People, Places & Paul: Eastside growth & Mayor Oscar Leeser
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Over the last decade, the eastside of El Paso has seen tremendous growth.
That growth has brought new homes, businesses, and people to the area.
Back in 2012, El Paso voters helped pass the "Quality of Life" bonds, which allowed the city to use $450 million in taxpayer money on a number of new projects.
Several years later, El Pasoans continue to see the fruition of these voter approved bonds, especially in East El Paso and at the multi-million dollar "urban park" called "The Beast".
The Beast includes a state of the art, family-friendly water park, which is one of the highlights of phase one of the construction of the urban park, which spans across more than ten acres and includes a community center.
"I was mayor from [20]13 to [20]17. A lot of the things you see today, we started doing then," said El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser. "And, then, when I came back in 2021, we were able to finish the Beast. It's been very, very exciting."
The facility has indoor pools, including Olympic-size lanes, warmup and cool-down pools, and diving boards.
In addition, the community gym has indoor basketball courts, a weight room, and an indoor track. There are also several study and activity rooms, including computer labs and areas hosting activities for kids and families.
The multigenerational community center includes spectator seating, reading rooms, and lockers to help serve the needs of an ever-growing population on the city's eastside.
"It's huge growth as you've seen right now, and about 75% of the permits that have been taken out within the city are out here on the eastside," said Mayor Leeser. "We've been very excited about the growth of our population, but also how we've been able to really incorporate all of the city. You talk about Camp Cohen, and you talk about the Olympic Pool on the West Side, and now the Beast on the eastside. It's something you never would have imagined 15 or 20 years ago."
The dreams are now becoming a reality, as we see El Paso continue to develop from the south, the north, the west, and what we affectionately call the "BEAST" of the East.
