Compared to the four major MSAs in Texas, El Paso has often been overlooked by national and regional retailers. But times change, and interest in retail real estate in West Texas is at an all-time high. Major retailers that have taken space in El Paso are experiencing steady sales growth and expanding their footprints. Over the last couple years, we’ve seen new leases for major retailers, including At Home Furniture — which leased more than 100,000 square feet at its newest location — Ross Dress For Less, Tuesday Morning, Marshall’s and Sprouts Farmers Market, to name a few. Like the rest of Texas, El Paso’s economy is growing and strengthening. The city has posted a 3.7 percent unemployment rate to start the year, which is lower than the state (3.9 percent) and national (4.1 percent) averages. The city’s population continues to grow, driven by downtown office development, greater military spending (El Paso’s resident military base, Fort Bliss, houses tens of thousands of active duty and reservist military personnel, their families and civilian workers) and a reduction in crime in Ciudad Juarez, the sister city located just across the border. These forces have combined to imbue El Paso with a unique, …
