Group Wants to Redesign Popular Scenic Drive Park

UPDATE 3/7/18: City Council authorized city staff to negotiate some type of “public-private partnership” agreement with the El Paso Community Foundation to fund improvements of Murchison Park. The city estimates it will cost over $5 million to redesign the overlook.

Original article 5/16/17 : Is it time to revamp and modernize Murchison Park on Scenic Drive like what was done with San Jacinto Plaza? A group of El Pasoans think it is.

Notable not just for its majestic view, but for being one of the very few spots in the United States from where you can you see two countries and three states, the iconic Scenic Drive overlook offers arguably one of the most beautiful perspectives of El Paso’s landscape.

But the community group The Friends of Murchison Park, along with the El Paso Community Foundation, feel Murchison Park, which opened in 1963, is ready for a redesign.

“It is an iconic view, but it’s not user-friendly. It needs to be cleaned up and more accessible,” said Isha Rogers, a member of the community group and the El Paso Community Foundation board of directors, via a press release.

Rogers is also the granddaughter of El Paso pioneer and businessman Samuel Macintosh Murchison whom the park is named after.

The group and the foundation unveiled renderings of the "vision" they have for the 54 year old park at a recent fundraiser. The redesign includes ADA-accessible paths to the overlook, shade trees, and other "improvements."

According to the press release, The Friends of Murchison Park and the El Paso Community Foundation are working with the City of El Paso "to realize" the proposed design.

How much the renovation will cost and whether it will be taxpayer funded or paid for strictly through fundraising and donations was not addressed.