El Paso council directs city manager to analyze funding for downtown I‑10 Deck Plaza; adds TIRZ No.5 position request

The El Paso City Council on Feb. 3 directed the city manager to analyze local, state and federal funding sources that could support design and construction of a proposed Downtown I‑10 Deck Plaza and voted to request a formally adopted position from Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) No. 5 about potential boundary expansion and use of TIRZ funds.

The action followed a multi-hour staff briefing and public-engagement summary about the FY‑21 RAISE grant-funded feasibility study for a “deck plaza” spanning part of the I‑10 corridor through downtown. The council approved the direction to the city manager, including the TIRZ No. 5 request, by unanimous vote at the meeting’s conclusion after earlier adopting an amendment to add the TIRZ request by a 5–3 vote.

Why it matters: TxDOT’s planned I‑10 modernization through downtown creates a narrow window to coordinate structural changes that would support a future deck plaza. City staff and outside consultants told council that aligning city design and TxDOT work could reduce future rework and generate cost savings; council asked staff to pursue outside funding to avoid putting project costs on the general fund.

What staff presented - Project history and scope: Joaquin Rodriguez of the Capital Improvements Department said the city and partners awarded a planning and design contract to Stantec in November 2022. Stantec’s contract totaled approximately $1.3 million; most of…