Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First has a story saying that apartment construction is down 37 percent in Albuquerque. They say that there are only 619 units under construction right now in the entire metro area. This is according to Colliers' latest market report for Albuquerque.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2026/05/06/albuquerque-multifamily-report-q1.html

Albuquerque added 683 apartment units in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Q1 2026 Multifamily Research Report by investment management company Colliers.

Albuquerque now has 58,906 existing units as of the end of Q1 2026, with 619 units under construction and 509 units expected to complete in the next four quarters.

The 619 units under construction marks a 37% decrease from 993 units the previous year. One of the biggest developers in the state, Titan Development, paused their multifamily projects last year due to a change in New Mexico's property taxes, which could serve as a reason for the decline in units.

Albuquerque's occupancy rate is 94.9%, up from 94.7% in Q4 2025 but down from 95.3% in Q1 2025.

Albuquerque tenants paid an effective asking rate of $1,331 a month in Q1 2026 after concessions.

The Senary by Allaso at 7501 Jefferson St. NE, a four-story building developed by Titan Development, completed the most units in Albuquerque over the last four quarters, finishing in January 2026 with 209 units.

Other developments finished in the last four quarters include:

• Allaso Olivine, which added 105 units and finished in December 2025 .
• Griegos Farm, which added 90 units and finished in February 2026.
• El Parador, which added 20 units and finished in May 2025.

The largest project under construction is Charlie ABQ at 7682 Woodmont Ave, developed by LaTerra Development. The two-story building is expected to finish in September 2026 with 344 units.

Other projects under development are:

• Via Verde I, expected to add 248 units and to be finished in June 2026.
• Serenade at Park Central, expected to add 110 units and to be finished in November 2027.
• The George, expected to add 37 units and to be finished in March 2027.

This report and story couldn't be more wrong when it comes to the numbers that they give.

I've posted a more accurate listing of apartments under construction and in the pipeline to this thread previously. It showed over 3,100 apartments under construction at that time. There were also nearly 10,000 units in the pipeline back then.

Since that time there have been even more projects that have gotten underway and which have been announced or revealed.

The 230-unit Sandoval Flats project in Rio Rancho, the 70-unit SOMOS Apartments in the International District, and the 420-unit Woodbury Apartments on Mesa del Sol are just three more projects which immediately spring to mind that this report and story do not mention.

That alone more than doubles the amount of apartments under construction right now to over 1,300 units.

Not to mention that three more projects recently got underway over just the last month in Albuquerque. They've added about another 300 units to the total under construction right now.

I've also of course revealed even more new projects that are on the horizon, such as the apartments on Yale Boulevard by the airport and the apartments on 5th Street in Downtown Albuquerque.

Here's another small apartment project planned in Downtown Albuquerque that was announced late last year which I never even got a chance to post about. It's by Mark Baker and it involves renovating a historic property and converting it from office use to residential. An even more exciting thing is that he says he has plans for two new-construction projects on the property as well.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2025/11/18/the-keleher-apartments.html

The Keleher will have 10 units ranging in size from 600 square feet to 2,000 square feet. It will have studio apartments up to three-bed, two-bathroom units ranging in size from 600 square feet to 2,000 square feet, Baker said.

...

The estimated cost of phase one redevelopment is $1.3 million, and Baker is working with Sunward for project financing.

Baker Architecture + Design is the architect for the project, and Baker has not selected a general contractor yet.

...

The second phase of the redevelopment will focus on the property's two parking lots.

Baker plans to convert the back parking lot along Marquette Avenue into some form of housing, such as townhomes or multifamily.

On the front lot, along Tijeras Avenue, Baker is considering a mixed-use development with retail on the ground floor and multifamily above.

The zoning — mixed-use transitional — allows for both of these plans, Baker said.

"That's what I enjoy doing now — revitalizing buildings and improving the neighborhood and building community around walkability," Baker said.

I'm gonna try to update the listing that I have and post it here soon. I'm also gonna try to include all apartments constructed in the city over the last 15 years or so. That's about how far back I've compiled and listed this information.

I've done so because none of the local offices of real estate companies such as Colliers or Yardi have ever been accurate when presenting the state of this sector of construction in Albuquerque.

This has always hurt Albuquerque’s perceived economic health and development activity. Countless stories and comparisons get based off of this bad information.

In fact, that's a common theme in Albuquerque when it comes to assessing and reporting our current situation. People in the media and in our local industries lazily and badly compile and report such inaccurate data and then everybody who likes to do so runs with it to crap on the city and paint this terrible and false narrative of our current situation. It's also exploited to support certain agendas.

For example, in the first story above you can glimpse the new slant that has been presented over the past year. This is the narrative that the new and updated property tax assessments in Bernalillo County and across the state are leading to "tax lightning" and a downturn in the development of apartments.

