Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

Here are some great aerial pics of the completed portion of the Central Crossing project west of the railroad tracks. They are from the construction gallery on the Rail Trail's website. There are a few more nice pics to be found there. I've also included a couple of pics of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for this portion of the project when it was completed back in June. Those are from the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency on LinkedIn, and the New Mexico Rail Runner on Twitter.

https://www.abqrailtrail.org/central-crossing-construction-photo-gallery







https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7475946491329675264/



https://x.com/NMRXExpress/status/2069474193473691667

[ABQalex]

The former Downtown movie theater space is once again being proposed as the site of an indoor sports facility. This time for volleyball, and by way of a $100,000 renovation. They hope to have the space ready by the end of the year. Remember that there were plans a couple of years ago for a basketball academy that never came to fruition. Let's see how these plans go and if these efforts and miniscule budget will go anywhere. I wonder if they've ever thought about returning it to a movie theater?

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-me...que-movie-theater-left-vacant-for-years/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A prominent building in downtown Albuquerque on Central Ave. and 1st Street that used to radiate the smell of popcorn and bring in visitors looking to catch a movie sits vacant and has for years. But new plans in the works could soon bring echoes of squeaking shoes on fresh courts and families cheering on players as they bump, set, and spike.

“More space for us, more space to grow, more space to help our local community,” said Nia Kiggnudu-Carngbe.

The New Mexico Cactus Volleyball Club, heading into its 19th season, is set to take over the space later this year, naming it the Century Sportsplex and Entertainment Center, growing from their current space with two courts to the downtown location, which is set to have five courts. “Our families are excited about the potential, about what it’s going to be, what it’s going to bring to our community, but as well as the local Albuquerque community as well,” said Kiggnudu-Carngbe.

The club’s director says it’s going to take a few months to get the space ready, with around $100,000 going into renovations.

One of the property owners, Jerry Mosher, said this isn’t the first attempt to fill the space: “We tried a couple of different times to put basketball in there. Part of the problem with that, there’s some structural changes that had to be made. And it seemed like the cost just wasn’t something that the people doing the basketball program could afford to pay them. So it’s just it was too big a deal.”

Mosher said the volleyball club is the “perfect fit” and will bring more foot traffic to the area. “We think it’ll be a real boost for downtown,” said Mosher.

City Councilor Joaquín Baca agreed, saying, “This was the really good part of downtown for a lot of years. And when we lost the theater, and COVID came through, you know, it really hurt this part of downtown. And so hopefully this is a start of really getting us back to where we used to be.”

The volleyball club is set to open in December.

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News had a story this morning about the Noblespace proposal at Lomas and Broadway. It had a bit more information about the project, including a site plan, which I'll post below. An interesting and exciting thing from the story is they say that Noblespace is willing to consider adding a residential component if the zoning change ultimately is successful for the site.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Developer proposes science and tech complex for Lomas and Broadway property

A developer involved in two major Downtown science and technology facilities is proposing to build a third at the northwest corner of Lomas and Broadway.

Los Angeles-based Noblespace turned in the only submission in a request for proposals round put on by the city over the summer as part of a broader attempt to put the nearly three-acre parcel, which was most recently used as a detention pond, to use. The plan calls for the construction of two, three-story buildings that total out to 80,000 square feet, along with three "programmed outdoor spaces" and "ground-floor food and beverage uses." The complex would be named "ForgeABQ" and is designed for firms that have moved beyond a startup status and need more space for offices, labs, and light manufacturing.

"Post-incubation-stage science and technology companies have limited space to grow," the proposal reads. "Splitting operations across town is usually the moment a growing company starts looking at other cities."

The Lomas site offers "tremendous opportunity" with "excellent visibility, straightforward access, and a site large enough to accommodate a substantial building and public place," the proposal adds.

Noblespace envisions an 18-month construction timeline starting as soon as next summer.

The proposal does not include any housing, despite the recent push to change the zone of the property to allow it (DAN, 9/8/26). The new zone was decided on the same day as the RFP's submission deadline. The decision is also under appeal (more on that in the coming days).

