El Paso County Coliseum
1955
La Raza Unida Party Convention 1972
The El Paso County Coliseum was built in 1942, and while it was originally intended for rodeos and livestock shows, it initially served as a detention center for captured Italian POWs during WWII. Beginning in the early 1950s, the building served as a processing center for Braceros, and was also utilized as a stage for local civil rights movements. In 1972, the Coliseum was the main meeting place for La Raza Unida Party Convention, led by some of the most prominent Chicano civil rights leaders in the country including Corky Gonzáles, Reies Lopez Tijerina, and José Angel Gutiérrez.
Although the building is currently being used for concerts, sporting events, and cultural performances, there are plans to demolish it to make way for the federally-funded Bridge of the America’s expansion project. Increased public awareness about the historical significance of the building, and education about the Section 106 consulting process, is needed to bolster efforts to oppose any government plans to demolish the building.
LOCATION: 4100 E. Paisano Drive, El Paso (El Paso County)
DESIGNATION: None
STATUS: Endangered
OWNER: El Paso County
RESOURCE TYPE: Commercial
YEAR LISTED: 2023
