El Paso Downtown Management District

On the Tuesday, April 11th City Council agenda, Item #17 is posted for “Discussion and action to direct the City Manager to adjust the operating schedule of the Streetcar to be event-driven for optimal use.”

Streetcars returned to El Paso Streets in late 2018. This project has always been primarily an economic development investment to provide an amenity for Downtown/Uptown visitors, employees, and residents, and a short distance travel option throughout Downtown and Uptown. As you recall, it originally launched with daily and nightly service, seven days a week with a fee for usage. Throughout its existence, including a shutdown during the pandemic, hours, rates and other Sun Metro bus routes have been adjusted by staff to maximize usage without undermining the original purpose.

Since the return of Streetcar operations following the pandemic, the DMD has actively worked with the City on a cross functional team to maximize the system’s usage and support activity throughout the Downtown/Uptown corridor. Through staff action, hours were adjusted for service Wednesday – Saturday (3pm-10pm) and Sunday (12pm-6pm) with no service on Monday or Tuesday. The working group also identifies needs for expanded service (i.e. Winterfest, Sun Bowl, etc.) and oversees City organized programming (i.e. Read & Ride, Trolly Tracks, etc.).

While we’ve all seen empty cars from time to time, we’ve also seen development along the tracks and throughout Downtown/Uptown. Great potential exists, and working to increase ridership is the way to facilitate additional investment and build upon the systems’ purpose.

Please contact your City Representative, or attend Tuesday's meeting to share your opinion.

Congratulations to the El Paso Chihuahuas for becoming the Pacific Coast League (PCL) East Division Champions after Saturday night’s 3-2 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers) in front of a standing room only crowd of 8,207!

Please note the UPDATED location.

Next Saturday the 17th, the FREE event, Fiesta de las Luces is back! Join us on El Paso Street as we enjoy Lucha Libre, food trucks, border shops, vendors and more! Courtesy of WellMed and United Healthcare. Click for details: https://downtownelpaso.com/fiesta-de-las-luces-2022/

https://downtownelpaso.com/first-ever-downtown-restaurant-week-in-downtown-el-paso/

First Ever Downtown Restaurant Week in Downtown El Paso - DMD - Downtown El Paso EL PASO, TX (September 8, 2022) – For the first time ever, the El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) will coordinate an event popular across the country. Downtown Restaurant Week, brought to you by the Law Office of Steve Ortega will be a week to look forward to annually. Save-the-date for Fr...

The Gardner Hotel will see a brighter future with refreshed neon signage and updated windows!
https://downtownelpaso.com/dmd-board-approves-grants-for-gardner-hotel/

DMD Board Approves Grants for Gardner Hotel - DMD - Downtown El Paso EL PASO, TX (August 31, 2022) –The Downtown Management District (DMD) Board of Directors approved two Downtown Improvement Grants at the August 25th Board meeting for the 100-year-old Gardner Hotel. The Gardner Hotel, located at 500 N. Stanton St., is owned by Joseph M. Nebham. The estimated total...

Interview with Artist Bordalo II and Candace Printz about the Green Hope Project in DTEP - DMD - Downtown El Paso We had the opportunity to interview artist Bordalo II about the mountion lion installation in Downtown while he was creating it. We also did a Q&A with Candace Printz, the…

Tickets for UTEP’s first football game are selling fast! The will have special extended hours so you can park Downtown, and ride to the game and back! Eat downtown before going or enjoy a nightcap after the game in downtown. It just got easier! The game is Saturday, August 27th! Purchase tickets at utepminers.com

Thank you to El Paso Electric for supporting El Paso Downtown Management District efforts to keep Downtown vibrant!