That may be true for Titan Development and others, but it seems there are still projects being planned and built either way.

The correct property assessments obviously need to be made, the state and counties are trying to fix something that was wrong for years. They are doing nothing wrong by correcting the mistakes and bad information of past assessments.

Either way, I think this is more propaganda than anything that is truly hurting the development of apartments in this city and state.

I hope to present my updated listing soon to show that things aren't quite so dire in Albuquerque right now when it comes to apartment construction!

[ABQalex]

Here's an awesome pic that was captured and posted yesterday to a group on Facebook. It shows a rainbow and the sun shining over the city during a break in our recent rains. In the pic you can see Downtown Albuquerque in the foreground on the left, the city’s three main hospitals in the middle, and Uptown Albuquerque in the background on the right.

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

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=265...943295191456&idorvanity=1061947753884363


https://images2.imgbox.com/79/50/RBLjutLy_o.jpg

[ABQalex]

A new, "temporary" food truck park has opened at Winrock Town Center. They say that it will last for about 2 1/2 years and is in preparation for the planned food hall that will go into the ground floor of the liner structures on the south side of the Women's Dillard's store.

https://www.krqe.com/news/community/new-...s-at-winrock-town-center-in-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — If you’re looking for different food options in Uptown Albuquerque, you’re in luck. A food truck park at Winrock Town Center is opening for business.

“The Campground at Winrock” is a curated food truck experience aiming to offer four to five food options – as of now, they have breakfast, Mexican, cheesesteaks, Latin, and fried chicken. These options are generally not expected to rotate out. There’s also smaller vendors at the park, like lemonade and ice cream stands. Overall, it serves as a way to bring food to the area as the center continues working on the construction of its food hall.

“What this does is it activates the park even more. It brings some more food amenities, and really, they’re in preparation for our food hall which is going to be along the whole fence of Dillards,” said Senior VP of Development Darin Sand. “That’s going to be a three-story building but the whole bottom will be a food hall and big doors that open up right into the food hall.”

The food truck park, which is expected to be around for about two to two-and-a-half years, recently had its soft opening. Since then, they’ve had a pretty good turnout, Sand says. They’re hoping to see an even better turnout with the Spring Festival Market on Saturday, May 9.

The Campground is continuing to build out with a fire pit, games, and more. “There’ll be regular events just for this little spot. I know we’ve had people reach out to us already that wanted to have their own little gathering here because it’s got the nice turf and the food here and then a couple of trucks will be here for breakfast too,” said Sand.

The location currently holding the food truck park is expected to become a restaurant once the food hall is complete.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1554039862975028&set=a.566193618426329



This is at least the fourth announced plan and site for a food hall at Winrock.

Remember that when the Garduños restaurant location closed they said a food hall would replace it. Then when they announced a new mixed-use structure west of the Portland Building they said a food hall would occupy its ground floor. They then pivoted and announced plans for a food hall on the northeast portion of the ground floor of the former Montgomery Ward structure. And now we have these new plans that have been revealed.

I won't hold my breath that any of this will happen.

This "temporary" food truck park is going where they said a new restaurant structure would be built. It was supposed to have been submitted for planning approval last year and be another nice restaurant space within the Winrock Central Park area. In the story above they say that it will eventually be built. But again, I won't hold my breath on that.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3183314535158290&set=pb.100004393235808.-2207520000



This project was also supposed to go along with the restaurant/bar space on the park pond that has been built but which has never been occupied. They've now taken to referring to it as an event space that can be rented out or will be open only for special occasions.

https://www.facebook.com/Winrocktowncenter/



Next year will mark 20 years that Goodman Realty has owned Winrock and been planning and carrying out its transformation. In that time they've announced and scrapped dozens of ideas, plans and projects. I think it'll be another 20 years or more before the entire site is transformed.

Here at least are some nice aerial pics of Winrock Town Center showing the progress that has been made in the past twenty or so years. They've certainly done and accomplished things in that time, but it's been at an absolutely glacial pace. The pics are from a recent listing for a unit at the nearby Winrock Villas condominiums. There are more nice aerial pics of the area to be found at the link.

https://www.homes.com/property/1601-pennsylvania-st-ne-albuquerque-nm-unit-z17/pmb0m6xfkv212/

[ABQalex]

I wanted to share the newspaper clippings below from the Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune showing the first plans to transform Winrock Center into an open-air lifestyle center. This project and transformation was proposed back in 2002 by the mall's then-owner Prudential Real Estate Investors, under an LLC called PruWinrock. They were also working with developer Cousins Properties on the project. It was to be called "The Avenue Winrock" and it would be focused on two interior urban-style roadways.