"We responded based on the parameters of the RFP, with the belief that the site is good for job-producing uses," Noblespace CEO Howard Kozloff said Tuesday. "If the legal zoning mandate changes, we would remain interested and would explore the inclusion of housing as well."

As for financing the estimated $45 million project, Kozloff added that "our goal is to fund this without public subsidy and that is how we are currently proceeding. That said, if we're selected and reach an agreement with the city, we will revisit our underwriting based on the final development agreement and market conditions at that time."

The city, which owns the parcel along with the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, is currently vetting the proposal and will need to consult with AMAFCA before selling to Noblespace, Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director Terry Brunner told the Albuquerque Development Commission last week. The project will also be formally presented to the commission for a recommendation, after which negotiations over the sale and development agreement will kick off, he added.

Noblespace is also involved with the construction at the Roadrunner Quantum Lab (Commercial and Marquette - DAN, 2/4/26) and InnovateABQ, the campus that includes the Rainforest Building (Central and Broadway).

The DAN story above also gives the correct the square footage for the project, which is actually 80,000 sq ft of space across two 3-story structures. They linked to the PDF of the Noblespace submission and this is the figure that they give for the project there as well. I'll post the breakdown of the square footage from their submission below.





The submission also states that they are taking advantage of the reduced parking requirements being located along the Lomas Boulevard major transit corridor, providing 60 parking spaces even though they expect to have over 100 people employed there and visitors for the cafe, event space, etc.



This is all very exciting and cool to see! And if it does end up having a residential component then it really will end up being a dream project!

[ABQalex]

Here's a great pic of the Gizmo Arts building and sign lit up at night. It was posted on Instagram last week by a local bicycle club. They took a ride in and around Old Town and Downtown Albuquerque. There are other pics and short videos of their ride that are worth checking out in the post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXjLbJDnpB/?img_index=10

[ABQalex]

Here's a pic that was posted on Facebook earlier this week confirming that early work has begun for the eastern portion of the Central Crossing project in Downtown Albuquerque. You can see concrete and pavement being removed and construction/demolition crews on site.

(Click the link directly beneath the embedded image to see it in its original size)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=28031014976581307&set=a.1351199678322866


https://iili.io/nRK5urF.jpg

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First has a story about an interesting apartment project in Rio Rancho that is running into NIMBY opposition. The Luxe at Lomas Encantadas project would include 55 apartments in four 3-story structures. One of the structures would include two commercial spaces on its ground floor.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2026/09/24/luxe-lomas-encantadas-rio-rancho.html

A proposed luxury apartment and retail development in Rio Rancho will wait until October for Planning and Zoning Board consideration after a hearing on its zoning request was postponed at this month’s meeting.

Modulus Architects & Land Use Planning Inc. is seeking a special-use zone map amendment on behalf of local developer PG Properties for Luxe at Lomas Encantadas, a project with 55 luxury apartments and two small commercial spaces intended for neighborhood-serving businesses.

Angela Piarowski, CEO and managing partner of Modulus, told Business First that consideration of the application was deferred from Sept. 22 to a tentative Oct. 13 board meeting to allow time to address misinformation and clarify the project’s scope before making a decision.

“Contrary to the false narrative being circulated publicly, this project is not part of Lomas Encantadas Park," Piarowski said. "We are not replacing the park with any development.”

The proposed Luxe at Lomas Encantadas project in Rio Rancho would be adjacent to the Camino Encantadas Dog Park and Family Area & Playground at 3900 Camino Encantadas NE.

Piarowski clarified that the proposed development would not replace any part of the local park because the developer bought an undeveloped parcel that was never included in the park plan or identified for future park amenities in Rio Rancho’s Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan.

The applicant is seeking to rezone about 1.23 acres of retail commercial land and 0.56 acres of parks and recreation land to a special-use district that would allow multifamily housing and retail.

