El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson Turns City Tours Into a Pitch for Jobs and Investment

El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson made economic development a centerpiece of his campaign, promising to bring more high-profile jobs and industry to the borderland. Several months into his term, he is still pursuing that goal, and he recently gave ABC-7 an exclusive ride along on the kind of tour he uses to win over prospective residents and investors.

Before taking office, Johnson said he would lean on his personal relationships to draw business to the city, with a focus on healthcare. He is a board member of the Hospitals of Providence and said he has spent more than 15 years around the industry, giving him insight into recruiting doctors and other medical professionals. "El Paso is often forgotten in the state and in the nation," he said, adding that the city has to go out and get the opportunities that want to come here.

The tour began at the University of Texas at El Paso, where Johnson showed off Centennial Plaza, one of the first stops for out-of-town guests. He pointed to the Bhutanese-style architecture found across much of the campus and the building that was a gift from Bhutan, whose interior is lined with murals and figures that tell the country's history. "Most people don't realize how beautiful UTEP is," he said. He also includes the Sun Bowl, which is built into the mountains, and a stop on Sun Bowl Drive with a view toward Ciudad Juarez. "It still shows you that we are connected, it's one community, it's one region," he said.

The approach appears to have worked on Nico Tejeda, one of three regional Tenet executives in the United States. Tejeda said a tour Johnson gave him in 2015 helped persuade him to move from California to become CEO of the Hospitals of Providence East Campus. Johnson was then the hospital's governing board chair. Knowing Tejeda had young children, Johnson made sure to address the local school systems. Tejeda recalled that downtown, Johnson introduced him around at Cafe Central, and within two hours he sensed investment, bustling activity and an authentic community.

Johnson highlights downtown's revitalization, including the Triple-A baseball stadium, a growing number of high-rises and the Children's Museum, La Nube. "We have so much to offer, it's just a function of us telling our story," he said. He tailors stops to each visitor, suggesting Hueco Tanks or the Franklin Mountains for outdoor enthusiasts, and he steers guests to Mexican restaurants such as Carlos N' Mickeys and L & J's, while noting he does not want to leave anyone out.

The tour typically ends on Scenic Drive, just below the El Paso Star on the Franklin Mountains. From there, visitors can see two nations, two border cities and three states, Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua, meeting along the Rio Grande. Tejeda said no other governing board chair had ever invited him into their car to see all parts of a community.

Johnson said that when recruitment efforts fail, it is usually because the person has a strong support structure elsewhere, such as grandparents nearby or a school system that suits the family. "For the most part, I'm batting in the 90 percentile," he said.

The mayor also spoke about the proposed deck project over Interstate 10. He said TxDOT will widen the highway regardless of local wishes, but that the city has a once-in-a-lifetime chance to cover the top and connect South El Paso with uptown or midtown, including children in Segundo Barrio. He said funding must be found without the project falling entirely on taxpayers.

The tour ended back at UTEP. "This is where it began. This is where I learned to be who I am," Johnson said.