The El Paso City Council voted unanimously to build the $180 million sports arena on the area south of the convention center. I took a walk around the area yesterday to see what's going to be demolished so we can have our downtown arena.

People live in the footprint of the arena. Some in apartments, some in little homes. I've come to realize that when people talk about "revitalizing" downtown it's always going to involve making someone move. The residences are modest but, for the most part, not what you would call "blighted". I definitely get the feeling that if these were 300 thousand dollar homes nobody would dare suggest kicking the people out.

There is one "mansion" in the "blast zone" though. Here it is.

Kevin Vargas
Kevin Vargas
loading...

You can even see, if you look closely, "The Mansion" spelled out on the little green gate on the right. 

I ran in to Channel 7's Darren Hunt and he explained that this building is, in fact, historic. It's over a hundred years old and for some part of it's life was a brothel. Darren told me the story about how a well-known El Paso business man bought the building about 20 years ago for around 10 thousand dollars. Which he paid in cash.

The building was locked but a shop-owner who stopped to chat said that people, mostly homeless, still manage to get in and do drugs. I tried the front door to no avail. From what I could tell about the condition it looked like it would take about a million dollars to bring the building up to code if someone wanted to make it habitable to people who weren't homeless or doing heroine.

This next building is just outside the "blast area".

Kevin Vargas
Kevin Vargas
loading...

This building is an art gallery/studio/academy and oozes historical charm. Fortunately, it would survive the initial plans for the arena, but just barely. It's right across the street from the Union Plaza Fire department and memorial park which WILL have to go...UNLESS, they find some way to incorporate it into the arena plans as was suggested in yesterday's council meeting.

Just down the block on Chihuahua Street is this historical gem:

Kevin Vargas
Kevin Vargas
loading...

This one was a highlight of my trip downtown. As the sign says, this is the historic Villa Stash House. I can't tell you any more about it than that because Kevin Vargas had to stand in the street to take the picture and there was traffic coming. I figured I read all about it once he sent me the picture but, alas, the print is to small. I like to imagine that the Villa Stash House is where Pancho Villa hid his stash. OR, maybe it's where Villa went to have is 'stache trimmed when he was in El Paso. Either way, I'm glad that it won't be sacrificed.

They say the eminent domain (legally talking someone's property from them) inconveniences a few so that it can benefit the many. I notice they never try to pull it on some gated community or pricey suburb though. Some people, like whoever owns the boarded-up and abandoned buildings will benefit. They'll be able to sell their property that otherwise would probably remain uninhabitable. But people who rent, both residents and business owners will just be roosted out. Maybe the city can give them a discount coupon for the first major concert that they would never be able to afford anyway comes to the new arena. That would be a nice gesture.

More From KLAQ El Paso