SPECIAL REPORT: San Jacinto Plaza holdup on canopy almost co

changes and disputes during the renovation of san jacinto plaza. but what will el paso actually get when it’s finally done? abc-7’s andrew j. polk looks at what’s the holdup in this special report. :09 :57 1:24 2:22 “i think it’s been more tha enough time. i mean, it’s taken more than expected.” “yeah, it better be worth it. san jacinto plaza has been el paso’s iconic downtown square for a century, but it’s been inaccessible the past couple years – as it undergoes a massive transformation from below ground on up – every aspect is being revamped, from landscaping to wiring to plumbing and utilities – to take the center of downtown from this – to this. “it is in its fina stage.” monic – to this. “it is in its fina stage.” monica lombrana, th city’s capital improvements department director is overseeing the project. “we’r getting ready to lift up the canopy, something that we’ve all is overseeing the project. “we’re getting ready to lift up the canopy, something that we’ve all been waiting for.” “the construction of san jacint plaza has been a definite hassle for around the downtown area, but now we’re learning that the holdup for this last phase of construction is with what’s going to be held up – that massive 40-ton canopy, that will dominate the center of the square” “the was a lot we didn’t want to install until obviously the canopy’s in place because we didn’t want to get it damaged, such as the brick pavers, the reflecting pool, the art piece itself, all of that will then, then come in.” the canopy will be a central feature of the square – and safety is a major focus. the project’s manager says it’s designed to handle what our region’s weather can throw at it – sunshine, rain, snow, and of course wind. “th design is for over 100 miles per hour design, so it should be able to withstand any wind that we have.” the canopy will be 50 foot wide and 12 feet tall, suspended about 20 feet above the center of the square. special cables anchored in the middle of the canopy’s frame will hang from support pylons anchored 70 feet into the ground. there were delays in making sure the pylons could support the weight, and they have now passed inspection. the design is so unusual, all of the cables were custom manufactured across the world. “it was the type of strength that was specified for the cables that could only be manufactured in germany.” ” expect it to be an awesome community park for the city, because if it’s taken this long, it should be well worth the wait.” alejandro borunda is betting the plaza will be a draw to downtown… he’s been working to open international bar & kitchen on right across san jacinto. “people ar used to the park being under construction, and making it seem like it’s a construction site, so people – not here, people aren’t coming downtown because of that per se, you know?” ” just do hope that it is – that the wait is worth it, more than anything.” and you’ll be able to make that judgement just weeks from now. andrew j. polk, abc-7. monica lombrana says the project is still within the budget, but a final tally will come after discussions with the contractor once major work is complete. the city plans to begin lifting the canopy on monday. the 79th annual firstlight sun bowl parade is less than two days away … and the el