Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

The city broke ground yesterday on the Sawmill section of the Rail Trail. They did so by driving ceremonial golden spikes into a railroad tie. The streetscape improvement project on Bellamah Avenue was also kicked off as part of the ceremony. The new estimated cost for the entire Rail Trail project is $90 million, which the city says they have exactly half of that amount on hand. This portion of the project from Mountain Road to 12th Street will cost $3 million and is expected to be completed next year.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...-bellamah.html

On Aug. 29, a groundbreaking ceremony in the Albuquerque Sawmill District marked the start of the next phase of the city's Rail Trail project, moving closer to the goal of creating a 7-mile loop that will connect Downtown Albuquerque to various local attractions.

This phase focuses on linking Mountain Road to Bellamah Avenue and includes a complete streetscape redevelopment of Bellamah Avenue, with new trees, sidewalks and improved traffic flow, said Terry Brunner, director of the City of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA).

The $3 million project is being constructed by Jaynes Corp., Wilson & Co., Toole Design and Antoine Predock Architect PC. The development, funded by the MRA, is expected to be completed by next summer, Brunner said.

On May 22, the City of Albuquerque began construction on the first phase of the project at Central Crossing, located at First Street and Central Avenue. Currently, officials are demolishing the Southwest ramp in front of Alvarado Station at 100 First St. SW., with plans to eventually construct a safe and accessible crossing over the railway. This phase is expected to be completed by summer 2025 as well, Brunner said.

The entire Rail Trail project, estimated at $90 million, will be carried out in about eight phases. To date, the project has secured approximately $45 million in funding, Brunner said.

Following the Sawmill phase, Brunner hopes to continue construction toward 12th Street and into Old Town.

"We're looking forward to this being the first real showcase of the linear part of the trail," Brunner said. "It will be a catalyst to get the entire community to want to invest further in this trail."

Due to the overall project's funding coming from multiple sources — not solely MRA — the City is required to issue bidding requests for each segment. Jaynes Corp. received initial approval to construct the first couple phases of the project 13 months ago, Stetson Chandler, project engineer at Jaynes Corp., said.

To facilitate the Sawmill phase, the City of Albuquerque purchased approximately 3 acres of land from the Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque in July. The total purchase price was $300,000, Brunner said.

"We really needed this section of old rail lines from Mountain [Road] to Bellamah [Avenue]," Brunner said.

The Albuquerque Rail Trail is expected to unlock approximately $590 million in redevelopment initiatives, a figure that may fluctuate slightly by the project’s completion in 2027. Once finished, the trail will create a 7-mile loop connecting Downtown Albuquerque to attractions such as Old Town, the Rail Yards, Sawmill District, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) and the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The MRA currently has redevelopment plans for Barelas, Downtown, Wells Park and Sawmill.

“The idea is when this is done, that you're actually going to have some feel for what the whole Rail Trail will be about," Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said during the groundbreaking ceremony. "This is also going to be a wonderful demonstration of what the power of these trails has to bring us together."

A new website for the Rail Trail was also introduced. They say it will allow you to track the progress of the project. Below is the link to the website along with nice renderings of the Rail Trail that are posted in the site's gallery. I again hope these are the actual plans for what's going to be built that are depicted in the renderings, because I love what's shown!

https://abqrailtrail.org/

























I tried to arrange the renderings in a linear fashion following the trail as it goes from the Sawmill Area and Old Town towards Downtown Albuquerque. The first rendering depicts what they are calling the Roadrunner Pavilion, which looks like it's set in a park/greenspace just northwest of the Sawmill Crossing development/subdivision.

This is the structure that I love so much and which I think is supposed to look like the legs of a Roadrunner moving quickly in a circle, sort of like on the New Mexico Lottery's logo.

The third rendering looks like it's the portion of the trail as it nears Mountain Road, with Tiguex Park in the distance. Again, with some awesome structures surrounding it.

As you get towards the other end there are two renderings that seem to depict the area next to the convention center and the Marquette at-grade crossing, with the overpass visible as well. This area looks like it will have a neat art piece depicting a giant goathead sticker, which I love and which goes well with the neon tumbleweed at the Central Crossing.

I just love all of this, I really hope it comes out this well and as depicted. This really shows what our city is capable of when we allow ourselves to do big and great things!

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News reported yesterday morning about a fun project that will transform the clock tower at the Alvarado Transportation Center into a working cuckoo clock.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Artist will turn Alvarado tower into giant cuckoo clock

After many years looming large over the corner of Central and First, the Alvarado Transit Center clock tower has become something of a local icon. But it is about to take a serious turn for the whimsical: The city has commissioned an artist to add forest-themed accents, new clock hands, and doors that open periodically to reveal singing birds. The Downtown core, in short, will soon be home to a giant cuckoo clock.

"I saw that clock tower … and I thought, gee, that would be perfect," said Evelyn Rosenberg, the artist in question.

The project is set to take advantage of two sets of three small windows located immediately below the clockface and on the two top layers of the tower. The birds will go in the top windows behind their automatic doors, and while the exact species have not yet been selected, Rosenberg said a roadrunner will definitely be one of them. The details of the chirping/singing routine have likewise not been sorted out yet, but it looks to involve some kind of hourly appearance, except overnight and in cases of inclement weather. The bottom set of windows will accentuate the vibe with a (non-mechanical) forest scene.

The state of the tower's interior, meanwhile, is making the retrofit easier: "It's completely empty," Rosenberg said.

The plan is to 3-D print the birds and to make the doors with a technique Rosenberg developed called detonography, which involves arranging explosive materials over metal and then setting them off. The resulting blast quickly forces the metal against a clay mold, which gives the piece some of its detail. Other objects can also be inserted into the mix and the explosions wind up essentially printing them onto the metal.

The city's Arts Board signed off on the project - called "Albuquerque Cuckoo" - in July, and final approval from the city administration came soon after that. Once the contract is signed, Rosenberg will have up to a year to complete the artwork, which has a budget of $97,000.

Sherri Brueggemann, the manager of the city's Public Art Urban Enhancement Division, said she does not anticipate that construction will have any impact on people using the transit center.

The idea for the project originated at a CNM class Rosenberg attended at the nearby Fuse Makerspace (DAN, 6/1/23). Focused on the confluence of art and the internet of things, the class was designed for artists who might contribute something to the ambiance of the forthcoming Rail Trail. The instructor, Brian Rashap, is now handling the technical side of the project.

"Hopefully," Rosenberg said, "this will be part of reviving the area."

The final street fair of the summer will also take place this weekend at the Alvarado Transportation Center. This is a new monthly event that the city introduced this summer at the ATC and which I hope will continue next year and beyond.

https://x.com/abqride/status/1828885481125261367







Here are a few more nice recent pics of the completed mural on the east side of the Arrive Hotel structure from posters on Instagram. I just love the first pic with Ex Novo in the foreground, it's so moody!

