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.