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Poll: are you now for or against building the arena in Durangito?

Poll: are you now for or against building the arena in Durangito?


  • Total voters
    43

unihorn

MI Miner Maniac
Dec 1, 2007
8,631
6,445
113
Now that the economy has ground to a halt, and the city has a big budget crunch, what say you?
 
I would love for the arena to be built. Unfortunately the city budget is probably blown to hell and that’s just the cherry on top of this sh*t Sunday that has been met with years of litigation. I think now the reality is that it will not be built. My only question is whether or not the city can use the money for something other than what it was allocated and voted for. This arena fiasco is really just a microcosm of the mess that is El Paso politics.
 
Any future arena project, including this one, will only be approved if the site is pre-approved by Grossman, and any other special interest group. If the site is not 100% go from the start, it would be voted down.
 
A bit off topic, but we’re rebuilding all our schools, and no kids are in them. Meanwhile, EPISD was not prepared to teach via e-learning.
 
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A bit off topic, but we’re rebuilding all our schools, and no kids are in them. Meanwhile, EPISD was not prepared to teach via e-learning.

Every single school is being re-built??? Anyway, it’s not like the kids are NEVER going back. Could be in 4 months, could be in 14, but they’ll be back.
 
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Every single school is being re-built??? Anyway, it’s not like the kids are NEVER going back. Could be in 4 months, could be in 14, but they’ll be back.

Not all, but lots of building, including a new downtown HQ. My issue is there is no standard for e-learning. Teachers do it on different platforms and some don’t do it at all.
 
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If we can't have the arena, the maybe some of these ideas.

City should offer to subsidize Butterfield for the airport until they recover. Too nice of a course to just let it close. Cost 1 million per year to run.

We should have a dann nice kids/science museum.

The downtown overpasses need to be rebuilt.

Continue revitalizing downtown into a place where people can really hang out and shop/eat/etc...
 
If we can't have the arena, the maybe some of these ideas.

City should offer to subsidize Butterfield for the airport until they recover. Too nice of a course to just let it close. Cost 1 million per year to run.

We should have a dann nice kids/scirnce museum.

The downtown overpasses need to be rebuilt.

Continue revitalizing downtown into a place where people can really hang out and shop/eat/etc...

Yeah, that’s sad Butterfield is closed. Kids museum is being built.
 
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Not all, but lots of building, including a new downtown HQ. My issue is there is no standard for e-learning. Teachers do it on different platforms and some don’t do it at all.

Well yeah, but let’s not act like they knew this was coming and failed to adapt/implement. Sucks that the buildings are not being used and it will be a cluster**** once school begins for the 2020/21 year.
 
Well yeah, but let’s not act like they knew this was coming and failed to adapt/implement. Sucks that the buildings are not being used and it will be a cluster**** once school begins for the 2020/21 year.

They knew e-learning was a thing.
 
The only reason I don’t want it now is there’s probably not enough money to do it right.
 
That's not what it was voted for. Money goes to a Arena Downtown. Build that Arena NOW

Can you name one arena or major building project that has started since March? Anywhere in the United States. No road work, but entertainment. Building it now is borderline “retarded”. Not surprised you would be for building it NOW.
 
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Build it.....even if you have to scale it down. Putting up a fake Mexican Village attraction two blocks from the real thing would be the dumbest thing this city could ever do. People need attractions/reasons to visit downtown they wont be flocking to see the Poncho Villa pee house, Trost designed homeless shelter, or the Chinese Taco hut. Or better yet take the bond money build a 20 foot wall around the area and forget about it.
 
Build it.....even if you have to scale it down. Putting up a fake Mexican Village attraction two blocks from the real thing would be the dumbest thing this city could ever do. People need attractions/reasons to visit downtown they wont be flocking to see the Poncho Villa pee house, Trost designed homeless shelter, or the Chinese Taco hut. Or better yet take the bond money build a 20 foot wall around the area and forget about it.

Correct, they won’t be visiting those places, nor will they be going downtown to see minor league hockey or GLeague hoops. Maybe for a few boxing or wrestling cards, but that will be a few times per year. Not every week or month.
 
  1. Durangito needs to come down anyways, lets start with that first

    That’s the truth. Those buildings were already in poor condition and now they’ve been deteriorating and unattended for the last couple of years. Even if this arena isn’t built maybe a majority of those buildings will be condemned and the city can just bulldoze the lot and sell it so some developer.
 
I think they should just put it up for a re-vote — let the people decide with full understanding of the total cost, that it will be used also for sports, and that it will replace Duranguito.

That is not a bad idea, especially given the legal mess they’re in. Unfortunately the city will probably have to issue another bond to cover the differencenow that it will probably cost more to build. The only problem is that the city is probably going to be facing an enormous budget shortfall due to this shut down and it would probably make more sense to allocate all future monies towards getting the city budget under control. The more I think about it this pandemic probably puts the final nail in the arena’s coffin.
 
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I was fine with the arena from the start, and still want it now... just to spite Grossman. But I understand why it's not a good time anymore.

Unfortunately, the money cannot be used for other projects, and if the arena ever does get built, we'll need $100m more and counting to get it done. All because one guy with a rich backer wants attention.

Side note... that shitty neighborhood was never called "Duranguito." Maybe by some people, but not widespread. Grossman just used the name to create attachment/nostalgia and people fell for it like dudes who ask strippers on real dates.
 
I wish I had a bulldozer. I would just push through the fences and level the three buildings they are fighting over.

I’m not sure what the charge would be for something like that, but I guarantee you wouldn’t do it, even if you had a bulldozer.
 
According to the El Paso Times, City Council voted 6-2 to keep the downtown arena project going. I think they’re doing the right thing in not rushing to cancel the project.
 
".... Those buildings were already in poor condition and now they’ve been deteriorating and unattended for the last couple of years. Even if this arena isn’t built maybe a majority of those buildings will be condemned and the city can just bulldoze the lot and sell it so some developer.

Bingo. "Highest and Best Use". Money will be made.
 
So what you’re saying is that you’re an idiot who would destroy someone else’s property with a bulldozer? Ok buddy.

You do know that only 1 building in the arena footprint is not already owned by the city. I am just talking about those buildings the city already owns. I would be willing to be there would be plenty of people to help with legal fees too.
 
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