Dear Media,
I have attached a map of the Brownfield inventory study area and a complete list of individuals and companies that own property there (alphabetized by property owner).
There are precisely 146 properties, and all are private owned except for the two that are owned by the City.
It should come as no surprise that the major property owner is Paul Foster, who owns 13 properties through limited partnerships that are all titled “MILLS PLAZA…”
The second largest property owner is River Oaks Properties, which owns six.
Again, it was the DMD that applied for and won $600,000 from the EPA to conduct this study, which costs four times more than the architectural survey that was conducted by the County that included all of downtown, Union Plaza, Chihuahuita, and the Segundo Barrio.
The DMD’s application includes language indicating that the funds may be used to support demolition of historic structures that are contaminated with asbestos or lead-based paint (see previous email below).
Wait a second… Aren’t most historic buildings contaminated with asbestos or lead-based paint? Shouldn’t all of central El Paso be subjected to a Brownfield survey?
Enjoy your afternoon.
Max