El Paso City Council Now Approves $80M Cohen Renovation

A major announcement just came down from El Paso city leaders. City Council and Mayor Oscar Leeser just approved a deal that will bring an $80 million world-class open air amphitheater to former site of Cohen Stadium in Northeast El Paso. The deal, in partnership with Notes Live, Inc., is touted as potentially bringing $5.4 BILLION into the community.

Veronica Gonzalez

Notes Live, Inc. is a “nationally renowned music venue company”, according to a press release from City Council. The deal involves a $31 Million “performance-based incentive agreement” that Council has already approved.

The project would be a 12,500 capacity amphitheater that is set to begin construction in August of this year with a target completion date in 2026.

The announcement from City Council comes as a surprise to most of us because all we’ve been hearing about for 12 years is the controversial downtown multipurpose arena.

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Glenn Garza

This project, it seems right now, has nothing to do with the downtown arena. Does this mean the downtown project will be shelved? We just don’t know yet, but we’ll work to get clarification from Oscar Leeser or someone else involved in the plans, possibly as soon as tomorrow’s Morning Show.

The press release from City Council promises to bring billions of dollars to the community as well as, “elevated hospitality, tip tier audio-visual capabilities, premium food and drink…and put El Paso on the map…for the biggest national and international acts travelling the Southern U.S. and Northern Mexico region.”

The venue, to be called Sunset Amphitheater, is hyped by Life Notes, Inc. as being able to attract the biggest concerts “with comfort, style and flair beyond imagination!”, according to Live Notes CEO J.W. Roth.

The biggest question today is…now that we’re going to have a Sunset Amphitheater, will we finally let the “sun set” on the misbegotten, bungled and mismanaged Downtown Multipurpose Center? Let’s hope so.

More information as it becomes available.