Former El Paso mayor happy with arena ruling

An Austin judge has ruled the City of El Paso can build the $180 million Downtown multi-purpose facility in the Duranguito neighborhood, but the facility cannot be built in a way to accommodate sports.

The ruling states, “No funding from other sources may be used to modify, complete or enhance the facility to make it suitable for a sports arena.”

Despite not being able to design specifically for sports, the question of whether sporting events can be held there is still up in the air.

“In her final judgment, however, Judge Meachum chose not to adopt the language that was suggested by Mr. Grossman’s legal team – that would have prohibited the city from ever hosting sporting events in the multipurpose facility,” City Attorney Sylvia Firth said. “Unfortunately, she did not define what she meant by those terms and we are put in the position of having to deal with ambiguity in the final judgment.”

Monday former El Paso Mayor John Cook said sports wasn’t in the arena’s original plan.

“I think originally what the city had intended for the multi-purpose center was to provide overflow for the convention center and performing arts centers, so I don’t think anything that will be really detrimental,” he said.

While Cook said he never envisioned major sporting events being held at the downtown arena, he said he did envision boxing matches or karate.

“Not necessarily to be host of the UTEP miners basketball team,” Cook said. “The multi-purpose center would be too small for a soccer stadium,” he added. “So I don’t know what type of sports anyone envisioned there.”

Cook added the city never pursued an anchor tenant. He said he was happy with judge’s decision.

“Let’s just go with what the court ruling is and what the best use of the multi-purpose center is going to be and start working on trying to book those conventions that would need a bigger facility,” Cook said.

He said if the city is not happy with it, they should appeal.

Firth said they were pleased with the ruling. But would need more time to look it over and understand what it exactly means.

Attorneys for those opposed to the arena said they would like to see the city go back to El Paso voters and ask them what they want.