ambitious plans reveal new el paso cohen stadium site look

A master plan to redevelop the big Cohen Stadium on the northeast side of El Paso is expected to be finalized by members of the El Paso City Council on May 1.

The 9,700-seat stadium, which was opened in the summer of 1990, served as the home to the El Paso Diablos baseball team until 2013.

For the last several years, the stadium has hosted any number of concerts, fairs, and sporting events, but is thought by city officials to be largely underused.

But now a new master planned called Reimagining Cohen  is proposing that the 25-acre site at 9700 Galveston Street could be redeveloped as an entertainment district that would include a hotel, residential, restaurant, and retail space.

The plan, which has been the subject of several public input meetings as well as a focus group, is additionally proposing doing away with the stadium itself.

Even if the city council approves the plan, funding for the project remains uncertain and could come from a public/private partnership.

By Garry Boulard