Some aren’t pleased El Paso’s Triple-A ballpark restaurant to be called City Hall Grill

It was a year ago in April when crews demolished City Hall to make room for El Paso’s new Triple-A baseball stadium. The event is still a point of contention in the minds of many who protested against the ballpark.

Now, the name of a new restaurant inside the stadium is stirring up those emotions again. It’s called “City Hall Grill.”

“With the help of volunteers, I led a 10 month effort, with two successful petitions to save City Hall,” said activist and self-proclaimed premiere protester Sal Gomez.

Gomez once said he would do everything in his power to prevent what he calls “the economic demise of El Paso” by destroying City Hall and building a ballpark.

“I’m going to fight it to the last minute,” Gomez said in April 2013. “I’m might even chain myself to the fence.”

And when the building came down, it hurt.

“We the people wanted to go to the polls and vote on it, yes or no to save City Hall,” Gomez said.

So Gomez wasn’t to pleased when he found out the name of the restaurant being built inside the stadium is called none other than “City Hall Grill.”

“Its disrespectful, it’s insulting, it’s a final slap in the face to all those who wanted to sign the petition and wanted to vote,” Gomez said.

Rep. Eddie Holguin, who also vigorously fought against the demolition, agrees.
ABC-7 reached out to City Manager Joyce Wilson for her opinion, but she did not respond.

People told ABC-7 they could see Gomez’s point, that naming a restaurant after one of El Paso City’s most controversial decisions in recent history, is insensitive.

“I don’t see why they have to name that,” Gomez said.

But others say, it’s time to get over it and play ball.

ABC-7 reached out to someone associated with the ballpark organization, inquiring about the choice of name. He said the team wanted to pay homage to the city and the city’s history. They felt it fitting, since that was the site of City Hall, to incorporate the name “City Hall” somewhere in the ballpark.

The ballpark also will have the Sun Kings Saloon inside the stadium. One of El Paso’s previous minor league teams was known as the Sun Kings.