EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A longtime building in central El Paso is getting a new look as developers move forward with major renovations at a prominent downtown intersection.

The 60-year-old building, located at the intersection of Texas Avenue and Cotton Street, was once home to a furniture store. Developers say it is now being upgraded to make space for restaurants, businesses, and offices.

Speaking to KFOX14/CBS4 on Tuesday, Ivanna Gallegos, director of marketing and leasing at Severo Hughston LLC, said the decision to take on the project came after seeing demand for space in the area.

“We saw that there was a gap in the market, specifically for our tenants. Every time they asked us if we had anything in this area, there was nothing that we could provide to them. So that’s why we decided to go with this building,” Gallegos said. “We knew that Texas Avenue was in desperate need of renovation, and we decided to be the first ones to take that step.”

Gallegos said several new tenants are expected to open at the renovated location, including Oste Italian restaurant, which is a new restaurant concept from the owner of El Paso’s Deserto Pizzeria, Bird’s Bagels, and a new restaurant concept from the owners of Taconeta,

“It’s gonna be called Oste. They’re gonna be selling pasta cuisine. Then we’re also gonna have Bird’s Bagels. And then we also have the same owners of Taconeta. They’re going to be bringing a new concept to El Paso. Then we also have a bookstore that I actually recently signed on. And then lastly, Global Coffee,” Gallegos said.

Gallegos said the project is also aimed at drawing more activity back to the area by offering office space with parking.

“So we wanted to give something different to the people where they can have an office space in downtown that also has parking. So we’re hoping that people can follow us and hopefully bring the area back to life. I know that there was some people who really were like, why that area? Like, that’s not a good place to start. But we really see the vision and the potential, and we’re not afraid to try new things,” she said.

She added, “We’re hoping that people can follow us and hopefully bring the area back to life.”

Gallegos said she expects the full project to be open by the end of 2026.

“I think they’ve made a lot of progress already just within these past couple months, so we’re confident that the end of 2026 is when everything is going to be open,” Gallegos said. “I really hope that El Paso loves what we’re doing for the central downtown area. We really want this to be a place that El Paso loves.”

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