Fate of Duranguito, arena project argued before 8th Court of Appeals

EL PASO, Texas -- The latest courtroom go-round on the fate of El Paso's Duranguito neighborhood to make way for a new downtown arena  unfolded Thursday before the 8th Court of Appeals.

An injunction issued by the appeals court late last year currently prevents demolition in the neighborhood until it resolves a showdown between local activist Max Grossman and the City of El Paso over the historic significance of the area.

The city selected the site south of the convention center as the future home of an arena, the Multipurpose Performing Arts Center.

The Texas Historical Commission previously issued a permit to the city that would have allowed the demolitions of buildings in Duranguito to begin, but Grossman has challenged the permit. Residents who once lived in the area have all been relocated except for one.

Grossman maintains the buildings in the neighborhood are historic and worthy of preservation.

He contends the city is not taking into account the location, protection, or preservation of a newly discovered Mescalero Apache establishment where the city wants to build the entertainment and sports arena. Grossman says close to 1,000 people lived in the camp between 1778 and 1825 and artifacts may be below the ground.

Grossman and the city have been tangled in litigation over the arena project for years.

While both sides argued their case over the injunction Thursday, the court made no immediate ruling.