Making Strides for Our Downtown
by Mayor John Cook

In my recent travels to other cities, I have come to the conclusion that a great downtown is one of the most important ingredients to making a great city. In 2007, our city is in the early stages of a boom that will improve our quality of life and the world’s perception of El Paso for the foreseeable future. A key element of our transformation will be the renovation of our once-proud Downtown.

We have enormous resources in our Downtown. Few downtowns in cities of our size have the benefit of such a large stock of historic buildings, such as the Mills Building, Bassett Tower, Cortez Building, Plaza Hotel and many more— not to mention the numerous other smaller buildings that give Downtown El Paso a unique flavor. Almost no cities have the steady influx of pedestrian shoppers that have sustained and continue to sustain our vibrant retail trade. We can use these strengths to create a unique urban space in the center of our fair city.

Speaking of pedestrians, our Downtown is already quite walkable and will continue to improve as new developments come about. The Creative Cities Leadership Project, funded by the city, has recently sponsored an international design competition for an international arts walk. Entries came from as far away as MIT in Cambridge, Mass., and the winners will be announced soon. This competition promises to become an annual event and is an example of the synergy we are enjoying while building on the Downtown plan.

Now managed by city staff, the plan for Downtown Revitalization is moving forward. The normal pattern for downtown redevelopment is jobs first, then residences and finally retail. In El Paso, we have a significant amount of retail activity already. Now we need to increase Downtown jobs and residences. The Economic Development Department and the Historic Preservation Office are looking into a series of incentives to encourage new investment in Downtown. These include grants and/or tax abatements for reuse of historical buildings and for “green” building. Historic incentives should be offered in the TIRZ (Redevelopment Zone) district, as well as in the historic zones, to encourage continuity throughout Downtown.

There are a couple of other recent city developments that will have a positive impact on our redevelopment plans. One is the recent establishment of the TIRZ board that will evaluate proposed plans for the redevelopment zone and enable implementation of catalyst projects. The other is our hiring of Troy Ainsworth, the city’s new historical preservation officer. Troy will be actively involved in helping to evaluate Downtown projects, as well as projects in other parts of the city, to promote our rich cultural and architectural heritage. He is a key member of the city’s plan to promote historical tourism.

In short, the city is taking many steps to advance the plan for Downtown El Paso in a way that will enable much-needed development and growth, yet balance it with preservation of buildings and spaces that make El Paso look and feel like no other place.

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Out of the Ashes
by Bill Coon, CPO Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso

Two years ago, the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso got all the free press we wanted— or in our case, all the press we did not want. To put it bluntly, we dropped the ball and let the youth of El Paso down. Our funders stopped funding us, the office of the attorney general began an investigation, and we lost the trust of the public. Most importantly, we had to close the doors to some of our facilities and turn kids away.

Two years later, thanks to the dedication of five men who rebuilt the board, Goodwill’s generous donation, United Way and the Housing Authority’s continued support, we are again touching the lives of the youth of El Paso. On July 23, I received a letter from the office of the attorney general. I am so proud of the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso and our staff for all of their hard work, and I want to share with you the entire letter:

Dear Mr. Coon,

Thank you for your letter on June 13, 2007. The recitation of all the things the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso has done to address the attorney general’s concerns is very impressive. During the attorney general’s investigation, it became very clear that the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso are extremely important to the El Paso community. Your board of directors and administrative staff should be commended for their efforts to once again return your organization to one committed to transparency and its core mission. Your personal commitment to these goals is very much appreciated. I am pleased to report that the attorney general’s investigation of the Boys & Girls Clubs of El Paso has been completed, and I look forward to hearing about your future successes.

I want to share with you our plans for the future because we have some exciting programs beginning in September. “Learning Today” is a web-based program for grades kindergarten through fifth that will teach our members math and reading and will give them the tools to pass the TAKS test and do well in school. “Smart Moves” teaches our members to resist the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and postpone sexual activity. Our “Youth of the Year” program recognizes exceptional members and gives them the voice and path to showcase personal development and achieve their dreams. “Power Hour” helps young people develop academic, behavioral and social skills through homework completion. We surround all our programs with “Project Learning,” meaning all programs, activities, etc. will have a focus on learning. We are teaching our members that in all that we do, we can learn, and we have many tools that will help us succeed. When we plan programs that truly have meaning and activities that are planned and not accidental, we will touch lives and allow our members to grow into productive, caring and responsible citizens.

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The Citizen’s Advisory Board
by Marco Spalloni, EPPD Central Regional Commander

There is an old saying that two types of people exist: those who lift and those who lean. In life, we must all play the role of the leaner at some point, but to eagerly seek out the role of the lifter is commendable. It may be said that Central El Paso is made up of a good number of individuals who support the lifting up of others, and in my experience as the central regional commander, I can attest to the abundant spirit of volunteerism that is found in the Central Regional Command citizen’s advisory board.

The Central Regional Command Citizen’s Advisory Board is a working board made up of citizen volunteers from the Central communities who commit themselves to working together to find solutions to community problems. It formulates strategies and plans in order to facilitate solutions for the issues and needs of Central El Paso. The board is involved in various initiatives, such as the underage drinking initiative, elderly outreach, pride day and officer recognition. The citizen advisory board’s mission is to support the people of the Central region, which encompasses Downtown, and the police department in maintaining law and order in the city by serving as a liaison between the people of the community and the El Paso Police Department. It also includes efforts to encourage communication, understanding and collaboration between the department and the community.

The board’s underage drinking initiative is an innovative approach to the problem of underage drinking in our community. The board’s objectives include educating at-risk youth on the consequences associated with underage drinking and empowering them to make a difference and take responsibility. These objectives are accomplished through in-school presentations, an underage drinking poster contest and a bridge outreach. The bridge outreach is composed of board members who pay visits to the Sante Fe point of entry bridge in Downtown El Paso. Board members encourage the youths traveling to Juárez for a night of celebration and drinking to do so responsibly and designate drivers. The advisory board members hand out MADD designated driver red wristbands, which allow the designated drivers to have free unlimited nonalcoholic drinks in Juárez. This effort is made possible by the vigorous work of the board members in conjunction with the Juárez Avenue Merchants Association.

Additionally, the board offers an elderly outreach program. Much pleasure is brought about through this program. The citizen’s advisory board sponsors an assisted living facility within the Central area. On the last Wednesday of each month, the board holds a reception at the facility to celebrate the birthdays for the month and provides cake and refreshments for the celebration. Pride day is a coordinated effort between the citizen’s advisory board, city government and the residents of the area to improve the quality of life by targeting dilapidated areas for clean up. This effort has proven itself very successful every year, due in large part to the efforts of the board.

Overall, the citizens of Central El Paso are fortunate in that a group of heavy lifters choose to help those who might find themselves needing to lean. If you would like to become a member of the Central Regional Command citizen’s advisory board, you can call 915.577.5025 for more information.