el paso park scheduled for infrastructure and facility upgrades

Located at 11270 McCombs Street in suburban northeast El Paso, the Joey Barraza and Vino Memorial Park is a pleasant grassy space with four baseball fields and three soccer fields.

Last year, the El Paso City Council voted to name the park in honor of a U.S. Border Patrol agent who lost his life in the spring of 2016 when his vehicle slammed into semi-truck on Interstate 10 near Fort Hancock.

The 29-year Barraza was also a K-9 handler whose German Shepard named Vino was injured in the crash, but did not die.

Now, city officials are hoping to see an upgrading of the site which will include the building of new electrical and plumbing infrastructure, as well as new fencing and rock walls.

To that end, El Paso has issued a Request for Proposals for what will be a $4.4 million upgrade of the formerly named Northeast Regional Park.

The upgrade will also see the building of a new irrigation system, bleachers, concrete tables, new signage, a dog park, and an extension of an existing asphalt parking lot.

The submission deadline for the RFP is December 18.

By Garry Boulard

---