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-o5o_CRiqt/





https://www.instagram.com/p/C-wPW9du3SC/



Here also are a few recent pics of the new mural on the west side of Alvarado Square, which is nearing completion. The last two pics are from the beginning of the week and show that they are now painting the smaller portion of the mural on the other angle of the wall.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C-ebNCWucak/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C_JIiyvN-nW/





The Albuquerque Journal earlier this week had a story about 516 Arts and its new executive director and the plans for its new space Downtown. Unfortunately, like other recent stories, they also don't bother to ask about what happened to the Sawmill Arts Center plans. They do give a few more details about the cost and size of the new downtown space, however. They also say that the existing space on Central Avenue will be sold after they move to the former Warehouse 508 space on 1st Street.

https://www.abqjournal.com/lifestyle...662b06458.html

April Chalay learned weaving, knitting and embroidery at her grandmother’s feet in small-town Illinois.

After a national search, the fiber artist was chosen as the new executive director of 516 Arts, Albuquerque’s non-collecting contemporary art museum. Chalay arrived as interim director upon 516 founder Suzanne Sbarge’s departure in October 2023.

“We couldn’t have put 516 Arts on a better track than with April Chalay as our new executive director,” said governing board chair Tim Price. “She did an amazing job carrying the organization through a transition period of the past year. We are fortunate to have the depth of her operational skills and her passionate vision to help us grow our impact on the broader arts community and in making a new and expanded space a reality.”

Chalay will lead the nonprofit arts organization as it expands into an old warehouse space at 508 First St. NW with the help of the city of Albuquerque. The new home offers 16,000 square feet of space compared to 5,000 at its current location.

“We need room to grow,” Chalay said. “We’re going to move for expanded exhibition space and also artist studios. We know that’s what this community needs. We would like to provide a space for that lively activity to take place.

“The city wants us in October 2025,” Chalay continued, adding the date is flexible. “We meet with the architects every week. We’ll play it by ear.”

The city and state are contributing more than $5 million to the effort, while 516 will fund the operating costs.

The current location at 516 Central Ave. SW will eventually be sold.

“Of course, we would love it to stay as an arts and culture location,” Chalay said.

Chalay earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fiber and material studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also holds a certificate in human resources management from Cornell University.

She came to New Mexico in 2014 as the operations director of the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center, then moved to deputy director of Santa Fe’s Center for Contemporary Art. She fell in love with nonprofit arts organizations.

“I love how collaborative it is,” she said. “People understand what you have, what your resources are and what your mission is.”

516 Arts will remain a non-collecting organization.

“When you become a space that has to store, market and catalog, that’s something very different,” Chalay said. “We are the place where you can be radical and experimental. We get to host it and provide conversations in the community”

The Downtown ABQ MainStreet Arts & Cultural District posted an invitation to a meeting next week at the Harwood Arts Center for the proposed Artspace project. They say it will be to "further investigate the project's feasibility, engage with key stakeholders, and outline the next steps"

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_RCx0CtFVV/

[ABQalex]

Here's another story by KRQE yesterday about the plans to transform the clock tower at the Alvarado Transportation Center into a working cuckoo clock.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...r-clock-tower/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A focal point in downtown Albuquerque is about to turn into something unexpected, a clocktower with feathers and even bird sounds. A local artist behind the project hopes the project will bring the Alvarado Transit Center clock tower back to life. She believes it will help revive downtown and bring some new charm. “So, I thought this would be the time to bring it back to life,” said Evelyn Rosenberg, Albuquerque-based artist.

Rosenberg is leading the team now transforming the Alvarado Transportation Center clock tower into something unexpected. “I saw that tower which had these little niches perfect for a cuckoo clock,” said Rosenberg.

It’s an idea that stemmed from a final project proposal in a CNM class focused on using technology in art. “The artist conceived of it during her class and she just wanted to bring some joy and a little bit of humor to the clock tower because a lot of people come through Central Ave.,” said Sherri Brueggemann, Public Art Division Manager for the City of Albuquerque.

The Downtown Cuckoo Clock will include birds in the slots at the top of the tower. Each one of those birds chirps with its own unique sound and, one of them the artist said will of course be a roadrunner.

“And they would come out in sequence first one, then two, then three. Then one then two then three. And the doors would be made by my technique which I’ve developed called detenography,” said Rosenberg.

The technique, which Rosenberg has used on art throughout New Mexico, uses explosives to mold metal into shape. She helped make the scales of justice outside Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court.

The cuckoo clock project will transform the transit center, a building that’s an homage to an old Albuquerque landmark. “The architecture is based on the old Alvarado hotel which used to be there and was torn down and had these little towers on the end,” said Rosenberg.

The goal is to get the project done within the next year. The crew that will be building out the project is still being finalized. They’re hope is it will be done in time for the Route 66 Centennial next year.

The project is being paid for with $97,000 in funding earmarked only for public art generated through the city’s 1.5% for the Arts Fund.

The clock tower of the ATC is based upon the original, taller tower of the Albuquerque train depot as it was built in 1902, along with the rest of the Alvarado Hotel complex. Over the years this tower was shortened and altered until it became the final squat tower that surmounted the Albuquerque depot when it burned down in 1993. A shorter and modified version of the original tower is also what was built above the new Amtrak/Greyhound station when the Alvarado Transportation Center was built in the early 2000s. Below are a few pics showing the progression of the old depot's tower.

(early 1900s, shortly after it was built and as it originally appeared)



(circa-1930s, about a decade after the first shortening of the structure)



(late-1960s, shortly before the Alvarado Hotel was torn down)



(early 1990s, shortly before the old depot burned down)



(mid-2010s, about 15 years after the ATC was built and showing how the train/bus station tower appears today)



As you can see, the ATC's clock tower more closely approximates the original depot tower in height and design. Below are a couple of more recent pics posted on Google showing the Amtrak and Greyhound station as it appears today. Notice that the tower was moved to face the entry court and street side, instead of the track side of the original depot tower.

[ABQalex]

Below is a story posted today by Fortune online about Roadrunner Venture Studios and its efforts to create a startup ecosystem in Albuquerque, part of a larger effort across the country. The story also mentions the recent investment of $50 million into the effort by the State Investment Council, $20 million specifically for the local studio. Roadrunner is headquartered in a renovated old warehouse in the Innovation District of Downtown Albuquerque.

https://fortune.com/2024/09/04/new-m...s-albuquerque/

In downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, Adam Hammer is showing me around the building of his newly-launched venture shop, called Roadrunner Venture Studios—an old mattress factory turned open-air office space where he hopes he can convince scientists, engineers, and deep-tech founders to come and build companies.

