Top Menu

Petition to halt El Paso ballpark submitted, but may be too late

Proposed El Paso ballpark

Another set of petitions designed to stop construction of a new El Paso ballpark has been submitted, but organizers may be too late to stop the process.

Petition-drive organizers submitted enough signatures to force the El Paso City Council to consider an ordinance that would halt the demolition of City Hall to make way for a new ballpark for the relocating Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). Under the plan, a hike in local hotel taxes would help pay for a new ballpark on the downtown site where City Hall is currently located; city operations would move to other downtown locations.

It’s a convoluted process for a petition to actually succeed in derailing the ballpark project. First. the City Council can reject the proposed ordinance (which is expected). If this happens, petition organizers would need to submit new petitions to force the ordinance on the next general-election ballot. Since the deadline has passed to place anything else on the November ballots, the next time El Paso voters could be asked to vote on the ordinance would be May 2013 — well after the demolition of City Hall and the beginnings of ballpark construction.

In fact, the wheels are turning to approve the project: the City Council will likely preliminarily approve ordinances furthering the ballpark next Tueday, with final approval expected Sept. 18.

At issue: a $50-million set to open for the 2014 season.

The next step: the city will issue a Request for Qualifications for the actual design of the ballpark.

Image courtesy City of El Paso.

RELATED STORIES: El Paso moves forward with ballpark planningEl Paso group pledges profits to charityEffort to thwart El Paso ballpark falls shortProtesters to “Occupy City Hall” over new El Paso ballparkHotel tax on El Paso ballot; no direct choice for votersWill El Paso ballpark spur downtown development? Insiders of mixed mindEl Paso opponents: We want ballpark on fall ballotPCL approves El Paso purchase of T-PadresFoster: Opposition to new El Paso ballpark not a surpriseOpposition to El Paso ballpark emergesHoteliers: We don’t want to pay for new El Paso ballparkEl Paso group: we’re one step closer to buying PCL teamPacific Coast League expected to decide El Paso bid for baseball this week; El Paso: Let’s sell Cohen Stadium to Tigua tribeT-Padres back in Kino Stadium for 2013One side effect of new El Paso ballpark: return of UTEP baseballEl Paso ownership group pitches PCLEl Paso approves ballpark for Triple-A teamFirst look: El Paso ballpark renderingsDiablos casualty of new El Paso ballparkDowntown ballpark planning moving forward in El PasoEl Paso to debate ballpark bond issueEl Paso group seeking downtown ballpark, T-PadsMoorad to Escondido: We need quick action on ballparkObstacles to new ballparks in California: not as bleak as expectedEscondido moving forward with business park on proposed ballpark propertyCity, not Moorad group, to acquire Escondido landEscondido mayor: Time to scrap new-ballpark planMoorad: Leaving Padres in Tucson a possibilityEscondido ballpark vote put off indefinitelyEscondido ballpark vote delayed;State government could kill Escondido T-Pods ballparkNew for 2011: Tucson PadresEscondido approves Triple-A ballpark — with reservationsMoorad group, Escondido sign MOU for new ballparkEscondido council fills vacancy in advance of ballpark voteCrunch time for new Escondido ballparkPadres raise ante in Escondido ballpark negotiationsEscondido ballpark vote delayed again; new council will decidePadres make it official: Beavers to Tucson in 2011Election shows mixed support for new Escondido ballparkTuesday elections could determine fate of BevosBevos to Tucson for 2011Escondido ballpark vote delayed after pollution found at siteFate of Bevos in the air until November, maybe DecemberPadres pitch one-sided lease to EscondidoEscondido: Show us some money, PadresEscondido in, San Marcos out of Bevos ballpark mix

—-

Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.

Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.

Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!

Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!

, , , , , , , ,