Bring the Alligators Back Downtown!

San Jacinto Plaza in 1915. Via: Bring Back the Alligators

At one point in El Paso's rich history, there were alligators downtown in San Jacinto Plaza, or Plaza de los Lagartos.  The story of the alligators starts in Louisiana.  In the 1800's, someone from Louisiana sent some alligators in a box to El Paso.  At this time, El Paso was just a small growing town. A shopkeeper kept the alligators in a barrel.  Once the alligators outgrew their enclosure, someone suggested that the storekeeper put them in the pond in the center of San Jacinto Plaza. The storekeeper took the advice and the alligators were transfered to San Jacinto Plaza.  For years and years the alligators stayed there. They were happy, and people were happy to stop by and watch them.  At one point there were seven alligators. The alligators attracted people that were using the trolley cars, coming to and from the Plaza Theatre, going to the El Paso Public Library, and shopping downtown. These awesome creatures were there for eighty years!  Unfortunately, in the 1960's, the alligators were moved to the El Paso Zoo, because people were abusing them. 

Alligators were kept in the plaza
in this pond from 1883 until 1965.
Via John Wenke Law

Luis Jimenez built this statue in the plaza
to honor and remember the gators. Photo via
elpasotexas.gov

Not much longer after the gators were removed,  attraction downtown started to dwindle, shops were moving out, and the Plaza Theatre eventually closed its doors.  Unfortunately, the heart of El Paso's downtown lost much of its appeal. Since then, not much has changed.   Now it is time to change that!  The public has a chance to speak their minds! This is the chance for El Paso's downtown to become an exciting destination in the area again!  

There will be a series of public input meetings held soon. The meetings will focus on the "Redesign of San Jacinto Plaza".  The City of El Paso will be taking any public input and ideas during these meetings, so make sure you get out there and voice your opinion! The greater the show of support, the more likely they are to push this renovation of our downtown!  You could be part of the history of El Paso!  Make your voice heard, and come to the public input meetings!

Here is the meeting info and schedule:

City Seeks Public Input on 
Redesign of San Jacinto Plaza



Who: City of El Paso in conjunction with Mills Plaza Properties LP, and 
SWA, landscape architects 



What: Will be seeking input and ideas from the community through an 
interactive process of information sharing to develop the redesign of San Jacinto Plaza. 


This will be a three step process 


Solicit input and ideas


Share conceptual landscape design based on community input and ideas received from the open house.

Present Concept Design

Share Ideas and Input


Tuesday - March 29, 2011

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
& 4:00 to 7:00 PM


Share Conceptual Design from Input Received 


Thursday - April 13, 2011 


4:30 to 6:30 PM

Present Concept Design

Tuesday - April 26, 2011

4:30 to 6:30 PM 



Where: Rio Grande Room
Judson F. Williams Convention Center 



• Parking available at Convention Center

• Translation will also be available

For more Information visit Bring Back the Alligators.

Check out this Alligator Revitalization Project video! This group talks about how it used to be downtown with the large-sized reptiles living in the plaza.

Untitled from TJ Karam on Vimeo.

See you at these meetings El Paso!