Rio Rancho city staff recommended Sept. 22 that the Planning and Zoning Board recommend approval of the zoning change to the Governing Body, saying the proposed mix of multifamily housing and small-scale retail would provide a transition to nearby residential areas.

Piarowski said tenants for the commercial aspect have not been identified.

A site plan shows three-story buildings on the roughly 1.79-acre property, but the plan would require separate review by Rio Rancho’s Governing Body.

“The timeline would be to submit for building permit in late December or early January,” Piarowski said. “Depending on the permitting review timeline, we would like to break ground in May of 2027."

Piarowski said they anticipate a 12-month construction timeline.

“The developers are local to New Mexico. Both have retired from the Albuquerque Fire Department with more than 42 years of combined service. Melvin Parker also coached the Rio Rancho football team for four years, helping it win the state championship," Piarowski said. "The other partner, Eddie Gutierrez, is a local general contractor and is currently building luxury homes in Placitas.”

[ABQalex]

Here's another apartment project with 55 units that's proposed in Albuquerque on the Westside and which is working its way through the approvals process. The Quaker Heights Apartments would be spread across 2 and 3-story structures and located just off of Coors Boulevard and Western Trail.

Below are site plans for the project from their submittal to the city for review, and a rendering of the 3-story structure that the project engineers posted on their LinkedIn account last month.





https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7488931639230701568/



A 52-unit rental townhome development was also proposed a few years ago for the property immediately south on Quaker Heights Place. I'm not sure of the status of the project and whether it is still going forward or not.



Remember that the Ativo Senior Living community was also completed not too long ago in this area southwest of Coors and Western Trail on the opposite side of Quaker Heights Place.

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First also had a story today about the new Target store coming to the Westside at Coors and St. Joseph's NW. They say that the building permit was recently issued and the project may have already gotten underway at the beginning of the month. Target has so far declined to confirm the store and whether it is indeed underway. This will be the second new Target store coming to the city, along with the new store that's currently under construction at Lobo Crossing. It would be the eighth overall location in the metro area.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/...ide-albuquerque-construction-permit.html

A new Target retail store valued at $19.5 million is moving forward in Westside Albuquerque based on a recently issued construction permit.

The store will span 129,255 square foot Target, and city records show its construction permit application was submitted May 22, 2025. The permit was issued Sept. 21, 2026. Fees remain unspecified.

Target officials declined to comment on the project, including its opening date and the number of jobs it could create.

“We don’t have any new store news to share at this time,” a Target spokesperson told Business First.

The proposed Target store would be located at 5801 St. Josephs Drive NW in the Coors Pavilion Shopping Center on Albuquerque’s Westside, alongside Starbucks, Panera Bread and Blake’s Lotaburger.

The Oxbow Center sits adjacent to Coors Pavilion and is home to Olive Garden, Raising Cane’s and a Sunward Federal Credit Union branch, with an In-N-Out Burger and a third Lindo Mexico Grill & Seafood location also planned, according to previous Business First reporting.

Target operates more than 2,000 stores nationwide, including 10 in New Mexico and five in Albuquerque, according to its website.

The retailer also plans to open an approximately 128,000-square-foot store at Lobo Crossing. SimonCRE is developing Lobo Crossing, a 38-acre open-air shopping center on the University of New Mexico’s South Campus near Interstate 25 and Gibson Boulevard, according to Target’s website.

Lobo Crossing will feature retail stores, restaurants and public gathering spaces. Construction on the center is expected to be completed in fall 2027.

Barbra Bail of RSP Architects is the applicant; Scott Klopfer is listed as the architect. William Killmond and Alan Borrett are listed as contractors, according to city permits.

An NAI SunVista listing previously offered 1.56 to 13.04 acres at the site of the proposed Target store for sale or lease but did not disclose a sale price or lease rate. Target officials did not disclose details of the deal.

The project received stormwater quality approval from the city of Albuquerque on March 10, according to city records. Construction is expected to disturb approximately 13.1 acres of land.