Hammer walks me over to a wall to the left of the front door—pointing to a graphic of technologies or companies that had their roots right there in New Mexico, but then moved elsewhere once they started to scale. Microsoft is the prominent example: Bill Gates and Paul Allen started building their first microcomputer software in Albuquerque before they moved the company to Bellevue, Wash. so they could be closer to the West Coast’s talent pool.

“What we’re trying to do is continue a legacy here in New Mexico of bold ideas— imaginative people,” Hammer says. This time around—he’s hoping his team can convince founders to stay.

Roadrunner Venture Studios is the first venture studio spinoff of America’s Frontier Fund (AFF), the venture capital arm of the policy and education-focused non-profit that is funded by the likes of Mark Cuban, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel. Roadrunner is the first of a series of studios AFF plans to scatter across the country, with the intention of helping scientists or researchers from national, university, or corporate laboratories get capital, recruiting help, and the resources they need to turn their work into viable commercial products. Behind it all is a mission to ensure that the U.S. continues to be dominant in innovation.

Albuquerque is where things will start—in part because of its proximity to Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Lab, the Air Force Research Lab, and the University of New Mexico. But also because the state’s sovereign wealth fund, the New Mexico State Investment Council, two weeks ago agreed to invest $50 million as an anchor check into Roadrunner’s first venture capital fund, approximately $20 million of which will go directly into Roadrunner itself. The sovereign wealth fund, which just started making venture capital investments a few years ago and has invested in deep tech-focused funds like Lux Capital, Playground Global, and Anzu Partners, has asked these funds in limited partner agreements to at least look at companies based in New Mexico. In the case of Roadrunner, it’s asking the studio to build companies in New Mexico.

“I obviously wanted it to start here, and was willing to anchor the fund to make sure that occurred,” says Chris Cassidy, who oversees the private equity investments of New Mexico’s sovereign wealth fund.

The premise of Roadrunner is to bridge the gap—what Hammer calls the “valley of death”—between the technology being invented and funded in laboratories in New Mexico and elsewhere, and turning the projects into commercially viable companies. Right now, Roadrunner is working with labs like Nokia Bell Labs, the University of Michigan, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Roadrunner’s new general partner, Mike Mettler, who is joining Roadrunner as part of this new fund, was out at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California last week, Hammer says, meeting directly with scientists and assessing which ideas might be ready for company creation. Hammer is hoping to get various stakeholders on the same page, from local municipalities and state governments to other venture capital firms. He touts Hydrosonics, one of the studio’s first three companies, which is building electrolysis technologies to enable affordable hydrogen fuel. Hydrosonics’ founder, Dr. Luis Chavez, had been a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory before starting a company with Roadrunner last year.

“We met Luis in one of our scouting trips,” Hammer says, explaining how Chavez moved to Albuquerque, set up shop here and within a year had raised approximately $875,000 in venture capital as well as non-dilutive funding from the Economic Development Department.

Gilman Louie, the CEO of America’s Frontier Fund who formerly ran the CIA-funded investment firm In-Q-Tel, says that Roadrunner Venture Studios is part of the investment side of AFF’s business, and that there is “no crossover” and “no financial interest” between its non-profit donors, including Schmidt, Thiel, or Cuban. “All of our philanthropy is kept separate from all of our for-profit activities,” he says, noting that Roadrunner will be squarely focused on working with scientists who need capital.

The problem with any kind of new studio or venture capital firm is that it can take a long time—sometimes a decade—to actually deliver meaningful results or returns. In the near term, SIC’s Cassidy will be monitoring how many companies and how much talent moves to Albuquerque as a result of Roadrunner and is hopeful that Albuquerque, with its renowned Christmas chile sauce and more affordable real estate, can have a startup scene that takes off—and sticks around—too.

“What we’re trying to do is build this center of gravity here,” Hammer says.

Here's a link and introductory quote to a piece by KRQE about an event that Roadrunner held today across the tracks at the Wool Warehouse.

https://www.krqe.com/news/community/...ech-companies/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Roadrunner Venture Studios transforms deep tech into new companies. The company is holding its second annual deep tech conference September 4 at the Wool Warehouse Theater in downtown Albuquerque.

The conference features top entrepreneurs, investors and researchers who will be on site and discussing trends and advances in technology, with a focus on innovation and commercialization. Roadrunner Venture Studios seeks to identify, develop and invest in deep tech companies. For more information on Roadrunner Venture and to connect with them, click here.

Here's a pic of the event which the city's Economic Development Department posted today. Mayor Keller attended and spoke at the event.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/city-...09514241-k7kj/



A kickoff event for the Roadrunner Technology Forum was held in Roadrunner's own gathering space yesterday as well. A new roadrunner mural by a local artist on one of its walls was unveiled during the event.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/micha...30383872-iHiV/







The sign that went up for Roadrunner Venture Studios is originally from Gallup and part of the Garcia family's neon sign collection that they have stored and displayed throughout Glorieta Station. As they said, the name fit and so they decided to use it for this new operation in their redevelopment project. It received a slight bit of touch ups and restoration work in preparation for displaying it in front of the structure.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0P4XA6PL3F/



Here are some pics of Roadrunner Venture Studios' new space that was completed late last year as part of the Glorieta Station redevelopment project. The first two pics are of the ribbon-cutting ceremony which took place at twilight back in December.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kzbla...74980354-Z4vv/

[ABQalex]

Another company located in the Innovation District, on the ground-floor of the Lobo Rainforest Building, looks like it is getting ready to expand its presence in Albuquerque. General Atomics has occupied its 1,800 sq ft space since shorty after the structure first opened back in August of 2017.

https://www.ga.com/general-atomics-o...orts-in-region

A building permit was issued last week to them for a project to renovate an existing 12,000 sq ft industrial structure located at the mouth of Tijeras Canyon on the city's east side. The permit is one of three for the renovation work. I'm uncertain whether General Atomics will keep its office in the Lobo Rainforest building or if they will move entirely to this new space. But hopefully this might mean an increase in its local workforce at least.

https://posse.cabq.gov/posse/pub/lms...ctId=188244297

https://posse.cabq.gov/posse/pub/lms...ctId=191375108

https://posse.cabq.gov/posse/pub/lms...ctId=191375878

The new General Atomics structure is the one farthest to the left in the third pic below, located at 14820 Central Avenue SE.

https://www.loopnet.com/portfolio-pr...ue-NM/6562059/







Here's another pic of the location looking the opposite direction. I've always thought that these structures are an unfortunate blight on the mostly pristine, picturesque and charming environment of Tijeras Canyon. I've always thought that it's bizarre we went to great lengths to preserve most of the Foothills from such development but this area at the eastern entrance to our city was spoiled this way. But hey, at least the buildings look to be productive in their use and reuse.

https://www.crexi.com/lease/properti...800-central-se

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque City Council tonight passed the redevelopment tax abatement requests for all four projects that were before them. That includes the Park Central redevelopment project in the shorter tower at San Mateo and Central.