I really wish these plans had come to fruition. It was ultimately derailed and defeated by a classic clusterf*ck of disagreements and differing infrastructure plans compared to what the city wanted. If you look at the plans, the Prudential roadway plan was better. But I guess the city dug in and dragged everything out.

I remember there was also disagreement with the city and state over who would pay how much for the new roadway infrastructure for the project. That included the direct onramp to I-40 from the Winrock parking lot, which was eventually built just before Goodman Realty took over the property and transformation.

Remember that this was before the Louisiana Boulevard interchange with I-40 was rebuilt beginning in early 2004 and completed in 2005. They were trying to coordinate that project with the infrastructure and traffic needs of the new Winrock project. The direct onramp was built along with the interchange project, but wasn't really utilized until about a decade later when the new store spaces and underground parking garage on the south side of Winrock were built.













I truly believe that had The Avenue Winrock project been approved quickly and without issue, it would have come fo fruition within three years like they envisioned. Prudential Real Estate Investors was an arm of the Prudential insurance company. They certainly had access to capital and financing and clearly could pull off a project such as this.

Goodman Realty doesn't seem to have access to that same level of easy financing on its own. A reminder that the massive underground parking garage and much, if not all, of the infrastructure at Winrock Town Center today was helped along by the city and state in the form of about $200 million in bonds paid for with TIF funds.

Those ridiculous disagreements nearly 25 years ago were good for nothing but defeating a good project and producing horrible delays in transforming the site and returning it to a productive and lively area of our city. I don't remember how exactly the lawsuit against the city played out, but I assume it ended in a settlement of some kind or when the Goodmans purchased the property in 2007.

Here's an aerial pic that I've posted before showing all of the Winrock Town Center area. You can see that what has been built and done so far pretty much follows the idea of what Prudential wanted to do. From the movie theater placement to the interior roadways to the direct onramp to I-40. It just hasn't been fully built out yet and completed.



I think this shows that these sorts of silly disagreements and ridiculous opposition only ever serve to delay the inevitable. An overall good plan and obvious solution will always win out.

[ABQalex]

Here's another disappointing development in Uptown Albuquerque that was recently announced. Nusenda Credit Union will be building a new branch location on the giant empty lot just south of Coronado Center at 6401 Uptown Boulevard NE.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/...giant-to-build-new-branch-in-uptown.html

New Mexico’s largest credit union is making a big change at one of its premier branches in the Albuquerque metro.

Nusenda Credit Union plans to begin construction on a new Uptown branch in the next two weeks to replace its existing branch at 6501 Indian School Road NE. The credit union has 288,896 members, $4.83 billion in assets and 31 New Mexico branches, at the time of this article's writing.

Nusenda Credit Union will sell its Indian School Road branch to a developer to make way for the mixed-use Uptown Connect project, according to Nusenda Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Michael Buehler.

The developer will demolish the Indian School Road branch as part of its plans for Uptown Connect, Buehler said.

The new branch will be located nearby on a 2.9-acre site at 6401 Uptown Blvd. NE. The branch will be one story and 6,400 square feet — roughly half the size of the existing two-story branch.

It will have a detached six-lane drive-thru building. One lane will be a traditional ATM lane, and the other five will feature video-teller operation.

The site also has room for future development, which Buehler said the credit union anticipates it will need as future office space.

Nusenda anticipates the drive-thru operation will open July 2026 and that the branch will open at the end of the first quarter of 2027.

Enterprise Builders is the general contractor for the project, and Joe Slagle Architect is the architect. Construction costs have not been determined.

Nusenda’s current Uptown branch is one of its busiest, and it’s considered the main branch by many of its members, Buehler said.

But its design and size had become out of date for the credit union. When Nusenda looked at remodeling it, the cost was almost prohibitive, Buehler said.

“It’s such a difficult building to remodel,” Buehler said. “It’s extraordinarily expensive.”

Nearby relocation options were limited.

When the chance to sell to the developers of Uptown Connect, a 239-unit mixed-use affordable and market-rate multifamily development, and lease land on Uptown Boulevard emerged, Nusenda moved to exit the building and construct a modern replacement.

“With Uptown being one of our busiest branches, and what our members certainly consider the main office of the credit union, we really wanted to make sure we did the move correctly,” Buehler said. “All those things coming together provided the opportunity for us to … exit a branch that was going to be so expensive to remodel.”

This is disappointing for various reasons. First is that this spot is prime property for a multilevel, mixed-use structure. Second is that they obviously will no longer be relocating the branch to the ground floor of the affordable apartment building of the Uptown Connect project. Third is that it's an auto-oriented design with drive-throughs and a large surface parking lot, which we've been trying to get away from in Uptown Albuquerque.