Red Shamrock 4 LLC is listed as the property owner and operator, with Josh Skarsgard as its representative. Francisco Hernandez of Kimley-Horn is listed as the engineer responsible for erosion and sediment control.

A separate federal environmental filing listed a projected construction start date of Sept. 1, and an anticipated completion date of March 17, 2027.

The projected start date has passed, but the filing does not confirm whether construction has begun at the site for the proposed Target.

[ABQalex]

The story above about the new Target store coming to the Westside mentions the new Sunward branch that recently opened across the street at Oxbow Center. Below is a story with pics by Albuquerque Business First about the credit union's new location.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2026/09/18/sunward-ladera-branch-opening.html

Sunward Federal Credit Union opened a branch on Albuquerque's Westside Sept. 16 that officials said will serve an underrepresented area for its members.

“We have a group of members, about 6,000 members that are in this area that either had to travel to the Rio Grande (branch) or the Golf Course Branch," Branch Manager Brenda Arroyo said. “This is a community that’s growing.”

The 5760 St. Josephs Drive NW branch dubbed the Ladera Branch is the credit union’s 17th, 13 of which are in the Albuquerque metro area. It is the credit union’s first full ground-up build since it opened the Rio Grande Crossing branch in 2023.

“We are very proud of this location and really being here on the Westside,” Sunward CEO Steph Sherrodd said.

“Our vision is to really drive the economic engine of communities and to do that through being a financial cooperative,” she said.

The location of new restaurant options was an indication of the growing infrastructure in the area, Arroyo told Business First.

“We wanted to be a part of that growth and help all these members with their financial needs,” she said.

Many speakers mentioned being next to Chick-fil-A and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers locations. The area will also be a future location for In-N-Out Burger.

Sunward declined to say how much the construction cost. Insight Construction served as the contractor on the building, with MG Architects as the architect. Eddie Upkeep Landscaping is responsible for the landscaping.

Arroyo emphasized the community aspect of Sunward’s operations.

"My goal is to see the families come in, see their kids grow up, need accounts and help them with their first car,” she said. “That’s what brings me joy is knowing I helped.”

[ABQalex]

A new location of Lindo Mexico restaurant will also be built at the Oxbow Center. Below is a story by the Albuquerque Journal about the plans, which also gets into the history of the local institution which will now have three locations across the city.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/lind...od-atmosphere-to-citys-west-side/3124344

Azucena and Sergio Valles had little experience working in the restaurant industry when they started Lindo Mexico Grill & Seafood back in 2002.

They had just immigrated to New Mexico from Chihuahua, Mexico. Azucena Valles’s cooking skills were minimal — self admittedly — and Sergio Valles got a job at Sysco, a food distributor, intending to save money to return to Mexico and launch a career in agriculture.

But a longing for the flavors of home — and the realization of how much New Mexican food differs from Mexican food — inspired them to take a chance and launch Lindo Mexico.

Today, Lindo Mexico is Sysco’s largest purchaser in Albuquerque, and Azucena Valles is Lindo’s culinary chef, developing most of the business’ authentic Mexican dishes.

“Everything that they have built and know up to this point, it’s been through experience,” said Aritza Valles, Lindo Mexico’s CEO and the owners’ daughter.

What the Valles family started more than two decades ago has turned into a local restaurant chain with two locations — and plans for a third.

Four years after opening its Eubank Boulevard location, the restaurant is gearing up for expansion to Albuquerque’s West Side. The Valles family has plans to build a nearly 8,200-square-foot restaurant at 3937 Coors NW.

If permitting goes smoothly, the family hopes to begin construction in October and complete the project by December 2027. The development is estimated to cost roughly $1.5 million.

Lindo Mexico will be the latest business, and first local restaurant, to join the Oxbow Center, a commercial development taking shape on Coors Boulevard near St. Pius High School. A Raising Cane’s, 7 Brew, Olive Garden and Sunward Federal Credit Union have opened at the site so far. An In-N-Out Burger and now Lindo Mexico are still to come.

“We really were getting a lot of people coming in saying that they really wanted a West Side location,” Aritza Valles said. “We just feel super honored.”

