A Tenant Improvement Restaurant-Bar in El Paso, TX

Tool Box East is a 2,224 sq ft tenant improvement project located at 2106 N Zaragoza Suite 101 in El Paso, Texas. The filing describes the work as a restaurant-bar renovation that includes adding a wall and a restroom. The estimated cost for this renovation is $90,000, which equates to $40 per square foot.

The project is owned by River Oaks Properties, with Charles Gunderson listed as the design firm of record. Olaf E Brunjes is the registered accessibility specialist. The work is privately funded on private land for private use. The project was registered with TDLR in May 2026, with a scheduled construction start in April 2026 and a target completion date of July 2026.

Project Status and Scope

The scope of work is specific, focusing on interior alterations to create a dining and bar space. The addition of a wall and a restroom indicates a structural change to the existing suite layout. The project is classified as a Renovation/Alteration type. The estimated cost of $90,000 is below the median estimated cost for similar renovation and alteration filings in El Paso County, which is $204,735. The size of 2,224 sq ft is also below the county median of 3,518 sq ft for this project type.

According to the public record, no plan review or inspection has been recorded since the registration. The target completion date of July 2026 has passed, but the status remains Project Registered. This indicates that while the project was planned and registered, there is no confirmation in the TDLR record that construction was completed or that final inspections were passed. The lack of recorded inspections means the current physical state of the site is not verified by the state agency.

Context and Ownership

River Oaks Properties has six other TDLR-registered projects in El Paso, totaling $3,843,720. These include Market at Darrington, Montwood Mercado, El Paseo Marketplace, The Shopes On Mesa, and Belvidere Village Building B. The Tool Box East project is part of this portfolio of commercial developments in the area. The location is in ZIP code 79938, which has a population of about 97,851 and a median household income of $75,801 according to U.S. Census estimates.

Third-party mentions describe Tool Box East as a safe and welcoming place for the community, with posts highlighting its location on the East Side and Horizon area. A Facebook post by the business stated it was opened to give the community a safe and welcoming place. However, these social media claims are separate from the official TDLR construction record, which only tracks the physical renovation and accessibility compliance of the building work.