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-g...er-developers/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque City Council passed a tax break for developers looking to transform one of the vacant towers on San Mateo and Central Ave. into affordable housing. The tower used to be an office building.

Here's another nice rendering of the Park Central project that was included in last month's email newsletter from the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. It shows the view looking toward the southeast from San Mateo and Copper. You can also see the proposed mural that's part of the project and located next to the new pool area.

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News reported yesterday morning about a new restaurant and wine bar that's planned for EDo in the former 2Gs Bistro space at 414 Central Avenue SE. The couple behind the project are aiming to open Wolf N' Swallow this fall, as early as next month.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

New restaurant/wine bar coming to EDo

He home-delivered his charcuterie boards during the pandemic, plans to offer caviar, puts a piece of honeycomb on dessert cheese plates, and builds menus on the fly while shopping for ingredients. She studied sculpture at Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts, just returned from doing hair on a movie set in Ireland, and has taken a deep dive into the world of wine. Together, the husband-and-wife team of Ryan Houlihan and Jennifer Jane are aiming to open Wolf N' Swallow, a restaurant and wine bar, this fall in the former 2G's Bistro at Central and Edith.

"We're trying to find a happy medium between fine dining and casual cafe," Houlihan said. "I don't want it to be white linens, but I still want it to be an experience."

Since the couple moved to Albuquerque two years ago, Houlihan has been establishing himself as a chef by catering and cooking at pop-up food events and private parties under the Wolf N' Swallow name. He grew up working in restaurants and hotels, first in Michigan and then for some 15 years in New Orleans, arriving there just after 2005's Hurricane Katrina and leaving after 2021's Hurricane Ida gave him and Jane a strong hint that it was time to go.

When not laboring on far-flung movie sets, Jane has often worked alongside Houlihan. In Wolf N' Swallow's new digs, she will run the restaurant's front-of-house operation and take charge of all things wine, Houlihan said.

Jane's stint as an exchange student in France "pretty much started her love for wine," Houlihan added. She has schooled herself formally through Wine and Spirit Education Trust trainings while also seizing informal opportunities, like having dinner at a vineyard owner's home during a weekend getaway to Bordeaux from that Irish movie set.

"We recently took a trip from Washington state all the way down the Pacific coast to explore West Coast wines," he said. "Food and wine are two things that you never stop learning."

The bar will serve only wine at first, he said, but down the road they plan to apply for the relatively new state license that will allow them to serve spirits distilled in New Mexico.

Houlihan is ramping up to cook specials and prepare plenty of "small bits, things like roasted olives, almonds, a seasonal deviled egg, and Conservas (tinned fish) with fresh baked bread and house-made butter."

Meanwhile, renovation work is underway on the building, and there's plenty left to do, Houlihan said. A hood vent for the stove and some other restaurant essentials were already in place, but basics like plumbing and ADA accessibility needed lots of attention. When feeling optimistic, he projects an October grand opening.

While the suitability of the building is what brought Wolf N' Swallow to EDo, Houlihan said, the surrounding neighborhood looks to him like a promising place to do business. He likes the collection of nearby restaurants and the newly reopened Imperial Motel.

"It's an area that's ripe for becoming a little walkable food and entertainment venue," he said.

Here are few pics of the space from reviews of the former 2G's Bistro on Yelp. As you can see, it occupies and is part of a complex of two former historic homes on Central Avenue that are sandwiched between the newer Arno Lofts structure and the older commercial structure where the venerable Artichoke Cafe is located.

There is also a nice little patio/outdoor dining space in the back of the two structures and surrounded by other structures that is somewhat reminiscent of the hidden plazuelas/courtyards of Old Town. It even has a name like those Old Town plazuelas, Plaza Escalante.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/2gs-bistro-albuquerque-2

[ABQalex]

Another business to open recently in EDo is Heck Yeah Vintage, which opened back in June in the former Craft Hair Studio space at 512 Central Avenue SE.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C89nQO6uYU7/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Cn5ATpZSa/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C8ONjntOc1p/



Craft Hair Studio itself moved nearby to a structure that they renovated on Edith Boulevard just south of the Artichoke Cafe. They moved into the completed space at the beginning of the year and had their grand opening back in May. (Be sure to click the first two links below as they are short videos)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6l7ZVFrCLf/



https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3sdWfErocB/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Ko31dOq2i/



A small townhouse/apartment project was also recently completed in this immediate area, across the street from Craft Hair Studio. The former commercial structure at 500 Central Avenue SE was converted into four residential units.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmwYyVorf0i/?img_index=2





Here's the final plan by Homewise to replace the historic structure that they were renovating into apartments but which burned down last year. It will be replaced by six townhouse-style apartments. The structure is designed to look like a single family home along High Street, with the rest of the units extending to the west behind the front unit. It was approved by the Landmarks commission back in January.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...021-005685.pdf

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...H%201.5.23.pdf











This final plan comes after neighborhood opposition to their first plan. That first plan also had six units, but in more of a pure row setup that extended closer to the street. The neighbors objected to that, saying that the setback of other homes should be respected. That's despite the fact that the previous structure had a historic commercial addition that was built up to the sidewalk and broke up that setback for about 80 years.















There's hardly a consistent setback on this block particularly. The two homes on either side themselves are setback at slightly different lengths and the northern half of the block is occupied by a historic commercial structure that is also built up to the street and has a parking lot right at the corner of High Street and Central. But of course NIMBYs always have to find a reason to complain or have an issue with a completely sensible and desirable plan. Either way, I'm glad it looks like something will replace the old structure soon!







Here's a pic and link to a recent post on Twitter which caused a bit of wonder and speculation as to whether a new tenant might be coming to the former Milton's/Gravy/Whole Hog Cafe space that is such a prominent fixture in EDo. Alas, it seems the new sign is just for a film shoot taking place in the empty structure. This was confirmed in the comment thread for the post. But it sparked hopes and dreams, at least for a moment, of a new tenant in the mid-century modern/googie landmark.

https://twitter.com/AlbuquerqueTurk/...44580645409084







Finally, here are a few nice pics of the area that have been posted recently on Instagram and LinkedIn that I thought I'd take this opportunity to share. The first is a pic of Highland Park with the Albuquerque Press Club structure beyond. The second pic is from the Press Club's balcony overlooking Downtown Albuquerque. You can spot the grand historic home that's next to where the new Homewise project will be built. The next two pics are from the Hotel Parq Central's rooftop lounge. The last pic is an awesome view down Central Avenue with EDo in the foreground and Downtown proper beyond.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...6288334700545/





https://www.instagram.com/p/C-TkQa2S6ZO/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C-vCrbtOvKt/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C8xtPs0PVBN/

[ABQalex]

Here's a bit of an update on the Sunday Bagels location in the former Cafe Laurel structure on Central Avenue in West Downtown. They posted yesterday on their Instagram that they've moved into the space now that the kitchen is operational to help with their mobile operation.