The family also plans to remodel its Central Avenue location starting in November and finishing around March of next year. The remodel is expected to cost about $150,000, and the restaurant will remain open.

Both restaurants will feature a modern but nostalgic design that Aritza Valles said blends what her parents built years ago with what she and her husband are building today.

“You will see little aspects of the restaurants that we hope you remember in Lindo Mexico from the beginning, but in a more modern, fresh space,” Aritza Valles said.

When her parents started Lindo Mexico, they aimed to create an atmosphere that made customers feel like they were walking into a restaurant in Mexico. They did so with vibrant designs, including Mexican plates and wall sconces, bilingual servers and popular dishes such as mole, fajitas and costa brava.

“Our goal is that you truly feel the authenticity of Mexico,” Aritza Valles said.

The new location will offer all of Lindo Mexico’s favorites, but it will also see new additions. The restaurant is currently overhauling its cocktail menu and creating a breakfast and coffee menu that launches in October. It will feature pancakes with Mexican ingredients, like churros, and Mexican-inspired lattes with ingredients like Chocolate Abuelita.

The new restaurant is expected to employ up to 60 people, adding to the pool of 96 employees staffing the other two locations.

Aritza Valles said she is approaching the business’ future growth by holding tightly to her Mexican culture, roots and everything she learned from her parents growing up.

“I grew up in the business. My parents actually had a room for me at our (former) San Pedro location. They turned an office into a bedroom for me that had a TV, a bed and a table,” Aritza Valles recalled. She spent much of her time painting and doodling in that room until she’d get bored and go out to the kitchen to help wash dishes.

“I remember the dishwashers would be like, ‘Come on, let’s get it going,’ and I’d be like, ‘I am washing dishes and taking my time,’” Aritza Valles said with a laugh. “And I learned to peel and cut shrimp since I was like 7.”

Holding on to the business’ Mexican authenticity has meant saying no to popular local dishes or items, like sopaipillas, because they are not Mexican-rooted, Aritza Valles said. She even hired a Mexico-based company to craft the new restaurant’s architecture and interior design plans.

After years of building relationships with customers on the eastern end of the city, Aritza Valles said she looks forward to debuting Lindo Mexico to the West Side.

“I really hope that people get to know more of the Mexican culture and really understand Mexico, especially the northern part of Mexico,” Aritza Valles said. “I want people to feel at home, and I really want to build a strong community for everybody out there.”

Here are a few more renderings of the new Lindo Mexico location that they posted on their Facebook account last weekend. It looks like it will be a really beautiful restaurant!

https://www.facebook.com/LindoMexicoGril...9cdTgi4veGbzhW5LJbqkfmzA9BYZubp1U4sLSoKl

[ABQalex]

Here's another pic of Amazon's Project Lola warehouse that's nearing completion on the Westside. It was posted on LinkedIn this past week by the project coordinator.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7508300015036063744/

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of the indoor aquatic center construction at North Domingo Baca Park in the Far Northeast Heights. They were posted yesterday to the Facebook group that advocates for its completion.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/570488777447560/permalink/1817641006065658/















Here's another recent pic of the project from the project page on the city’s website.



The funding and cost breakdown on the project page now gives a total cost of $115 million for the entire project, including the outdoor pools and play area, which have been put off until more funding is secured. They say they currently have $75 million in funding secured for the project.

https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/featured-projects/north-domingo-baca-park-aquatics-phase

[ABQalex]

Here's another tease about the podium apartment/mixed-use development that's being planned in Albuquerque. It's again by way of a job recruiting post on LinkedIn and this time they included a rendering of the project. They also say that it's getting ready to break ground.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7511163628075720704/



The rendering seems to actually show a 6-story project, but I'm wondering if it has portions that reach up to seven stories or even an interior second parking/podium level that's not clearly visible or readily apparent from the outside.

