Item 22.4 on the Tuesday, October 30, 2018 city council agenda provides incentives for a company to build a convention center and convention center hotel in west El Paso.
This is the water park that has been the subject of recent speculation.
The estimated investment by the company is $150 million. They are telling us that about 600 jobs will be created.
In return the company will receive:
100% city property tax rebate for 15 years. The city’s rate is .843332 per hundred dollars of valuation. That comes to $1.26 million per year in tax relief at the current rate.
100% city sales tax rebate for 15 years
50% hotel motel tax rebate for 15 years. The tax is 17.5% of the room rate of which the city normally gets 11.5%. That means the operation will collect the 17.5% and then get 5.75% returned to them by the city.
TIRZ 10 will fund $526,100 in infrastructure and safety improvements.
The park will be at 6850 Paseo Del Norte, across the street from the new Walmart.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
I assume the water park will not be free to taxpayers, so why do they get any special consideration at all?
On another note, we should be glad the city didn’t tear down half of the buildings downtown and give that to them as well.
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and the City keeps telling us they are trying to relieve the tax burden on the homeowner which currently stands nears 70% while the corporate tax base is only shouldering 30%.
Healthy cities have the numbers flipped with homeowners generally carrying much less than 50% of the City’s tax burden.
There is nothing about this “deal” with Wolf Lodge that will benefit El Paso financially. It will just continue to siphon tax dollars due and water resources while locals don’t benefit.
El Paso’s streets will continue to remain third world.
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Jud, there is only about 30% commercial tax base here, if that. It’s what happens when NAFTA moves your manufacturers to Mexico, leaving the burden to residential. Then the wiz-bangs in City Hall waive 15 years of tax on a resort, give an out of town developer $7M for a hotel renovation, cede the parking revenue to a baseball team….
Get the idea? Who pays? Who benefits? Ask your city rep.
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Um, er, ah…JerryK: how long have you lived here? FYI, the factories that did not end up bankrupt started moving to Mexico way back in the 1970’s, long before NAFTA. Or, were you totally ignorant of that little fact. And, that certainly includes the biggest of them all, Farah! Other than that, I think your post is correct.
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Another burden on the taxpayers, while we continue to pay for the stupid ballpark, huh? What the hell is wrong with our elected representatives? Why does this cycle of giveaways – at our expense, but without our approval – never end?! This is worse than simple taxation without representation, you know.
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Just wait till people learn you have to book a room to access the water park at Great Wolf. They don’t sell day passes.
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15 years. They could shut down then and walk away with their profits and our taxes. Will someone on CC please just say NO to these corporate welfare leeches! A free capitalist market can work but you have to let it work.
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The Times story says this about the jobs: “The proposed complex would create an estimated 1,190 jobs during construction, and at least 385 jobs at the resort complex, according to city data.” Will they hire local construction firms? What kind of wages will these 385 resort jobs have?
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In case you thought that Council was going to “discuss” the giveaway, at least one member is eager to vote for it: From Representative Svarzbein’s newsletter yesterday: “On Tuesday, October 30th, there will be a presentation on Great Wolf Lodge. I have friends and family that will make a 3 hour trip to enjoy the accommodations and entertainment provided by Great Wolf. Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts with 17 locations across North America. It has been rated 2nd, behind only Disney, when it comes to quality, accommodations, and overall customer service to families and children. This is a significant development for our wonderful city, and I look forward to working with City staff to make sure we are responsive to your concerns and needs as this project comes to fruition. “
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Svarzbein’s pitch is that he has “friends and family that will make a 3 hour trip to enjoy the accommodations and entertainment provided by Great Wolf.” Does he realize that the only real cities within 3 hours driving time to El Paso are Las Cruces and Juarez.
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Well yeah, but while his family is here they can also “enjoy” looking at his little MULTI-MILLION$$$ trolley cars HE shafted the TAXPAYERS with buying. Another Silly Council “Want to have” toy. City BILLIONS$$ in debt and THEY grow it every day. And now ANOTHER MULTI-MILLION$$$ give away with THEIR water park. IS this guy up for RE-ELECTION?? Needs to be kicked to the curb, he only “Represents” himself…
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Aren’t you the smartest person ever! Man, who needs google maps when we can just ask you. Idiot. There are a lot of other cities and towns within three hours away. And by the screen name I can only assume your some creeper in a basement trying to make yourself feel better by stalking or creeping on a public figure. I’ve got family in Mexico and New Mexico and they are within three hours away. Stop dissing on our area like some high and mighty wannabe. Just fess up. You’ve probably never been outside the city. I pity you. Lonely loser.
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“….as this project comes to fruition.”
Done deal. Peter just confirmed it. His infomercial for Wolf is disgusting.
Giving away so much tax revenue is not being responsive to the concerns of most El Pasoans.
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Exactly right. He, THEY are never responsive to the needs, necessities of the PEOPLE of El Taxo. THEY represent only themselves and whatever THEY can TAKE from US. Tax, waste, spend, tax some more. THEM against US.
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The only benefit that I can see from this at all is to the other for taxing entities that we have. However, that being said, does this mean that those taxing entities will reduce our portion of the tax that they collect from us? I highly doubt it.
On another note, I would certainly like to know who owns the properties adjacent to that 44 Acres that Mr. Foster is planning on swapping for the 2700 Acres in northeast El Paso. If it is anyone associated to him or in fact he himself, this is a bigger swindle than we can imagine.
Always follow the money.
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Another MULTI-MILLION$$$ give away of TAXPAYERS money, by useless, ignorant politicians. What do the TAXPAYERS, home owners get out of this GIVE AWAY?? Like everything else THEY do to US, NOTHING. The Developers, BILLIONAIRES, who don’t PAY TAXES are just another “Bank” for these politicians campaign “Donations”, pay-off, kick backs..
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More corporate welfare, plain and simple. Legal, but unethical and immoral. El Paso might be smaller than Chicago, but the two cities have something in common. Corruption.
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Coming soon to El Paso. Bankruptcy. It won’t be a mystery. We know whodunnit. They’ll get away with it.
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Yes, Bankruptcy because of inherent Public Corruption in El Taxo. We need to have an FBI, R.I.C.O. section located at City Hall.
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Just as important: Is this a wise use of our scare water resources?! God help our grandchildren!!!
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Yep, that’s all we hear. “Conserve water, conserve water”, water restrictions, rain-falling-off-the-roof TAXES. There is NO water supply here in the DESERT ! Politicians hustling for campaign “Donations”, trying to make a buck off of US anyway they can. Just another scam like their ball field that will never be paid for and the PEOPLE of El Taxo will NEVER see a dime on return. Just one con after another with politicians here. Every election, re-election , WE need to kick all of THEM out.
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So they’re giving away some of the hotel tax that is also supposed to pay for the ballpark. Some things never change.
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