New neighborhood ammenities headed to the Lower Valley

After El Paso City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, residents in the Lower Valley can look forward to new recreational amenities in the the next two years.

City representatives approved three new El Paso Parks and Recreation Centers, two of which will be located in Lower Valley neighborhoods.

One will be located at Lomaland and Lomita, near Lomaland Park and another one will be located at 7830 Alameda Avenue near Riverside High School.

A third center was approved to be built at Piedras Street and Cypress Avenue in south-central El Paso.

The centers are part of the Quality of Life bond projects and each have a budget of $11 million. The design phase is set to begin immediately and expected to take about a year.

During that time, city planners will take input from community members about what they would like to see at the centers.

“People can gather and participate and have the things they might otherwise not have,” said Scott Sensanbaugher with the City of El Paso.

Amenities may include meeting, exercise and computer rooms.

URBAN TRAIL

On Tuesday, city council also approved an Urban Trail in the Lower Valley which will stretch from Ascarate Park to Riverside Park, a 3.5 mile stretch. It will run along the Playa Drain.

During public comment, speakers who live in the Lower Valley said the trail will drastically change the community for the better.

One woman, only identified as Ms. Acosta, said the trash, debris and weeds will finally be cleared from the Playa drainage canal.

“When the community said ‘clean up that drainage thing,’ we never envisioned anything like this,” said the woman.

“This is really going to help the children the walk to school.”

The Playa drain, that will be turned into a hiking and biking trail, runs between Alameda and Cesar Chavez Border Highway (Loop 375) and passes near Ascarate Elementary, Cedar Grove Elementary, Tejas School of Choice, Riverside Middle and Riverside High schools.

The Paso Del Norte Health Foundation is footing part of the bill with $2 million and the city will spend up to $300,000 for extra amenities like benches, shade canopies and exercise stations.

“It’s an exciting time for us, we don’t have anything like this in our system and we are very lucky to be teamed up with Paso Del Norte Health Foundation,” said Paul Powell, assistant director of the El Paso Parks and Recreation.

Powell said the design phase will begin immediately and the trail is expected to be complete in March 2019.

Further discussion revealed that the trail will eventually extend east of Ysleta High School to Capistrano Park.

The PDNHF said it wants to promote healthy lifestyles by giving residents more options to be outdoors and be active in their neighborhoods.