That's all remarkably similar to the design of Titan Development's Allaso Highlands East project at The Highlands. In fact, this rendering looks very similar to Titan's proposed project as well. It looks like it may have been slightly redesigned and may have lost most of its courtyard pool area fronting Central Avenue and the structure extended forward in that area.

https://www.titan-development.com/project/allaso-highlands-east





Perhaps that's how it went from 228 units to about the 250 units as described for this project that has been presented on LinkedIn.

Time will tell, but I'm beginning to think this may indeed be Titan's Allaso Highlands East project that is being presented on LinkedIn and getting ready to break ground.

[ABQalex]

The La Curva project on Central Avenue west of Old Town had its groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for its first phase with 70 units. Below are a couple of pics from the ceremony that Mayor Tim Keller posted on his LinkedIn account. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham also took part in the ceremony.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7513010576197885952/

[ABQalex]

Here's an update by the Albuquerque Journal about the Benihana project at ABQ Uptown which has been talked about on social media over the past two years or so. Albuquerque Business First had an article about the plans last year but most everything else has been rumors and speculation based upon the temporary signs that were placed on the building. It looks like it's still iffy whether the new location will be opening any time soon.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/unpa...uerques-first-benihana-city-says/3136132

Benihana stirred buzz in Albuquerque when signage went up at ABQ Uptown last year. But more than a year later, Albuquerque residents are wondering: What’s taking so long?

“Is Benihana ever going … to open??” one Albuquerque resident wrote in a Facebook post in May. “I’m ready for a new restaurant there!!”

Residents online have speculated that the city was delaying the project. But Planning Department spokesperson Tim Walsh recently told the Journal that’s not the case.

“Their review was completed and approved in June. The permit fees have not been paid,” Walsh wrote in an email.

Benihana owes the city $7,280.86 in past dues, Walsh said. It’s unclear why the Japanese chain hasn’t paid the fees, and the company did not respond to the Journal’s several requests for comment.

Benihana is the largest operator of teppanyaki restaurants — eateries where chefs prepare food on a large, flat iron griddle in front of seated guests — in the United States, according to its website. The Florida-based chain has roughly 80 locations, mostly in the U.S.

Over the years, the chain has become a popular spot for family gatherings and celebrations. Its chefs are known for their showmanship, wowing customers with twirling utensils and fire-lit onion volcanoes.

ABQ Uptown’s proposed Benihana restaurant would be the chain’s first-ever New Mexico location. It is slated to occupy a 10,319-square-foot space formerly occupied by Elephant Bar at 2240 Louisiana NE.

June’s approved permit greenlit interior and exterior renovations to convert the space into a full-service Benihana, including the chain’s red-and-blue design. Floor plans show a layout that includes an outdoor patio, a bar, a sushi bar and several dining areas, including one that is private.

Walsh said once the company pays the fees, the city can issue its commercial alteration permit.

[ABQalex]

Below are the site plan, layouts and renderings of the second phase of the La Curva project. They are from their recent submittal to the city for planning approval.

Downtown Albuquerque News in its report last week about the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase, also reported that Palindrome recently completed financing for this second phase and they expect to begin construction on it in January. They say that the entire 140-unit project is expected to be completed by the middle of 2028.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Elected officials and staffers from prominent Greater Downtown developer Palindrome gathered Monday at the former Motel 21 site (Central, just east of the Econo Lodge) to celebrate the groundbreaking of La Curva, a 140-unit subsidized apartment complex designed for households making roughly the median income.

The $43 million project - dubbed La Curva for the famous curve in Central it sits on - is to be built in two mostly concurrent phases. Phase one, which yesterday's event officially kicked off, is a 70-unit building fronting Central, while phase two is another 70-unit structure just to the north. The financing package for the second phase has just been wrapped up and work is expected to commence in January, said Rebecca Velarde, Palindrome's director of development. Both phases are expected to be finished toward the middle of 2028.

