EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A prominent El Paso family has announced a multi-million-dollar investment for a sports venue for the planned deck plaza over I-10 near Downtown.
On Tuesday, during a press conference, Josh Hunt, the vice chairman of Hunt Companies and President of the Woody Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, announced the $10 million investment to build the Fieldhouse, an indoor sports venue, on the planned– and recently named– Fred Loya Family Deck Plaza.
RELATED: Fred Loya family pledges $20M to El Paso deck plaza, project renamed in their honor
“[This is] an investment in our youth and in our future,” Hunt said, describing the Fieldhouse as “a first-class, world-class” venue for many sports, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, pickleball, and even for tournaments or special events.
“We always need to be investing in ourselves and our community to keep trying to make us have a more competitive quality of life. And I think the Fred Loya Deck Plaza is one of those types of projects that’s going to take a team effort of public and private sector partners,” Hunt said, referring to the $20 million “gift” the Loya family announced on Oct. 14, which led to the deck plaza’s new name.
Rendering showing the outside of the Fieldhouse on the Fred Loyal Family Deck Plaza. Oct. 20, 2026. Credit: Paso Del Norte Community Foundation
Hunt also said his family’s focus on the venue was driven by their experience watching El Paso kids having to travel to other cities to participate in sports tournaments.
“I’ve got three kids, and I’ve spent many, many evenings and weekends going to, you know, rundown warehouses all across our community,” Hunt said.
Hunt added that when his family travels to tournaments “to Phoenix or Albuquerque or Tucson or Midland,” he sees facilities those communities have, and said, “our kids here deserve the same thing you can find in those communities.”
RELATED: El Paso City Council approves nonbinding MOU, joining county in supporting I-10 deck plaza
In a press release, the Paso Del Norte Community Foundation broke down the price of the project and how much funding has been secured for it.
The project is estimated to cost around $239 million– $207 million for the design and construction and $32 million to pay for the retaining walls, which will hold the deck up.
So far, the foundation said that $74.15 million has been committed.
Below is a breakdown of where that money is coming from:
$10 million from the Texas Legislature for design of the tunnel, including $584,000 in City TIRZ #5 matching funds.$25 million from the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization for construction.$3.15 million in Federal Community Project Funding for construction.$1 million from El Paso County for construction.$35 million in philanthropic commitments for park amenities.
During the announcement, Tracy Yellen, President of the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation and CEO of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, shared that according to an economic report, the deck plaza could generate economic activity to the tune of $1 billion over 30 years and bring in 1.5 million visitors each year.
RELATED: El Paso leaders weigh funding options as I-10 deck plaza deadline nears
As it has been reported before, the project has faced pushback from some taxpayers over its price tag, with critics questioning whether taxpayer money should go toward a downtown park instead of needs such as road repairs and basic infrastructure.
Mayor Renard Johnson has mentioned before that the price shouldn’t fall on the backs of taxpayers, but instead come from public-private partnerships.
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