On October 26, 2022 we broke the news that there is a plan to build an entertainment complex with amphitheater in Sunland Park, New Mexico.
Three days ago, KFOX reported reported that the 120,000-square-foot complex will be called “Independent Nation” and will include a multi-use amphitheater with a capacity of 4,000, nocturnal entertainment, and a cannabis superstore.
Groundbreaking was this past Wednesday and construction will be completed in the first half of 2025.
Vic Kolenc of the El Paso Times published a subsequent report providing more detail, citing the builder as The Heritage Group, headquartered in central El Paso.
Kolenc informs us that a second party, the Visneti Group, is still planning its own development in close proximity to Independent Nation: an indoor arena with a capacity of 5,000-6,000.
Meanwhile, the City of El Paso is moving forward with its project to build a multipurpose arena of approximately that size somewhere in Downtown El Paso.
Of course, the Sunland Park arena will cost the taxpayers of El Paso absolutely nothing while our Downtown arena will cost slightly less than $180 million and increase our City property tax.