Below is a pic of the property where the new Nusenda Uptown branch will be built. It was previously the site of the Coronado 6 movie theater that was closed and torn down in about 2009. It's just up the street from their existing branch and catty-corner from the Uptown Transit Center and future Uptown Connect site.



I'm hoping that this won't affect the Uptown Connect project. Although, I had noticed in the most recent layouts and renderings submitted to the city back in January that they no longer identified the branch space or mentioned Nusenda for the space on the ground floor.

https://dmdmaps.cabq.gov/DRB/PR-2022-006...ubmittal_2026-0112%20-%20Combined_v1.pdf

It looks like they will be going with some sort of co-working setup or small office spaces for rent. And fully with small retail spaces facing the new transit plaza along the south side of the affordable apartment building.





The plan was always for Nusenda to vacate their existing branch and for Palindrome to purchase the property for the market-rate apartment building portion of Uptown Connect on the south side of the new transit plaza. This is just a disappointing and unfortunate change of plans for what Nusenda will do to replace the branch.

As far as I know, the Uptown Connect project is still scheduled to break ground this summer. Let's hope that happens!

[ABQalex]

Here's an update about the Lindy's Diner/Bliss Building situation. The city has given the owners until next Friday to either begin fixing or demolishing the structure or they will demolish it themselves by placing a lien on the property for the cost to do so.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerq...indys-diner-to-fix-or-demolish-building/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The city said it sent a letter Wednesday to the owners of Lindy’s Diner, requiring them to secure the property, stop more debris from falling, and shore up the structure.

The letter gives the owners until May 15 to apply for a renovation permit with a timeline for the work or a demolition permit.

If the owners do not act, the city said it may take emergency action to protect the public and try to recover costs through a lien on the property.

The Bliss Building, which housed Lindy’s Diner, partially collapsed on April 27. Since then, the city said crews have secured the area and reviewed the building’s condition.

“Lindy’s is part of our city’s story, and many Burqueños have memories tied to this place. But the most important thing is that nobody was hurt in the collapse, and our job now is to keep it that way while making sure Downtown businesses don’t suffer,” Mayor Tim Keller said.

Nearby businesses still open

City crews say Downtown Albuquerque stays open as officials secure the partially collapsed Bliss Building and keep nearby businesses accessible.

The city said nearby businesses remain open and accessible. Officials asked people to avoid the area around the Bliss Building and follow posted traffic and pedestrian restrictions.

“Come to the first Friday Artwalk tonight, see a show at the KiMo, attend the Downtown Growers’ Market, or check out new nightlife. The best way to support Downtown is to keep showing up for the people who keep it lively,” Keller said.

Road closures near 5th Street and Central Avenue remain in place because of ongoing safety concerns. The current traffic plan allows westbound travel on Central Avenue. Drivers can travel southbound on 5th Street to Central Avenue and go east or west, and drivers can also travel north on 5th Street from Central Avenue.

Finally the mayor acknowledges and says anything at all about the situation. He's been absolutely MIA and silent about the issue since the facade collapsed nearly two weeks ago.

I appreciate him and the city now wanting quick action by the owners to do something, but I can just see that another legal situation is brewing.

We should learn that being unreasonable and unwiling to work together never leads to anything good. We as a city need to help them look for ways to fix the structure not be threatening them. That doesn't mean absolving them of their responsibilities as owners, it means appreciating that we as a city have a genuine interest in saving this structure.

I shudder to think that we're gonna be left with yet another empty lot and 'missing tooth' along Central Avenue in one of the only areas Downtown where we have a pleasing and complete street wall and nice density of buildings.

I get bugged and shake my head at those conspiracists online over the last few weeks since the city ordered the diner closed who are saying that the city or "developers" want this property for more gentrification.

If only that were the case.

Just look at how hard it is to keep good things going Downtown and to attract and get development projects underway there right now. How long has the city been trying to develop the empty lot it already owns at 1st and Silver or others elsewhere Downtown? And these people think the city wants even more of those lots to deal with??

Several properties that are now used as surface parking lots have been put up for sale in Downtown Albuquerque over the last couple of years. The city nor any developers bought any of them. Wouldn't that have been much easier to do than pushing Lindy's out?

I really wish these conspiracists and others against development and "gentrification" would get real here about this situation.

The bigger issue and problem right now is trying to avoid a fight over the Bliss Building’s future.

The building obviously can't be left in the state it is in for a long period of time, or the area barricaded and blocked off like it is now, but a possible legal situation would more surely cause that to happen.

As I mentioned before, that is what is going on in Boise, Idaho right now where their city government placed a lien and tried to take things into their own hands.

There's precedence and examples of what could happen if this gets ugly and caught up in the courts where things progress very slowly.

Surely something like the black fabric/netting that went up on the damaged skyscrapers with similar gaping holes in their facades after 9/11 could be used to more fully secure the structure and contain and keep more debris from falling onto the sidewalk and endangering the public.

