The National Park Service Southwest Border Resource Protection Program has been a major supporter of our community's efforts to document, preserve, and protect the historic site known as Onate Crossing at Old Fort Bliss and Harts Mill and its surrounding cultural landscape.  In 2017, the office of the Inter-Mountain Region completed a report of the Cultural Landscape History, by way of the SWBRPP.  Subsequently, the County was awarded two cycles of funding to continue with the production of a Cultural Landscape Report and Historic Structures Report of the site, in hopes that the property owners would use the three reports in the areas restoration/rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse.  Since then, Abara, Inc, also known as Abara House, has purchased the Harts Mill/La Hacienda portion of the site.  The non-profit will use the space for their "encounters," furthering their goal in changing the narrative of the border, showcasing as a beautiful, culturally rich space, that is welcoming and safe for all who live and visit here.

At this time the Economic Development, Heritage Tourism Division would ask that the Court show support of Abara House proposal to continue to build upon the work completed thus far.  If awarded, funding would provide for a public charette, using the previous reports to now engage the community in visioning the future and immediate use of the site.