They are still working on the dining area and other details before they are able to open for the public. The post included a few pics and short video of the space and the work being done currently, including putting lettering on the windows, etc.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_mAl4lSIjJ/

[ABQalex]

Here are some great pics of the new Ex Novo location in Downtown Albuquerque that Mattophoto posted yesterday on his LinkedIn account. The pics include an awesome aerial pic of the project that I've been hoping somebody would capture and share. I'll include one of the renderings from a similar perspective to compare with the built result. You can also see that they are continuing to put the finishing touches on the interior (with new lettering on the walls) and also putting things like awnings and lettering on the cafe and deli side of the structure. It's all coming together quite nicely!

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...6967424507905/























I hope they'll eventually put a new sign up on the old Firestone sign post that's above the western end of the structure. I have an idea/image in my mind of a scoreboard-type sign with "Ex Novo" in big, bold letters above "Brewing Company" in smaller letters at the bottom. They'd be done up in black-painted metal with white translucent material that lights up at night, similar to the existing lettering/sign above the eastern entrance, only in the inverse.



Perhaps the city could help them with a grant from the Route 66 sign restoration program to get this done!

[vetteking]

Originally Posted by ABQalex

The Albuquerque City Council tonight passed the redevelopment tax abatement requests for all four projects that were before them. That includes the Park Central redevelopment project in the shorter tower at San Mateo and Central.

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-g...er-developers/





Here's another nice rendering of the Park Central project that was included in last month's email newsletter from the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. It shows the view looking toward the southeast from San Mateo and Copper. You can also see the proposed mural that's part of the project and located next to the new pool area.

That rendering looks nice love when old buildings are renovated to something special

[ABQalex]

Originally Posted by vetteking

That rendering looks nice love when old buildings are renovated to something special

Yes, I really hope it comes to fruition as depicted! This is one of the most exciting and transformational things to come along in Albuquerque, certainly in this particular area of town. The building has an interesting history as one of the original offices for Microsoft when it was founded here back in 1975. They occupied the structure for a couple of years back in the late 1970s, shortly after it was built. I hope this transformation will only add to that interesting history in the years ahead!

Here's Bill Gates' Microsoft business card from this period when they were headquartered in the structure.



And here's a newspaper clipping from May 18, 1975 in the Albuquerque Journal as the building was nearing completion.



This was only about a month after Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975 and originally headquartered nearby at California Street and Linn Avenue NE.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Microsoft



The Two Park Central Tower will be 50 years old next year. I really hope this conversion will be underway by then to mark the occasion and usher in a new era for the structure as Park Central in its next fifty years and beyond!

[ABQalex]

The city officially unveiled the plans today for the display of the USS Albuquerque's sail at Tingley Beach. It will be a memorial/monument to the vessel and those who served on it for the 34 years that it was in service. The estimated cost of the display is $5.4 million and the city is seeking donations to help pay for it. The announcement was made during Navy Week in Albuquerque, which kicked off today.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...tingley-beach/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The city is planning a memorial to honor its namesake naval ship.

The sail of the U.S.S. Albuquerque will eventually be on display at Tingley Beach. The nuclear submarine was decommissioned in 2017 after more than two decades in service.

“It’s fitting that Albuquerque will be the final harbor for this historic sub, with a memorial honoring this vessel and the crews who sailed in its 34 years of service,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This project has been years in the making and is a testament to this city’s commitment to honoring our veterans and preserving our history for future generations.”

The ship sat in a Washington shipyard for years before it was moved to Kirtland Air Force Base, then to a local steel company to rebuild it.

The unveiling of the plans comes as the city marks Navy Week, highlighting its role in national security and the sailors who served.

“As the 47th state, landlocked with no navigable water path to the ocean, it is pretty cool that New Mexico has such a robust representation with US Naval history, almost thirty naval ships, boats, and tugs have linkage to our state,” said Historian and Navy League of the US New Mexico Council Member Greg Trapp. “It is appropriate for the City of Albuquerque to showcase New Mexico’s continued devotion to the US Navy by creating the USS Albuquerque Memorial, with the USS Albuquerque sail as the centerpiece.”

The city plans to get feedback from residents on the plans in the coming weeks.

https://www.cabq.gov/parksandrecreat...-tingley-beach

City unveils site concept plan for memorial.

September 09, 2024

The City along with the U.S. Navy, the Navy League New Mexico Council, and other partners unveiled a draft concept plan for a USS Albuquerque memorial to kick off Navy Week in Albuquerque. Named after the city, the USS Albuquerque is a nuclear submarine decommissioned in 2017. The sail from the USS vessel, which is currently in three pieces, was recently moved from storage at Kirtland Air Force Base to Pascetti Steel, where it will be restored and prepared for reassembly. The City has developed a draft concept plan to build the USS Albuquerque memorial at Tingley Beach.

“My piece of this was commanding Albuquerque from 2002 to 2005,” said Admiral Stuart Munsch. “We were known back then for our competency, innovation, and our toughness and I’d like to think that we took that from the character of the City, here in Albuquerque.”

The draft concept plan for the USS Albuquerque memorial, prepared by PLAND Collaborative, proposes to install the sail in the western-most pond at Tingley Beach. The sail will be framed with bow and stern (rudder) indicators to depict the full length of the sub, and a simulated bow wave will create action/movement. The site plan also includes plazas that will depict the sub’s service in the five oceans of the world, educational exhibits, parking lot improvements, and a restroom. The estimated cost of the entire project is $5.4 million.

“It’s fitting that Albuquerque will be the final harbor for this historic sub, with a memorial honoring this vessel and the crews who sailed in its 34 years of service,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This project has been years in the making and is a testament to this city’s commitment to honoring our veterans and preserving our history for future generations.”

“As the 47th state, landlocked with no navigable water path to the ocean, it is pretty cool that New Mexico has such a robust representation with US Naval history, almost thirty naval ships, boats, and tugs have linkage to our state,” said Historian and Navy League of the US New Mexico Council member Greg Trapp. “It is appropriate for the City of Albuquerque to showcase New Mexico's continued devotion to the US Navy by creating the USS Albuquerque Memorial, with the USS Albuquerque sail as the centerpiece.”

The Navy League New Mexico Council will be showing off their scale model of the USS Albuquerque and exhibiting the draft site concept plan at the New Mexico State Fair this week.