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation. We thank you in advance!
SCHEDULE HERE:
https://rcblood.org/3bdxiKK
El Paso County American Red Cross

We're down to the last handful of tickets!
https://elpasoheraldpost.com/july-downtown-tasting-tour.../ El Paso Herald-Post

July Downtown Tasting Tour Ticket Sales Now Open The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) once again provides the opportunity to taste dishes from another five Downtown restaurants. On Wednesday, July 27, for just $35 a person, the Downtown Tasting Tour brought to you by the Law Office of Steve Ortega, will provide a map and a menu to five p...

Don't wait!
https://kfoxtv.com/news/local/el-paso-downtown-tasting-tour-tickets-for-july-27-on-sale KFOX-TV

El Paso downtown tasting tour tickets for July 27 on sale Tickets are on sale for the upcoming "tasting tour" that provides partipants. July Downtown Tasting Tour. Ticket Sales Now Open.

We SOLD OUT last month, so don't sleep on this one! Only 100 people will get to experience a chill night of food at 5 DTEP restaurants for only 35 bucks each on July 27th! Cheezus Park Tavern The Tap Bar and Restaurant Mills corner store Rockstar Burger Bar Presented by Steve Ortega Law
https://downtownelpaso.com/product/downtown-tasting-tour/

Downtown Tasting Tour - DMD - Downtown El Paso The El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD) would like to be an adventure guide for your taste buds at the Downtown Tasting Tour. For the next 3 months on the last Wednesday, five participating restaurants will showcase an individual food offering. This month’s Tasting Tour will take place Wedn...

FIVE Grants approved by the DMD Board for facade improvement, signage and lighting improvements and a ART!
https://downtownelpaso.com/dmd-board-approves-five-downtown-improvement-grants/

DMD Board Approves Five Downtown Improvement Grants - DMD - Downtown El Paso EL PASO, TX (July 6, 2022) –The Downtown Management District (DMD) Board of Directors approved five Downtown Improvement Grants at the June 23rd Board meeting. Two Downtown Commercial Façade Improvement Grants were approved, including a property at 920 S. Stanton St., owned by Omega Realty Corp.,...

More Than a Nightclub Owner, Dave Castillo Makes His Mark - DMD - Downtown El Paso Dave Castillo, 53, owner and operator of EPIC Bar and Nightclub, is a fixture in the Downtown community, not only as a business owner but as a philanthropist and member of the LGBTQ+ community. We had a moment on the tail-end of Pride month to have a long overdue Q&A session to glean a little more a...

The Downtown Management District (DMD) has been selected as a grant recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program. The organization has been awarded $500,000 for assessment efforts.

EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent...
https://downtownelpaso.com/dmd-2nd-brownfields-grant/

DMD Awarded 2nd Brownfields Grant from EPA - DMD - Downtown El Paso El Paso Downtown Management District Awarded $500,000 in Federal Funding for Economic Development & Infrastructure Projects EL PASO, TX (June 28, 2022) –The Downtown Management District (DMD) has been selected as a grant recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Progra...

We hire the best, and the best Special Event Coordinator called for Patricia Martinez! After engaging us for 16 years on the 93.1 KISS FM Morning Show she is now a member of the formidable Downtown Management Team.
https://downtownelpaso.com/dmd-hires-first-special-event-coordinator-patricia-martinez/

DMD Hires First Special Event Coordinator-Patricia Martinez - DMD - Downtown El Paso DMD Hires First Special Event Coordinator EL PASO, TX (June 16, 2022) –The Downtown Management District (DMD) welcomes, Patricia Martinez, as its first Special Event Coordinator. Events are a major driver of Downtown activity and engagement. In recent years, the DMD has grown the number of Downtow...

La Nube announced that Rick and Ginger Francis provided a cornerstone donation of $500,000 to the Preston Foster Fund, a fund established at the El Paso Community Foundation in memory of Preston Foster, who lost his life in an accident in 2020 at the age of 33.

The Francis’s donation, along with community contributions to the fund, established what will be the Preston Foster Garden at La Nube, the new children’s museum and science center.