[ABQalex]

Here's the website for The George at Country Club Plaza in West Downtown. It's nearing completion and beginning the pre-leasing of its 37 units. It includes a nice rendering of the project that we've never seen before. I wish we'd seen this rendering before the project got underway, rather than when it's nearly completed, but c'est la vie.

https://thegeorgeabq.com/

[ABQalex]

UMB Bank's foundation has given $400,000 to go toward completing the interactive outdoor exhibit that's being built at the Balloon Museum. They will get naming rights for the balloon tower that's part of the exhibit.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/...ation-400k-balloon-museum-adventure.html

The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum and its foundation recently received a funding boost for the immersive Outdoor Balloon Adventure exhibition currently under construction.

The UMB Financial Corporation Charitable Foundation donated $400,000 to go toward the education-forward project focused on ballooning. The exhibition is being built on the back lawn of the Balloon Museum, overlooking Balloon Fiesta Park.

Phase 1 of the two-phase project, currently under construction, is estimated to cost about $3.5 million, as is Phase 2, the museum reports. The Balloon Tower will kick off construction of Phase 2.

With the donation from its foundation, UMB has secured the naming rights for the Balloon Tower, which the museum touts as the Outdoor Balloon Adventure’s “most prominent feature.”

“This partnership with UMB allows the Balloon Museum to launch into the next phase of our flagship project,” Balloon Museum Director Nan Masland said. “The UMB Balloon Tower is both literally and figuratively the high point of the design.”

The UMB Balloon Tower will stand 29 feet 4 inches high, a clear marker for where visitors can find the Outdoor Balloon Adventure. The upper balloon component itself will be 15 feet 2 inches in diameter and roughly the same height, according to Masland.

“Visitors from near and far, along with our local communities, will get to experience the best of what the Balloon Museum has to offer set in an outdoor environment under New Mexico’s sky,” Masland said.

The museum announced the donation Oct. 9 during the 54th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. At the event, UMB encouraged local partners to join them in supporting the next phase of the project.

“The Balloon Museum and Balloon Fiesta are true New Mexico treasures,” UMB’s New Mexico Market President Melanie Velasquez said. “It’s been a privilege to witness this annual event evolve into a world-renowned celebration that welcomes nearly 1 million visitors each year, and UMB is thrilled to invest in our state’s future. Connecting this support to hands-on STEAM education with the museum allows us to honor New Mexico’s rich ballooning history while strengthening our long-term commitment to our local community.”

Plans for the new Outdoor Balloon Adventure feature an elevated walkway with educational nodes centered around hot air and gas ballooning. It will also host a dedicated performance space, offer seating and feature interactive play areas.

Guests can “wander through a half-inflated hot air balloon, test their skills at competitive ballooning and step inside the capsule of a stratospheric gas balloon,” according to the museum.

UMB Bank also was a sponsor of this year's Balloon Fiesta and flew its balloon at the event for the first time since it took over New Mexico Bank & Trust last year.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7516251526332514305/

[ABQalex]

Here are some great pics of this year's Balloon Fiesta that a photographer posted on Facebook today. Albuquerque's signature and largest event concluded its 54th run on Sunday. We had mostly great weather after the heavy rains that we'd been having prior to the beginning of the event. Winds canceled or curtailed some events on about three days, however. But overall, it was a great year for Balloon Fiesta!

https://www.facebook.com/JenMariePhotogr...JjG58C3bvHchwnWxY2iFeCR8Di5qzg8oQs8HZTzl

[ABQalex]

Here are a few more great pics taken over Downtown Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta and posted on various social media sites. I always love when the balloons are carried south over the city and images like these are captured! In one of the pics you can get a good view of the Central Crossing project as well.

(Click the links directly beneath the embedded images to see them in their original size)

https://www.instagram.com/sacred_sage_photography/p/DeC5GUHj5fv/


https://iili.io/nhQH1na.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10165093142444166&set=pb.811404165.-2207520000


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https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10165132482264166&set=pb.811404165.-2207520000


https://iili.io/nWhPn29.jpg

https://www.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/1x2ogk6/balloons_from_above/


https://iili.io/nWhjcGf.jpg


https://iili.io/nWhjaCG.jpg