The metal restoration work on the sail by Pascetti Steel will take several months. Over the next few weeks, the City will solicit public input on the draft concept plan, which will include meetings with nearby neighborhoods and other stakeholders.

The public can contribute to the USS Albuquerque memorial project by making a donation at: onealbuquerquefund.org

The public can also submit feedback. For more information on the project, see: ussalbuquerque.org

Here's a Journal article with more details about Navy Week in Albuquerque, which included today's unveiling of the display and monument to the USS Albuquerque. A former commander of the USS Albuquerque is serving in a leadership role for the events and was a featured speaker and guest at today's announcement. At the end of the story they also feature a local retired naval officer who served on the USS Albuquerque and is the head of the sail committee.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/anch...808c3ca67.html

Home port for USS Desert Ship (LLS-1) is New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range.

Yeah, that’s right. It’s awash in sand.

The ship’s LLS-1 designation stands for Land-Locked Ship-1.

“Well, it’s not actually a ship,” said Greg Trapp, historian for the New Mexico Council of the Navy League of the United States, a nonprofit, civilian educational and advocacy organization.

Trapp said Desert Ship, constructed in the 1950s, is a concrete-block test platform with the characteristics of a naval warship.

Before new missiles or gunnery systems are put on Navy ships, they are tested on Desert Ship, operated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center at White Sands. The Navy has been at White Sands since 1946.

“New Mexico is very much entwined with the Navy,” Trapp said. “People don’t realize that because we are a landlocked state. But we are a maritime nation.”

The Navy’s presence will be more pronounced than usual in Albuquerque this week, which is Navy Week in the city. More than 50 sailors from across the country will be here Monday through Sunday to take part in education and outreach programs.

Adm. Stuart Munsch, who was commander of the submarine USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) from 2002 to 2005, is serving as senior executive for Navy Week in Albuquerque. During a recent Zoom interview from his duty post in Naples, Italy, Munsch said he has visited the city about six times.

“One of the really rewarding experiences in commanding the Albuquerque was the relationship with the namesake city,” he said. “Terri Cole, who is still CEO of the (Greater Albuquerque) Chamber of Commerce, brought together the business community, the government and education communities, different cultural organizations and even the Isotopes baseball team, all to support the submarine and the crew.”

The hardest things

Navy Week, initiated in 2005, is the Navy’s main effort to tell its story in areas not generally associated with seagoing services, places not near the ocean.

Munsch, who grew up in North Dakota, can appreciate that.

“North Dakota is the geographic center of North America, so you can’t be in North America and have grown up farther from an ocean than I did,” he said.

“The purpose of these Navy Weeks in the interior cities in the country, such as Albuquerque, is for folks to learn what we do to defend and deter against aggression that might happen against the U.S. and how we maintain peace and prosperity for America.

“And it’s also an opportunity for young people to learn about the challenges and opportunities that we can give them to help develop themselves.”

Navy Weeks were not around when Munsch was a youngster, but he could almost be a poster boy for the kind of success the Navy can offer those willing to work hard.

Oakes, North Dakota, where Munsch attended junior high and high school, is a town of about 1,700. But he went from that small place to the U.S. Naval Academy.

“I was into doing the hardest things you can do,” Munsch said. “And I thought going to a service academy would be harder than going to a regular university. I did research and the Naval Academy was always ranked higher in U.S. News and World Report than the others.”

He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1985 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering.

Then he was selected for a Rhodes Scholarship and attended England’s Oxford University, where he earned a bachelor of arts and a masters of arts in philosophy, politics and economics.

“Oxford opened up my perspective a great deal by giving me the time to study widely and get exposed to things you might not get exposed to in a small town in North Dakota,” he said. “It taught me how to reason for myself and argue effectively.”

Now, he is Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Africa/Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Naples.

What we do

Navy Weeks take place in up to 15 cities a year. The program last visited Albuquerque two years ago.

In Albuquerque this week, sailors will engage with high school students, participate in community efforts at Roadrunner Foodbank and Habitat for Humanity, make themselves available for discussion of the Navy’s mission during visits to the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, the New Mexico State Fair and downtown Albuquerque.

Navy Band Southwest will offer free musical performances at various venues throughout the week.

“Something I learned when I was commanding the USS Albuquerque is how important it is for the sailors to have an opportunity to interact with the general public,” Munsch said. “That acts as a strong reminder about why we do what we do — because they’ll get asked those questions. Usually, there’ll be some very positive feedback from folks, and that becomes a motivator for the work that we do. And that improves the performance of the command.”

A high point of Navy Week in Albuquerque this year is a presentation outlining plans for a monument honoring the submarine USS Albuquerque and its crews during more than 30 years of service. Mayor Tim Keller and Munsch will be among the speakers at the program, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Monday at Pascetti Steel Design, 2114 Claremont NE.

Between the time it entered into active Navy service in May 1983 and it was decommissioned in February 2017, the USS Albuquerque, an attack submarine nearly 362 feet in length, chalked up 500,000 nautical miles during 19 deployments.

It was dismantled at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, but the City of Albuquerque’s Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, the Parks and Recreation Department and the New Mexico Council of NLUS joined forces to save the submarine’s sail (tower mounted on a sub’s topside) for use as a monument.

Various pieces of the sail were delivered to Kirtland Air Force Base in February 2023 and stored there until they were moved to Pascetti Steel Design.

When put back together, the sail will weigh 52 tons and stand 19 feet tall.

Awesome boat

Lawrence Edwards, a 1980 Cibola High graduate who served on the USS Albuquerque, is chairman of New Mexico Council of NLUS’ USS Albuquerque Sail Committee.

“I’m so glad the city took this (the USS Albuquerque monument) on and I can cheerlead for it,” Edwards said. “I was actually at the Puget Sound Shipyard when the Albuquerque came in for decommissioning. It was pretty sad. I had put a lot of work into her overhaul (in 2001-2003).”

Edwards joined the Navy in 1982 as a member of the enlisted ranks but rose to the rank of chief petty officer in 1994 and was commissioned an officer in 1998.

He was with the USS Albuquerque during its refueling overhaul 2001 to 2003 at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Munsch took command of the sub in the midst of that overhaul.

“I would brief Adm. Munsch every morning on what was coming up and on what we had accomplished the night before,” Edwards said. “We completed the refueling overhaul in 22.3 months and came in $16 million under budget.” The USS Albuquerque was commended for its historically swift and cost effective overhaul operation.

“She was an awesome boat,” Edwards said of the Albuquerque. “And she had an awesome crew.”

After retiring from the Navy in 2008, Edwards worked 11 years for the Puget Sound Shipyard, which is why he was there when the Albuquerque arrived for decommissioning.

More recently he has been living and substitute teaching in Edgewood, when he’s not pulling his Airstream trailer to national parks throughout the country.