The city has already shown that it does things badly with this situation. Notice that the hole in the facade is now larger and that there is now damage to the roofline and roof beams. That occurred the evening after the collapse when the city used a bulldozer to bring down a precarious section of the facade that was also leaning outward but hadn't yet collapsed.



In the pic below you can see what a horrible job they did in bringing that section down. They left things mangled that weren't previously. They also damaged and brought down the section of brick along the roofline that was left intact across the original collapsed section of the facade. The bulldozer obviously tore into the structure itself while tearing this section of brick down. Never mind also that they ended up leaving a precarious section of it over the facade portion that they tore down. It's just horrible work, IMO.





Here's a pic showing the original extent of the collapse for comparison.



They also decided to "push" the debris pile into the structure and diner itself. That obviously created a mess and most likely created damage to the interior and its contents where none had been before. I think this would be the basis for legal claims against the city.



Again, I think we're setting up a mess and legal fight here.

It's like people always forget and never learn from past situations.

[ABQalex]

Here again is a nice pic showing the refreshed facade and new sign for the Gizmo Arts project to lift spirits when it comes to Downtown Albuquerque and its revitalization. It was posted in this month's Crossroads newsletter from the Downtown ABQ MainStreet Arts & Cultural District organization.

https://dtabqmainstreet.org/



Here also are a few nice pics showing the new Pleased to Present gallery space in the former Skip Maisel's Trading Post structure. They are from its opening exhibition earlier this month and were posted on Facebook by one of the artists participating in the show. It's yet another recent small victory in our continued revitalization efforts in Downtown Albuquerque.

https://www.facebook.com/david.d.sorense...H5ei2tTJwCwtrR7jnicvFBW24PqiMjihsHbNh4dl















Over on Gold Avenue another new arts-focused establishment recently opened in another great historic structure that we have left in Downtown Albuquerque, the old Pacific Desk Company building. Monozukuri is a studio, gallery and shop space selling the work of local artists. Everything from wall art and objects to accessories and clothing.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/3098495087017411



On Copper Avenue a new coffee shop opened on the ground floor of the Acropolis Condominiums structure. Mission Grounds Coffee started out as a mobile operation. They offer a selection of other drinks and pastries as well.

https://www.facebook.com/mission.grounds.2025/

[ABQalex]

Here's an awesome pic of Downtown Albuquerque this morning that was posted by the Rainbow Ryders chief pilot on his Facebook account.

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

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10164462222004166&set=a.10151765180004166


https://images2.imgbox.com/55/8b/5ESqEcfw_o.jpg

Here's another great pic of Downtown Albuquerque and its environs that he captured and posted last month on his Facebook account. You can spot the George at Country Club Plaza and various other recent developments in the area.

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

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10164373458614166&set=pb.811404165.-2207520000


https://images2.imgbox.com/1e/37/lbv5v4VR_o.jpg

[ABQalex]

KOB-TV has a story about the next section of the Rail Trail between Old Town and the BioPark.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/plans-unveiled-for-next-phase-of-rail-trail-construction/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The City of Albuquerque unveiled plans for a new half-mile link of the Rail Trail between Old Town Albuquerque and the Biopark.

The city opened the first completed section near the Sawmill District, last fall.

The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency confirmed the next section will be a roughly half-mile connection between Old Town Albuquerque and the Biopark.

The new path will cut behind a neighborhood, then follow a drainage ditch toward Central before connecting to the existing Bosque Trail.

“We’re able to purchase a really nice vacant lot that stretches for almost a quarter mile right near Old Town that really made this all come together. And I think people will see different things,” MRA Director Terry Bruner said.

“They’ll see a sidewalk-y kind of trail in front of the biopark. They’ll go on existing streets for a little section in the neighborhoods and then have more of an outdoorsy, dirt, sandy kind of trail over by Rio Grande,” Bruner said.

Construction should start this summer and last around six to eight months.

The new section is estimated to cost between $2 million and $4 million, and the MRA just received a $1 million grant from the state’s Outdoor Recreation Division for the project.

Bruner said the section between Lomas and the rail yards will be the next big focus.

Construction on the new Central crossing is nearing the halfway point, and the electric tumbleweed sculpture planned for the top of the new crossing is already ready to go.

“This is not just a recreational trail, but it’s a redevelopment project that will actually lift up these neighborhoods and provide more opportunity for commercial growth, more housing, more entertainment, and things that people can do in Albuquerque. So we think it’s going to be a really nice amenity,” Bruner said.

Bruner said city leaders are still figuring out how to route the trail through Old Town Albuquerque.

