Council unanimously approves zoning change for Shadow Mountain Tower project

El Paso City Council unanimously approved a zoning change to allow the construction of a 22-story building near Shadow Mountain and Sunland Park.

The $100 million project includes retail space, 219 hotel rooms, 228 apartments and a 715-car parking garage.

Representative Michiel Noe believes the project will help the city’s taxpayers.

“It’s going to attract so much more and solve that lopsided tax base that El Paso has to endure. The homeowners in this city are not the most wealthy homeowners in the state and yet their backs are breaking from trying to support all of the needs that the city has, we are a big city.”

The building would be located on a vacant, four-acre lot at 201 Shadow Mountain Drive. It would be nearthe 11-story Coronado Tower office building on Mesa Street.

The Meyers Group, a Florida development company, plans to invest more than $100 million building the complex.

Some residents who live in the area have expressed concerns the project will only increase traffic in an already congested area. Others said the tower will block their view of the mountains.

Attorney Steve Fischer was at the city council meeting and is disappointed with the decision.

“They are sort of sheep where they grow, grow , grow. They don’t think about the pollution, they don’t think about the accidents, they don’t think about the deaths. They don’t think about people wasting time from work and they don’t think about hospital response. My wife is an emergency room nurse. You know, ten extra minutes on the freeway is going to mean a lot of lives lost,” Fischer said.

ABC-7’s Stephanie Guadian spoke with city council members and the developer. Coming up on ABC-7 at 4, she will explain what is next for the project.