Aldea Image Emerges; CA Architect Firm Lists Aldea/Montecillo as Projects

A firm based in Pasadena, California has listed both Aldea El Paso and Montecillo among its projects on its website, revealing a new conceptual image of what Aldea could eventually look like. The image includes what will most likely be the major intersection of Rio Bravo and Mesa Park streets, which would be a roundabout in this concept. Multi-level buildings also directly face the boulevards with parking situated in the center of blocks. The edge of what will be a Walmart store can be seen at the left hand side of the image.

Moule & Polyzoides Architects and Urbanists website describe Aldea like this:

This 200-acre Master Plan is the second development to emerge from the City of El Paso�s recently adopted Smart Code. This new Town Center is located just south of the Montecillo Neighborhood, on a heavily sloping site in the center of the City, fronting Mesa Boulevard. The Master Plan has four principal components: a 185,000-square-foot Walmart and support retail located in the center of the site along Interstate 10; a traditional Rambla main street with 300,000 square feet of urban retail and commercial uses located at the site�s higher western edge; a multi-lane boulevard fronted by retail and office uses connects Mesa to the freeway and a new 500-home Neighborhood is located to the site�s northwest. The Master Plan has an interconnected block-street grid interspersed with a variety of parks and open spaces.

The site describes Rio Bravo as a "rambla", or a tree-lined main street that accommodates both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The scheme also seems to include the relocation of a cinema-type building from east of Rio Bravo to fronting the actual boulevard.

The firm also lists Montecillo as a client, stating:
It is located on a heavily sloping site in the center of the City, bisected by Mesa Boulevard, a major arterial envisioned to have rapid-bus transit in the future. The project is designed as a Transit-Oriented Development organized on a number of walkable pedestrian sheds with interconnected streets and open spaces carefully situated to preserve the existing arroyos on the site . The eastern side of Mesa is designed as a Town Center with anchor and destination retail and commercial uses. The project is envisioned to have more than 3,500 residential units ranging from single-family cottages, townhouses, courtyard housing and stacked flats.

The projects are immediately adjacent to each other, so it makes sense that using the same architectural firm for both should mean a smooth transition when traveling from Montecillo into Aldea, and vice versa. Montecillo broke ground last year and is finishing up the Venue at Montecillo apartment community. Aldea has not yet broken ground, but is expected to do so within the next year.

Previously:
'Aldea' to Create Urban Village on West Side: http://developmenthenews.blogspot.com/2012/03/aldea-to-create-urban-village-on-west.html
City to Vote on Montecillo Smart Zone Application: http://developmenthenews.blogspot.com/2012/04/city-to-vote-on-montecillo-smart-zone.html

Moule & Polyzoides Aldea web page: http://www.mparchitects.com/site/projects/aldea-de-el-paso