[ABQalex]

Sandia Peak Tramway celebrated its 60th anniversary this past week. Below are a few pictures that they posted on their social media accounts to mark the occasion. They show it from when it first opened and began operations on May 7th, 1966 to today. The pics include all three generations of the cars that they've had in that time.

https://www.instagram.com/sandia_peak_tramway/p/DYCpoifFNJo/





















The Tram is also offering a 60 percent discount on tickets this Mother's Day weekend to help celebrate its special anniversary. They first announced the discount last month.

https://www.instagram.com/sandia_peak_tramway/p/DW1n7NGgZcB/



Here's another nice pic showing the tram ascending to the top of the mountain at dusk with the city lights beginning to shine below. It's from the Sandia Peak Tramway page on the New Mexico Tourism Department's website.

https://www.newmexico.org/listing/sandia-peak-aerial-tramway/123/

[ABQalex]

Here's an awesome pic of Central Avenue and Downtown Albuquerque in 1956 that New Mexico PBS posted this past week on their Facebook account. It's part of a set that they posted showing local photographer Dick Kent's work documenting the city after World War II, especially during its greatest period of growth in the 1950s to 1970s. Be sure to click the link and check those other pics out!

They've also produced one of their Colores episodes featuring Dick Kent and this period in Albuquerque’s history that premiered yesterday on their channel.

https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoPBS/po...BsYmdJH7kmawmq6FJv8PeJHbFz8an3ofKunMQEil





Here's another pic by Dick Kent of Downtown Albuquerque from about the same time in 1956 showing an aerial view featuring the then-new Simms Building in the center of the pic. The structure was built in 1954 and was Albuquerque’s first modern highrise. The pic is from the Albuquerque Museum's online archives.



I have a similar pic that must've been taken as part of the same set. It's from an old World Book Encyclopedia article about Albuquerque in the 1960s. That's when I first began noticing the name Dick Kent.

His name appeared on many more old pics that I began seeing on things such as postcards and business advertisements. His work was also featured prominently in things such as Albuquerque National Bank's monthly Albuquerque Progress publication.

I'm thankful for his work and this photographic history that we have. I wish we had someone now who would document the city's growth and development in a similar manner for future generations to have and appreciate.

Here's another aerial pic in color by Dick Kent in June 1956 that New Mexico Magazine posted on its Facebook account several years ago. Along with the Simms Building, you can spot other landmarks that are no longer here, such as the old Elk's Club, the old Armory building, the old First Presbyterian Church and the old Congregation Albert synagogue, which is the silver-domed structure on the bottom-left of the pic.

The Albuquerque Journal and Albuquerque Tribune's joint new headquarters structure is also seen under construction at the bottom-left of the pic. Today it is the Silver Square office building.

https://www.facebook.com/NewMexicoMagazine/photos/a.131570531110/10155773047236111/



Here's a link to a video on New Mexico PBS' Colores YouTube channel talking with Dick Kent's sons. I haven't had a chance to watch the entire video, I've just skimmed it, and I'm not sure whether this is the actual Colores episode or is just a piece talking about him and the episode.

• Video Link

Here's a screenshot of a pic that caught my eye while skimming the episode. It's from about the mid-1970s and shows the growth in the modern Downtown skyline but also the destruction of the historic structures since the mid-1950s. You can see that the once-prominent Simms Building has now been dwarfed by other structures.

[ABQalex]

I was able to watch the Colores video above about Dick Kent. I'm still not sure whether it's the actual episode or a video accompanying the episode. Colores episodes are usually a half-hour to an hour long.

Something that I noted was that they said Dick Kent captured the construction of the Sandia Peak Tramway. They also showed various pics of the construction while talking about this fact. So it seems those first few pics above that I posted previously for the Tram's 60th anniversary were actually taken by Dick Kent.

Something else I wanted to mention is that I've dated the first pic of Central Avenue and Downtown Albuquerque above by Dick Kent to April 1956. I looked up the movie that was shown on the marquee playing at the Sunshine Theater. The Man Who Never Was premiered in early April 1956. If you notice as well on another sign above the Metropolitan Building at 1st and Central you can see a date for an event later in April as well.

This all made me remember something else, which is that similar scenes of Downtown Albuquerque and Central Avenue in the 1950s were used to portray Mayfield in several episodes of Leave it to Beaver. Perhaps this was footage by Dick Kent as well.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?s...xQFqqeafZ5i5Zk7xgJ12l&id=100076011920518



It's quite awesome to think that Downtown Albuquerque in the 1950s was seen as the quintessential American town, enough so that it was chosen to portray the fictional and idyllic Mayfield in perhaps the most iconic 1950s American sitcom.

Here's a more-recent pic of this view down Central Avenue from the railroad overpass. It was obviously taken before the Alvarado Transportation Center collonade was torn down and the Central Crossing began construction.

