Now that things with the move of city hall have settled down, this graphic that I took from the city’s web site just last week becomes significant:
In The saga continues this quote from El Paso Inc. was printed:
The mayor’s former offices weren’t big enough for the finance staff, so they were moved to the bank building until the area is redesigned. To make room for finance, the internal auditor’s offices have been moved.
Now as you can see the city has the tax office, the office of management and budget, and the chief financial officer in lease space in one of the fancy bank buildings. There does not seem to be enough room for them in the multiple buildings that the city has been remodeling.
The city web site makes no mention of moving those departments as it does others that are scheduled to move.
Mulligan
The building once known as the Luther building is being referred to as the Mulligan building by the city now.
The September 18, 2012 city council meeting had a presentation from city staff recommending that the city accept the donation of the building. The city would then need to spend over $13 million dollars remodeling it. Part of the justification was this statement in the presentation:
The City can utilize the 73,667 square foot Luther building for other City departments (e. g. Fire department Admin) that are currently located in leased space and realize the lease savings.
Guess what?
The fire department currently occupies leased space in yet another building and according to the city’s web site is not scheduled to move into the Mulligan building.
So much for realizing savings.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Curious that they would change the name of the building from Luther to Mulligan. I wonder how and why that came about. As for the “lease savings” argument, it seems so many “we do this because…” rationales that the City likes to proffer for their actions are nothing more than on the spot lame-ass excuses that, in time, don’t hold up and, probably, they think everybody is going to forget about.
Take, for example, the excuse that going to the extended work days on Monday – Thursday with Fridays off, that the EPISD started during summers and the City copied, with the excuse that it would “save energy costs” on the energy inefficient, doomed City Hall. We still have no Friday service, same M-Th schedule, yet no more City Hall, and paying who knows how much on multiple buildings’ remodelings, and now new leases, etc. What in heaven’s name could possibly be the rationale they are now using to keep the “3 day weekend” schedule? Savings? Bah! BTW…some of us don’t forget so easily.
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The name of the building was changed to reflect the name of the original owner. These links explain the name change.
http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_c010acce-f223-11e2-8d2d-001a4bcf6878.html
http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_92b0876e-1324-11e3-b0a6-001a4bcf6878.html
Ironically, the term “mulligan” means a free “do over” as in allowing a swing at a golf ball again. Unfortunately the “do over” of this building is far from free — $13 million and counting.
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“There does not seem to be enough room for them in the multiple buildings that the city has been remodeling.”
Maybe that was the plan all along in the Borderplex-owned City Hall?
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