El Paso City Council once again postpones vote on new Union Depot arena site
Any plans to establish the Multipurpose Performing and Cultural Arts Center on the Union Depot site will have to wait another two weeks.
With no fanfare or discussion, the El Paso City Council delayed approval of the site for another two weeks during its meeting March 12, only a day after the El Paso Downtown Management District called for the plan to be scrapped.
More: Downtown Management District pushes for large arena amid city's proposed concert venue
This is the second time the City Council has balked at the proposal since it was first brought up in February, when city Rep. Isabel Salcido requested a delay to give the community more time to weigh in on the plan.
Since then, the city has held three community meetings — one in-person meeting and another two online — and received significant pushback over the smaller venue, which would include 4,000 indoor seats and a lawn space capable of seating another 4,000.
Others have joined the Downtown Management District's call for a larger venue, with up to 14,000 seats, which they say is more in line with what voters approved in the 2012 Quality of Life bond.
But the language approved by voters in 2012 called for $228.25 million "for museum, cultural, multipurpose performing arts and entertainment and library facility improvements, including new Children's Museum, cultural heritage center and interactive digital wall."
The 2012 ballot language did not mention an arena or the size of the venue being considered.
'Right to be heard' proposal also delayed
In a similar fashion, the City Council kicked the can down the road on South-West city Rep. Chris Canales' plan to enshrine the right to be heard into city ordinance.
This likewise marks the second time the City Council has delayed the proposal.
While it had long been common for the City Council to read written public comments aloud during meetings, that practice was recently halted. Canales' proposal would formalize the practice to ensure more residents can participate in City Council meetings.
The proposal was delayed, Canales said, because "a few organizations asked to be able to take position statements in support of the item to their boards for approval, but they needed more time."
Both Canales' proposal and the Union Depot arena site are slated to be on the menu for the City Council's next meeting on Tuesday, March 26.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: When will El Pasoans know fate of proposed Union Depot arena site?
