New Hope For Northeast Land Development

By Darren Hunt & Brenda De Anda

EL PASO — It appears the largest land deal in the history of El Paso may go through, after all.

During this morning’s City Council meeting, representatives from Hunt Communities and City administrators announced they had agreed on a “standstill” that would give both parties more time to resolve their differences.

Last week, Hunt Communities, the company selected to develop 4,800 acres of land in Northeast El Paso, announced it was withdrawing from the project. It blamed the City for failing to define its “smart growth” principles and rewrite the subdivision codes that regulate development.

City officials replied by saying they suspected Hunt had pulled out of the deal due to a downturn in the economy.

Today, both parties agreed to come up with a new proposal before City Council by April 6th. The deadline to finalize the deal will be April 30th.