Scope

The real estate team conducted a high level market analysis to assess supply/demand and a demand modeling exercise to project the amount and type of supportable new development. This informed the broader planning effort.

The plan suggests real estate investment in alignment with broader urban design and mobility strategies:

• Development Focus: Concentrate high-density mixed-use projects that combine residential, retail, and office functions near transit. Higher housing density in these zones is paired with economic development incentives to attract local employers as well as regional businesses.

• Corridor Transformation: Redevelop priority streets like Montana Avenue and Texas Avenue, where underused traffic capacity presents opportunities to reconfigure streets for walkability and modern retail clusters. Development along these corridors is intended to knit together distinct districts into a cohesive city center economy.

• Enhancement Areas: Channel reinvestment into established neighborhoods where housing stock is aging. This reinvestment is not only about stabilizing property values but also about supporting small businesses and expanding opportunities for existing residents.

Key real estate and economic development targets include:

• 6,600 new market-rate housing units

• 3,400 affordable housing units for a more inclusive city center

• 250 new hotel rooms to strengthen the visitor economy and downtown hospitality sector

• 440,000 square feet of retail to anchor active street life and support neighborhood commerce

• 2,000,000 square feet of office space (±40%) to serve as a platform for retaining El Paso’s educated workforce and attracting new industries

Public-sector actions complement this private development agenda through strategic infrastructure investment—redesigning underutilized roadways into multimodal streets, expanding sidewalk networks, and improving public transit headways to support greater accessibility to new workplaces and residences alike.

Result (Projected)
By pursuing these coordinated interventions, the DT+UT plan positions El Paso to achieve a balanced, inclusive, and resilient city center economy. The expected results include:

• A sustainable housing pipeline that spans incomes and stabilizes residential demand in the core.

• A diversified real estate portfolio of residential, office, retail, and hospitality assets that expands the tax base and strengthens downtown’s fiscal self-sufficiency.

• Greater retention of UTEP graduates by offering competitive job opportunities and urban living environments on par with peer cities.

• Reenergized corridors and neighborhoods that function not only as centers of commerce but also as connected, transit-supportive communities.

In sum, the DT+UT plan frames real estate development as a catalyst for economic transformation, turning underutilized land and infrastructure capacity into the foundation for a dynamic and opportunity-rich El Paso city center.