‘You will forget all the pain and agony that we’ve been through’: City Officials excited about San Jacinto Reopening

City officials could not stress enough how excited they were that the San Jacinto Plaza will finally be reopening this month, nearly a year-and-a-half late.

“After we open up, everyone will talk about that it was worth the wait,” said Mayor Oscar Leeser at a press conference at City Hall Wednesday morning.

“I’m really glad that as I’ve been able to walk through it that we didn’t compromise, we didn’t take any shortcuts,” said Leeser.

The reopening, which is being termed the “Fiesta”, will be held Saturday, April 16th. A dedication ceremony will begin at 9:30 a.m. to be followed by a celebration from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. that will consist of games, entertainment, and other activities. The event is free to the public.

The $4.5 million renovation project, which began in spring 2013, was originally scheduled to be completed in December 2014. When it was not finished by the end of 2014, a new finish date was set for February 2015. The City then pushed back the finish date to May of 2015 and it is now almost a year since then.

Mayor Lesser spoke about how City Representative Courtney Niland hounded him throughout the process on making sure the community got what they voted for in the 2012 Quality of Life Bond.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it is… to talk about the grand reopening of the ultra-modern, cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, metropolitan….you can’t put enough descriptions on this fantastic urban space,” said Niland.

She mentioned that during the planning process, El Pasoans were “super passionate” about preserving ‘Los Lagartos’, preserving the historic pathways, and making it a space where families can enjoy a picnic.

Niland said she was brought to tears when touring the plaza because “everything that the El Pasoans said they wanted five years ago, is out there now.”

“I do believe you will forget all the pain and agony that we’ve been through.”

She added, “if I knew it was going to look this great, I would have waited another two years for it.”

Ben Fyffe, Assistant Director for MCAD, also spoke at the event about Saturday’s “Fiesta”. He echoed what Mayor Leeser had to say, adding that the renovations will exceed expectations.

He said people can expect nine hours of activities including: live music; street performers roaming walkways; balloon artists; stilt walkers; multiple art stations where families can create art; giveaways; and commemorative items.

This is in addition to the renovations at the Plaza which include huacha courts, chess tables, and splash pads.

Leeser said, “it think it’s going to meet and exceed the public’s expectation”.

“If it doesn’t bring a tear to your eye…. I’ll be amazed.”