The Gateway Hotel has been closed, evidently because of city code violations. If the violations are real and public safety is endangered I guess it should be shut down. Some wonder if this is a case of selective enforcement.
Code workarounds
Our new ball park is going to be open for the April 28 game we are told. The construction contract the city signed requires the park to be completed by the end of August.
We have been told that the park will be “baseball ready” by April 28 and that there may have to be some “code workarounds”.
Look for extra costs for policemen and firemen to help manage the crowds and keep them out of trouble in the unfinished facility.
Certificate of occupancy
How will they get a certificate of occupancy for an unfinished construction project? Look for the rules to be bent. Evidently it will be judged fair to do it for the stadium but not for the residents of a hotel that needs to be brought up to code.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Well, call it what you want and blame whomever you want but my property taxes on my home has gone up about $200. this new property tax bill. (I have done nothing to increase the value.) My house payment is now $16. + dollars a month higher. Property tax WAS about $1300. a year. So that’s about a 15% increase in one year.
So, MY Quality Of Life, just went down $16. a month or down $200. per year, just so I can enjoy a Brand New Ballpark !
That I will never never ever go to, or suggest to anyone or out of towners to go to.
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I thought Mountainstar said one time that the NAME of the ballpark would INCLUDE the word: “El Paso” so that El Paso would get any advertising for THAT.
Well, we better check up on that.
I dont see the Name or word: “El Paso” in the name of this ballpark.
I think someone needs to be sued for lying to the public just to get their ballpark built.
Something I’d like to see is:
Each AND EVERY Check, payment /from Mountainstar to be published, EVERY time they make a rent payment.
(And how that compares to what they promised and projected.)
I suppose Mountainstar has not paid ONE DIME to the City of El Paso so far? (I don’t know)
I have not heard of any: “First Month’s or Last Month’s rent being paid.”
or Security Deposit for a $100 million dollar City Owned building/ facility.
If you rent any building in any park, for a party, you have to pay those items.
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Excellent point about the name. Both city council and the El Paso Times have a way of ignoring some things, this being a good example. It’s called selective memory.
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My recollection is that the contract with the sports group required “El Paso” to be part of the team name.
If I recall correctly the contract gave the sports group the right to pick any name for the ball park.
Brutus
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Correct though its real name is Stole-Ur-Vote Field.
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Until there IS a Certificate of Occupancy, All ads on billboards, backboards, signs and name of the building payments, that Mountainstar has already collected, belong to the City Of El Paso.
The building is owned by the City and the Lease has not started yet.
That’s what I think !
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if you and the homeowners think that there is a lot of construction detours and NOISE from the ballpark during THIS time of construction, just till they hear, every freaking night, the National Anthem, every song, every annoucement, every cracked bat, every audience noise and have absolutely no enjoyment and Expectation of Piece and enjoyment of homeownership.
Since the neighborhood around this ballpark was established FIRST then the Noise Laws, / Noise enforcement should begin with the First Game and the Sherrif’s Department enforce the laws and shut this thing down.
There IS a Noise Code.
(Just like what was used in helping shut down 3 Legged Monkey because they had BANDS outside and the immediate neighborhood did not have any enjoyment of life in their property.)
One of the parts of OWNERSHIP of Real Estate is Expectation of Peaceful Enjoyment.
The homes around this ballpark will be hard to sell or rent due to the constant Noise.
And those older homes do not have the double and triple insulation as new homes build under VA and FHA giildlines during the 1980’s.
So, they will hear EVERYTHING and the nurses and doctors that lose sleep, well, your LIFE depends on them, NOT LOSING SLEEP and being fresh each day.
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Your city council and manager and certain individuals who forced the new ballpark don’t care about the quality of life (where have we heard that phrase before?) of the nearby residents and property owners. They care about the bank accounts of Paul Foster, Woody Hunt and other downtown developers. They actually want those people to have to sell or abandon their property near the stadium so they can take it or buy it for a pittance.
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Can you imagine starting ANY kind of business (baseball downtown) where 74% of the population, absolutely DOES NOT LIKE YOU ?
And wants nothing to do with you?
And feels lied to, cheated and swindled?
(Hey, that does sound like a good name for a Law Firm: “Lie, Cheat & Swindle, Attorneys at Law.”)
Well, after over a YEAR of advertising, and front page news and on and on, Mountainstar finally sold out the First Game, “they say”.
Now, the next games will be one right after another, not 1 year of constant advertising and publicity, so they better get those BIG ADS going ! And $1.00 beer nights and 25 cent hotdogs.
Free hats, bring your dog day, red hat day, Give Us Your Money Day, etc.
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What about City Council wanting to increase the downtown parking meter fees 100% ???
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Read Meteoric Rates https://elpasospeak.com/2014/03/23/meteoric-rates/
Brutus
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I was thinking about the Gateway and why the city chose to focus on it (not excusing its condition) instead of the many other similar run down buildings. Then this morning it dawned on me when I read about the legal action: the Gateway is owned by Koreans and not by Rubin or Abraham who are main funders of politicos here.
So it is a selective enforcement. I’ll be watching to see if the Gateway isn’t “Nilandized.”
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