western Playland (or some future competitor) would have to build up the park to an extent that it would be an attractive starting point for an acquisition, and El Paso would have to prove that not only would the locals support the park, but that they could grow into a destination city that could attract at least some quantity of tourists to visit the park. El Paso is nowhere close.

But I do think El Paso could support a good, regional amusement park (like Iowa's Adventureland) that would attract people from Albuquerque and the like. It would be a start.
 
We need to take advantage of what we have. As people have pointed out, the weather, mountains, and Cowboy/Western culture.

An Adventure land with an Old West theme. Draw people from Chihuahua, Juarez, ABQ, Less Cruces, Odessa, Midland etc. Make it the regional amusement park.
 
Time the 'Eff Out!
How are we having such a discussion, and no one has mentioned the lack of an HEB or Kroger!
HEB is so PURO, it's probably more Mexican than Big 8. People lined up for hours in South Texas for some Selena recyclable bags!
 
I haven’t been to Speaking Rock in years but that could be a huge draw if was fixed up. I don’t know exactly how but Eagle Pass has a casino with Poker rooms and tournaments. A bud told me how they get around the loophole but I don’t remember exactly. Last time I was there, I remember it being a dump with crappy slots. Sunland Park has better machines, last time I was there I won $1500 on a slot that they promptly took out of the casino the next week lol.

I’ve always said that EP could benefit from some type of old west cowboy museum or amusement park.
Imagine an “Old El Paso” style mock up complete with gunslinger actors. Think Red Dead Redemption style old town.
Lol Speaking Rock is Beautiful Now Kicks Sunland Park's Ass! Just missing table games because the Texas Hypocrites. I go to both, but as far as slots bar and overall niceness Speaking Rock hands down. I guess you havent been in years its completely Redone!
 
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