Plan El Paso 2010 Including ASARCO Redevelopment

El Paso city council is set to decide if it wants to enact the “Plan El Paso 2010: Connecting El Paso.”

The plan includes building transit-oriented neighborhoods around town and redeveloping ASARCO.

This plan basically gives recommendations on how to best implement Smart Growth and Transit-Oriented Developement communities along Oregon Street, the Five Points neighborhood and Remcon Circle area.

The plan also provides a redevelopment blueprint for the ASARCO property. Something El Pasoans ABC-7 spoke with were interested in.

“I think it’s a better use of the land that just to have ASARCO there and not using it for anything,” said El Pasoan Sofia Martin.

Hundreds of acres of land could soon become home to retail space, a school, parks and even an amusement park.

According to the plan, the land roughly from Mesa Street to Paisano Drive and from Schuster Street to Sunland Park Drive would be separated into four sections.

ASARCO East quadrant is east of Interstate-10, right next to UTEP. The property is primarily desert land right now.

Officials would like to see houses built whiles preserving the arroyos there.

Mesa Heights quadrant is also east of I-10, including land north of Executive Center.

Officials would like to see homes, an entertainment complex and retailers like Walmart.

Cemex quadrant is west of I-10 and north of Executive Center.

Officials would like to see a school and possibly a rail station. Also, businesses, public spaces and neighborhoods reminiscent of Italian hill towns.

ASARCO West quadrant is west of I-10 and south of Executive Center. It’s about 200 acres where the main plant site is currently located.

Officials would like to see major changes there, including a pedestrian only bridge connecting to Juarez and an international village that would allow families on both sides of the border to reunite.

Also in that quadrant, plans to attract visitors from out of town with an arena, a large factory, race track or an amusement park.

“You’ve got amusement parks, which is jobs. You’ve got more homes, which is better for the community,” said Veronica Nevarez who is pleased with the new ideas.

According to the plan, there’s also interest in re-starting streetcar service in the downtown area.

To read the entire plan, click here.