Dear Friends and Media,
Today in Executive Session under item EX4, the City Council discussed the request by the Texas Historical Commission for an opinion from the City regarding the nomination of Downtown El Paso to the National Register of Historic Places.
The City reps came out of Executive discussion and voted 5-3, with Reps. Svarzbein, Annello and Rodriguez dissenting, to send the THC a letter asking them to exclude the city-owned “Arena Footprint” properties from the new district. See the video at the 4:38:40 mark.
According to the 2017 County survey, 13 of the properties in the “Arena Footprint” are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The City has no authority to compel the THC to make any changes to the proposed district but is free to register its opinion.
It is not clear why the item was relegated to Executive Session, denying the public any role in the decision-making process.
Enjoy your afternoon,
Max
Max Grossman, PhD
Board of Directors, Preservation Texas
Vice-Chair, The Trost Society
Co-Chair, Restore Sacred Heart Church