The scene has certainly changed, but thankfulky much of it is still intact to be recognizable. I can't wait and hope I get to see the day that Central Avenue through Downtown Albuquerque is built up completely and as busy once again!

[TllrSkyline-01]

Originally Posted by ABQalex

Here's an update about the Lindy's Diner/Bliss Building situation. The city has given the owners until next Friday to either begin fixing or demolishing the structure or they will demolish it themselves by placing a lien on the property for the cost to do so.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuquerq...indys-diner-to-fix-or-demolish-building/





Finally the mayor acknowledges and says anything at all about the situation. He's been absolutely MIA and silent about the issue since the facade collapsed nearly two weeks ago.

I appreciate him and the city now wanting quick action by the owners to do something, but I can just see that another legal situation is brewing.

We should learn that being unreasonable and unwiling to work together never leads to anything good. We as a city need to help them look for ways to fix the structure not be threatening them. That doesn't mean absolving them of their responsibilities as owners, it means appreciating that we as a city have a genuine interest in saving this structure.

I shudder to think that we're gonna be left with yet another empty lot and 'missing tooth' along Central Avenue in one of the only areas Downtown where we have a pleasing and complete street wall and nice density of buildings.

I get bugged and shake my head at those conspiracists online over the last few weeks since the city ordered the diner closed who are saying that the city or "developers" want this property for more gentrification.

If only that were the case.

Just look at how hard it is to keep good things going Downtown and to attract and get development projects underway there right now. How long has the city been trying to develop the empty lot it already owns at 1st and Silver or others elsewhere Downtown? And these people think the city wants even more of those lots to deal with??

Several properties that are now used as surface parking lots have been put up for sale in Downtown Albuquerque over the last couple of years. The city nor any developers bought any of them. Wouldn't that have been much easier to do than pushing Lindy's out?

I really wish these conspiracists and others against development and "gentrification" would get real here about this situation.

The bigger issue and problem right now is trying to avoid a fight over the Bliss Building’s future.

The building obviously can't be left in the state it is in for a long period of time, or the area barricaded and blocked off like it is now, but a possible legal situation would more surely cause that to happen.

As I mentioned before, that is what is going on in Boise, Idaho right now where their city government placed a lien and tried to take things into their own hands.

There's precedence and examples of what could happen if this gets ugly and caught up in the courts where things progress very slowly.

Surely something like the black fabric/netting that went up on the damaged skyscrapers with similar gaping holes in their facades after 9/11 could be used to more fully secure the structure and contain and keep more debris from falling onto the sidewalk and endangering the public.

The city has already shown that it does things badly with this situation. Notice that the hole in the facade is now larger and that there is now damage to the roofline and roof beams. That occurred the evening after the collapse when the city used a bulldozer to bring down a precarious section of the facade that was also leaning outward but hadn't yet collapsed.



In the pic below you can see what a horrible job they did in bringing that section down. They left things mangled that weren't previously. They also damaged and brought down the section of brick along the roofline that was left intact across the original collapsed section of the facade. The bulldozer obviously tore into the structure itself while tearing this section of brick down. Never mind also that they ended up leaving a precarious section of it over the facade portion that they tore down. It's just horrible work, IMO.





Here's a pic showing the original extent of the collapse for comparison.



They also decided to "push" the debris pile into the structure and diner itself. That obviously created a mess and most likely created damage to the interior and its contents where none had been before. I think this would be the basis for legal claims against the city.



Again, I think we're setting up a mess and legal fight here.

It's like people always forget and never learn from past situations.

No mean to be disrespectful. I understand that there are historical attachments and nostalgia to this structure, but the type of deteoration before and after the collapse created damage that is very extensive. The city needs to condemn this building, and it needs to be torn down ASAP. This is a huge liabilty for the owners to keep up. It will require millions and millions of dollars to 'try' to maintain it structurally sound for another 50-60 years.

I understand that in the west we have little historical structures around, compared to east coast cities, but this building should be torn down. There are serious structural issues that could spread. It is sad this occurred, but the is reality is that life and safety come first.

[ABQalex]

Originally Posted by TllrSkyline-01

No mean to be disrespectful. I understand that there are historical attachments and nostalgia to this structure, but the type of deteoration before and after the collapse created damage that is very extensive. The city needs to condemn this building, and it needs to be torn down ASAP. This is a huge liabilty for the owners to keep up. It will require millions and millions of dollars to 'try' to maintain it structurally sound for another 50-60 years.

I understand that in the west we have little historical structures around, compared to east coast cities, but this building should be torn down. There are serious structural issues that could spread. It is sad this occurred, but the is reality is that life and safety come first.

Well, that certainly looks like what will happen. The question is when and whether there will be a legal fight over it. The owners are increasingly talking about consulting with their lawyers and are raising the same issues with how the city has handled the situation after the collapse that I mentioned above.