But he’s in Albuquerque for Navy week and eager to attend as many events as he can, especially Monday’s program about the USS Albuquerque monument.

“I think Navy Week really highlights New Mexico’s commitment to the Navy,” he said. “And I think the (USS Albuquerque) memorial is like the cherry on top, showing the city’s concern for the submarine and its crew.

“It’s nice to be back home and see that support.”

Here are some pics of the sail components being moved from storage at Kirtland Air Force Base to Pascetti Steel's facility in Midtown Albuquerque for restoration and fabrication to reassemble its components for the display.

https://www.facebook.com/brian.perea...JpJCsJezxvMPpl





















And here's an awesome pic of the USS Albuquerque surfacing in the Atlantic Ocean that was recently posted on Facebook. I'm so glad that the display/memorial will mimic and evoke this!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/subm...12944845545447



Edit: Here are some of the renderings and site plan, as well as a pic of the model of the USS Albuquerque memorial/monument that were on display at yesterday's unveiling. They were posted this morning in a story by Downtown Albuquerque News. I've also included a pic and quote from the story of Admiral Stuart Munsch, who was a commander of the USS Albuquerque.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Admiral Stuart Munsch, who commanded the Albuquerque from 2002 to 2005, was on hand for yesterday's announcement and took a closer look at the sail's interior afterward. He told DAN that the memorial would mean a lot to those who served on the sub.

"It means it lives on," he said. "It'll be a destination for a lot of crew members."

[ABQalex]

Here are a few more nice pics of the new Australia exhibit's first phase at the Rio Grande Zoo. They were posted recently by Studio Southwest Architects on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...5098934484992/









As a bonus, here's a neat old post card with an aerial view of the Rio Grande Zoo and its entry area. It looks like it's from about the early to mid-1980s, shortly after the entry pavilion/pyramid was built.

[vetteking]

Originally Posted by ABQalex

Yes, I really hope it comes to fruition as depicted! This is one of the most exciting and transformational things to come along in Albuquerque, certainly in this particular area of town. The building has an interesting history as one of the original offices for Microsoft when it was founded here back in 1975. They occupied the structure for a couple of years back in the late 1970s, shortly after it was built. I hope this transformation will only add to that interesting history in the years ahead!

Here's Bill Gates' Microsoft business card from this period when they were headquartered in the structure.



And here's a newspaper clipping from May 18, 1975 in the Albuquerque Journal as the building was nearing completion.



This was only about a month after Microsoft was founded on April 4, 1975 and originally headquartered nearby at California Street and Linn Avenue NE.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Microsoft



The Two Park Central Tower will be 50 years old next year. I really hope this conversion will be underway by then to mark the occasion and usher in a new era for the structure as Park Central in its next fifty years and beyond!

Wow I had no idea that the original office for Microsoft was stationed in your community. Thats amazing. There is so much rich history in your community I must pick up an encyclopedia to learn more. Does Albuquerque have a height limit on new structures?

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News shared a pic this morning of a new sign for Ex Novo that has gone up on Central Avenue, utllizing the old Firestone sign post. It's not exactly what I had in mind, but it's still nice! We also get a close up view of the finishing touches for the Sammy's Cafe & Deli operation on that side of the structure.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

[ABQalex]

Originally Posted by vetteking

Wow I had no idea that the original office for Microsoft was stationed in your community. Thats amazing. There is so much rich history in your community I must pick up an encyclopedia to learn more. Does Albuquerque have a height limit on new structures?

Yes, there's a height limit under the Integrated Development Ordinance that was adopted citywide back in 2018. The IDO was a complete revamp of the city's zoning ordinances to follow a form-based code. I don't remember exactly the height limits, but outside of Downtown Albuquerque most structures can't exceed something like 180 feet by right in their zoning. Downtown Albuquerque has its own special zoning and the height limit is closer to 300 feet (I also can't remember exactly the height).

Anybody proposing to go higher than those limits would have to apply for a variance, which involves public meetings, and thus opens the door to intense opposition and a contentious process.

The IDO is updated on a regular basis and last year it was proposed to do away with height limits in the most intense zones throughout the city - the Downtown-specific zones and the MX zones, which are mixed-use corridors and urban centers identified throughout the city and which most of our growth and urban development is envisioned, encouraged and desired to be built.

Unfortunately, those changes to the IDO didn't pass and so those height limits are still in place. It's theoretically possible to build tall in Albuquerque, but it would face a lot of scrutiny and most likely, opposition. Downtown Albuquerque is really the only place in the city where that might not be the case and where substantial height is allowed by right currently.

The tallest building proposed in the city in recent years was the Symphony Tower, which would've been between 400 and 500 feet tall (an exact height was never given). It won the Skyline Competition RFP that was issued by our previous mayor in the last months of his term. The current mayor canceled the RFP when he came into office and so the project never advanced.

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News had a story earlier this week which makes it seem like the Downtown Growers Market Local Food Campus/Indoor Marketplace project may not happen at all. It comes in response to a reader inquiry about the status of the empty Cafe Oaxaca site.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Detective DAN: What's happening with the old Café Oaxaca property?

Alert Reader Laura writes in:

Walking to the Downtown Growers’ Market on a recent Saturday, I noticed someone trimming the grass that has sprung up in the cracks of the old Café Oaxaca lot at Central and Tenth. Then I noticed the "for sale" sign has disappeared. Do you know what is happening with that space?

The grand plan for the property (first announced two summers ago - DAN, 8/1/22) involved the Downtown Growers' Market and Three Sisters Kitchen buying it and building a local food shop, a café, a production kitchen, classroom space, and a pavilion. It was meant to be both a hub for local food entrepreneurship and an expansion of the popular market that would allow it to operate in some fashion all year long.

But the deal was still up in the air in March of 2023, when Lola Bird, who is spearheading the project for growers' market parent organization Downtown ABQ MainStreet, told the Downtown Neighborhoods Association that negotiations with the property owner had become a "really tricky situation."

Not much has changed since, and the two groups are still not in possession of the property, MainStreet Executive Director Danielle Schlobohm confirmed last month. While they have not given up on the idea, she added, the organizations are also working on other ways of reaching the goals of having a year-round market, promoting small business development, and offering locally grown groceries. Anyone looking to stay up to date on those to-be-announced plans can sign up for the growers' market newsletter here.

The former Café Oaxaca property is owned by Hil Davidson, who didn't return a message seeking comment for this story.

Another blow to this area came at the beginning of the year when the landmark Wash Tub Laundromat burned down. The owner had hoped to be able to rebuild and salvage what was left of the structure, but alas, he found that wasn't possible. The ruins of the structure were recently torn down. The owner does want to rebuild his business on the site but is having to sort through and finalize how much he will get from his insurance company before that's possible.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Wash Tub to be demolished, but the future use of property is still up in the air

Demolition of the former Wash Tub Laundromat (Eleventh and Central), which was destroyed in a large fire in February, is set to begin today, owner Hunter Greene told DAN. What comes after that, however, is still to be determined.

