Hunt family foundation gives $10 million for a fieldhouse on El Paso's planned I-10 deck park

The Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation has given $10 million to the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation for an indoor sports fieldhouse on El Paso's planned park over Interstate 10, the deck plaza foundation announced on October 20.

The building will be named the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Fieldhouse. The announcement describes a multi-sport venue with an estimated six to eight interchangeable courts for basketball, volleyball, soccer and pickleball tournaments, recreational leagues and events. It is the only source for the figures here, and we have not seen the gift agreement.

What is the Deck Plaza?

A park to be built on a deck over I-10 in downtown El Paso, recently named the Fred Loya Family Deck Plaza. A deck park covers a sunken freeway with a structure strong enough to hold lawns and buildings. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is scheduled to begin rebuilding I-10 through downtown in fiscal year 2028.

"The reconstruction of I-10 gives us a unique opportunity to bring neighborhoods back together," Mayor Renard Johnson said in the announcement.

How is it being paid for?

Only partly, so far. A feasibility study puts design and construction at about $207 million in 2027 dollars, and TxDOT requires another $32 million for retaining walls to hold up the deck, the announcement says. About $74.15 million has been committed:

By our arithmetic, that leaves about $165 million of the combined $239 million still to find. The city's match comes from a tax increment reinvestment zone, a district where growth in property tax revenue is set aside for local projects. The Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation has committed to raising $35 million in private gifts, led by CASA Auto Group, the Fred Loya family and the Hunt family foundation, and will be responsible for the park's long-term operations and maintenance. The announcement gives no payment schedule for the Hunt gift.

Who are the Hunts?

Hunt Companies, a family-owned holding company, began in 1947 as a retail lumber store in El Paso's Lower Valley. Since creating the foundation in 1987, the family has committed more than $186 million to more than 3,000 organizations and initiatives, including the gift that established the Woody L. Hunt School of Business at the University of Texas at El Paso, according to the announcement.

"The most meaningful investments in a community are the ones that bring people together and create opportunities that extend far beyond a single project," said Josh Hunt, president of the foundation and vice chairman of Hunt Companies. Tracy Yellen, president of the Downtown Deck Plaza Foundation and CEO of the Paso del Norte Community Foundation, said the "game-changing gift will add a whole new dimension to the Deck Plaza."

What can other campaigns learn?

Naming a building inside a larger public project lets a donor fund something concrete while the public money is still being assembled. In our view, a named piece of an unfinished project should come with a plan for the rest: the backers' projections of nearly $1 billion in economic activity over 30 years and up to 1.5 million visitors a year depend on the deck being built. El Paso donors were busy earlier this month too, during El Paso Giving Day. For another park campaign built on a lead gift, see Lilly Endowment's $20 million for Origin Park.