The Preston Foster Garden will be on the east side of La Nube and will include features such as a boulder scape, a misterium, and a grove.
For more information: https://www.la-nube.org/

La Nube - The Shape of Imagination | El Paso, Texas El Paso’s new hands-on center of imagination, exploration, and creativity was designed for children and adults to embrace their natural curiosity and learn through play. With nine themed learning experiences spread across four stories and 70,000 square feet of space, there are endless opportunitie...

The ASU Research Team is recruiting individuals who live in El Paso, Texas, and who are 18 years and older to fill out this online survey that aims to understand how people use the spaces and their perspectives about the social and environmental outcomes of the project. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete the survey:

https://forms.gle/h74LfGShtBYRjZRbA

Dr. Chingwen Cheng, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, and graduate research assistant, Ramandeep Kaur, at The Design School, Arizona State University, in collaboration with landscape architect Jonah Susskind at the SWA Group, are conducting a research study to examine social, ecological, and economic outcomes and benefits of three landscape architecture projects in downtown El Paso, Texas: San Jacinto plaza, the Durango street improvements, and the Mills avenue pedestrian promenade.

This research is sponsored by Landscape Architecture Foundation and the survey results will be published in a report as part of the Landscape Performance Series 2023 edition.

The results of this study will also be shared with El Paso communities to help further improve social, ecological, and economic sustainability of the downtown area. Your participation is voluntary and will be greatly appreciated.

Are you a business owner, or a customer of Downtown businesses that are part of the robust nightlife?

Nightlife, music, bars, and restaurants are a major part of our Downtown resurgence and identity. The El Paso City Council is considering two ordinances that would negatively impact our nightlife economy by making it nearly impossible for restaurants and bars to play music in the evening.

Local businesses want to address neighborhood concerns when they arise, but none of the business community's recommendations have been considered. Instead, the current proposals change the rules for every restaurant and bar in El Paso, hurting local businesses and the employees who depend on them.

What can you do?

• Sign the petition in opposition of the amendments - https://p2a.co/AxW3O8s. Sign, and share on social.
• Be willing and prepared to speak to the City Council at the Tuesday, June 21st.
• Write to our mayor and city representatives today, asking them to stop the new rules and support El Paso's restaurants and bars.

Lucha Libre Added to Downtown El Paso Fiesta de las Luces Inside the ring, under the lights

If you missed the news, we are adding LUCHA to our Downtown Fiesta de las Luces on Saturday, May 21st! Thanks to and for making it possible! Besides, Mariachis, live music, and a DJ, expect vendors and food trucks too! 3pm-11pm More details at downtownelpaso.com

We hope to see you there!
https://downtownelpaso.com/downtown-fiesta-de-las-luces-returns-in-may-lucha-libre-added-to-entertainment/

Downtown Fiesta de las Luces Returns in May-Lucha Libre added to Entertainment - DMD - Downtown El Paso EL PASO, TX (May 5, 2022) – As part of a four-part series in 2022, the Downtown Fiesta de las Luces presented by WellMed and United Healthcare returns on Saturday, May 21, 2022. Produced by the El Paso Downtown Management District (DMD), the free event will not only continue with a plethora of ven...

A peek at La Nube ‘the cloud’-under construction. The children’s museum will have nine themed learning experiences across four stories. The design was inspired by the theme of blue sky thinking, a limitless and infinite representation of possibilities. Completion is planned for early 2023. https://la-nube.org/ El Paso Community Foundation

Opening SOON!

DTEP on the DL: INSIDER News on Upcoming Downtown Businesses - DMD - Downtown El Paso We eagerly await the opening of new fine dining restaurants and cocktail lounges in Downtown El Paso. Follow their social accounts to learn more about upcoming openings and keep an eye on our social too! Hush Hush From the pictures alone I would rate this a 5 out of 5 for ambience. D...

Fiesta de las Luces to Light Up Downtown El Paso in May The party returns