I think the city will ultimately demolish the structure and the legal fight will be over the lien and the claims that the city damaged their property after the collapse.

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of the Central Crossing construction in Downtown Albuquerque. They were posted recently in the Central Crossing construction gallery on the Rail Trail's website. They show some of the landscaping going in for the project. There are older pics of the construction to be found at the link, including one that I posted previously.

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

[ABQalex]

Here are some neat drone images of the Amtrak and Rail Runner trains at the Alvarado Transportation Center, and a few views of the Rail Yards with the skyline beyond. They were captured last month by a railfan and posted to her Flickr account over the past week. There are a few more pics to be found on her Flickr account.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmyers83/with/55262560163

[ABQalex]

Here are a couple of small apartment projects being planned along Broadway Boulevard in East Downtown/Huning Highland. Each project will have four units. One will be located on Gold Avenue just behind the old church structure at Broadway and Gold. The other will be located directly along Broadway a couple of blocks south.





The first project along Gold Avenue is disappointing because it previously was the site of another proposal with quite a lot more units. The "Green House" was a 32-unit project submitted to the East Downtown RFP that the city put out a few years ago. It ultimately was disqualified because the developers didn't have full ownership and control of the property at that time.





I really liked this project. I wish it had come to fruition! Still, I'm thankful for any new housing, especially around Downtown Albuquerque and along the Broadway corridor.

Here's an awesome pic that I've posted before showing the area where these two projects will go. The parking lot toward the bottom-left corner of the pic behind the Range Cafe property is where the first project will be located. In the center of the pic along the left edge is where the other project will go, in an empty lot across Broadway from the U.S. Forest Service office building.

[ABQalex]

The redevelopment plan for the conversion of the former Wells Fargo building in Downtown Albuquerque was approved late last month. The plan is the first phase of the project and covers the 100 units of affordable housing that will be created on the narrower 2nd through 13th floors of the structure. The plans for the site changes and renovations to the larger first-floor base of the structure will be approved under a separate planning process.





Here are a couple of cropped areas of the site plan above to show the information better. You can see how each floor will be used. The 2nd floor will have the amenity areas for the tenants. We can also get a glimpse of what's planned for the ground floor. Geltmore will apparently have their offices here in about 2,400 sq ft of space, along with room for ten other commercial tenants. The anchor tenant will have about 7,700 sq ft of space.





Here's an old pic of the building from 1974, about a year after it opened. It's from an Albuquerque Journal story late last year when Geltmore and Lincoln Avenue Communities officially purchased the property. The timeline for the project getting underway was given as summer of this year, so hopefully this approval means they will indeed do so!

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/rede...ng-inches-forward-as-sale-closes/2950837

[ABQalex]

The Revel Entertainment Center in the Renaissance Area of North I-25 is planning an outdoor amphitheater behind its existing indoor venue at Alexander Boulevard and Montaño Road NE. It was scheduled to go before the Environmental Planning Commission this month, but will now be deferred to July under staff recommendation that it first go through a conditional use approval process before the Zoning Hearing Examiner in June.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/envi..._1500%20Desert%20Surf%20Cir_Deferral.pdf



Remember that this was previously the site of the proposed Andretti Indoor Karting & Games location that fell through. While I was disappointed by that project's demise I think this new project is a great use and replacement for it, especially considering the awkwardness of the site.



I don't know how much they're planning to alter the site but it has a bowl-like setup now. It could be really cool to have an amphitheater placed here.



Revel is a popular and successful venue with lots of concerts and events. We already have plenty of amphitheaters, but I think the Revel owners will make this venue successful.

Its more-central location in the city as opposed to the Sandia and Isleta amphitheaters will surely also be an advantage.

I can't wait to find out more about this project, including the size and what it will look like!

[ABQalex]

Here's a construction pic of the new aquatic center at North Domingo Baca Park in the Far Northeast Heights. It was posted by local trade publication Construction Reporter on its LinkedIn account.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7458534442538803200/



Here's a rendering of the project from a similar perspective to compare with what's been built so far.



I was surprised to see that the project is underway, as I thought the project was still facing a funding gap for its $50 million total development cost. I knew that they had completed some ancillary portions of the project such as the splash pad, but didn’t know that they had begun building the main facility.

Here are a couple more neat construction pics posted late last month on a Facebook group devoted to advocating for and building the facility. If you read in some of the comments, it looks like the city is holding off on some elements of the design and facility and will complete them in a phased approach. That must be how they were able to get underway even with the funding gap.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/570488777447560/permalink/1687765469053213





I'm glad to see that the project is being built, even in a phased approach. It's going to be one of the biggest and best aquatic facilities in the country, certainly the biggest and best in New Mexico!