Greene said he would like to rebuild his popular business and has talked with an architect about it and researched replacement equipment. But he's still working with his insurance company on the matter and doesn't yet know if the payout will cover all the relevant costs.

"Because I'm underinsured, I'm trying to really understand all my choices," Greene said. "There's a lot of unknowns."

He added that he expects to have the insurance questions sorted and a clear set of options to choose from in the next month or so.

Even the cost of the demolition and the amount of time it will take is still up in the air, Greene said, but he decided to move forward anyway.

"There's one cost that the insurance company has in mind, and there's the actual cost. That's still undetermined," he said. "I'm sure there'll be some surprises."

In the decidedly negative experience of having his business burn up - plus the unexpectedly long process of dealing with the aftermath - Greene said he can at least identify one positive.

"The neighborhood has been very supportive," he said, "as has the city."

The February 18 fire started around 5 a.m. and quickly gutted the building, where greater Downtown residents had been doing their laundry for some 60 years. One neighbor estimated that flames reached 40 feet into the air, and 18 AFR units needed three hours to bring the blaze under control. Central Avenue traffic was diverted around the area for at least seven hours. Security camera footage from a nearby business showed that people sleeping next to the building appeared to have lit a campfire that then spread to the structure (DAN, 2/20/24).

The former Wash Tub Laundromat had gained fame after being used in various movies and TV shows that have been filmed in Albuquerque, including Breaking Bad.



Downtown Albuquerque News this morning also had a pic showing a new tattoo/coffee shop going into the structure immediately west of the former Wash Tub structure. It's another historic structure that was originally a service station and most recently a hair salon. Good Medicine Tattoo and Coffee is slated to open next month.

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1115...e-NM/30070299/







https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/



The pic above has a rainbow over the structure and DAN this morning also shared a pic that a reader sent in of a recent slight double rainbow over Downtown Albuquerque as viewed from Ex Novo's patio.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of the Homewise/Street Food Institute project in Barelas, which is nearing completion. They are from the website and Facebook page for the new facility, which is being called 4th and Barelas, for its location at 4th Street and Barelas Road SW.

The new facility will have a kitchen and teaching space for CNM's Street Food Institute as well as ground-floor commercial space that's envisioned will be filled by new businesses that are developed by students of the SFI. A paleta bar/ice cream shop is already scheduled to go into one of the commercial spaces.

The upstairs of the main building that is setback from the street is envisioned as studio space for artists and artisans. A new art gallery will also be going into the renovated existing structure on the site, which has long been home to art galleries. It will be called the FourteenFifteen Gallery, for its address.

https://www.4thandbarelas.com/

https://www.facebook.com/4thandBarelas/

















Here also are plans by Homewise to build a total of 16 for-sale units on three scattered sites in Barelas. This is a response to a city RFP for the parcels which Homewise won last year. The projects will include 9 traditional townhouse-style units along 2nd and 3rd streets, as well as 7 live-work style units on 4th Street.







Here's a pic of three townhomes that are going up in Barelas at 3rd Street and Stover Avenue SW on a formerly empty lot. It was posted last month by Downtown Albuquerque News.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/



The city’s Economic Development Department and Office of Neighborhood Coordination recently highlighted a ranking in which Barelas and the entire, larger South Broadway and South Valley areas were ranked as among the country's coolest Latino neighborhoods. Below is a link to that ranking and a quote of the write-up about Barelas and the South Valley.

https://x.com/CABQEconDev/status/1827043720111239503

https://www.timeout.com/usa/things-t...ghborhoods-usa

10. South Valley/Barelas | Albuquerque, NM

Spain’s colonial roots run deep in Albuquerque, where Spanish, Mexican, Native American and American cultures intersect. The neighborhood is home to the National Hispanic Cultural Center and the South Broadway Cultural Center, which present exhibitions, lectures, book readings, performing arts and educational programming where Hispanic, Chicano and Latino creators showcase their work. Here in South Valley/Barelas, you’ll find some of the state’s best New Mexican cuisine, including the enchiladas at Barelas Coffee House—a must when visiting the area.

Seeing that pic of the old Ruppe Drug Store and its sign makes me wish it was restored. It, along with the old Arrow Supermarket and old Royal Fork sign at the entrance to the neighborhood, could all use restoration and refurbishment.

The old Royal Fork sign especially has become iconic and a reminder of 4th Street's past glory. So many people take pictures of it. It was even the subject of a design charette a few years ago to come up with ideas to restore or improve it with new art that would complete the sign by replacing the missing or damaged panels.

https://www.roadarch.com/signs/nmabq.html



https://orphansigns.org/projects/royalfork





I think the city should help restore all these signs properly by extending the Route 66 sign rehabilitation grant program to 4th Street as well. As I'm sure many people know, 4th Street was the original alignment of Route 66 through Albuquerque until it was realigned along Central Avenue in the 1930s.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S....ges_in_routing

It then became part of US 85, another important US highway and the main north-south connection in New Mexico before I-25 came about. There are many structures and old signs from that era all along 4th Street. We should help acknowledge and improve those remnants from its history and showcase it along with Central Avenue for the upcoming Route 66 Centennial!

Albuquerque really has a great opportunity to create two rather nice urban axes along 4th Street and Central Avenue. How wonderful that they both share a history and heritage as being part of "America's Main Street" and "The Mother Road"

Below are a few pics of 4th Street and the cruises that often take place along this stretch in Barelas.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLHF8hr03-/



https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgxm700riJj/



https://www.instagram.com/p/CNjFsadBi07/

[ABQalex]

YES Housing is planning an interesting development in the South Valley at Rio Bravo Boulevard and 2nd Street SW. The development will be focused on an "agricultural aggregator" facility which they say will enable small, local farmers in the area to easily process, package and offer their products for sale.

The project will also include housing, both multifamily and single-family homes, open space and recreation areas, as well as commercial and mixed uses directly along Rio Bravo. Below is a story from Albuquerque Business First earlier this year when the Bernalillo County Commission approved a zone change for the project.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...riculture.html

The Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners on June 11 approved a proposal by YES Housing Inc. to grant a zoning change for a multi-use development project at the southwest corner of Rio Bravo Boulevard and Second Street.

The rezoning is for the site located at 450 and 410 Rio Bravo Blvd. SW, from heavy industrial (M-2) to Mountain View transit-oriented development (SD/MV-TOD). This change will facilitate the creation of affordable multifamily and single-family housing, retail spaces and community amenities in the area, Chris Baca, president and CEO of YesHousing Inc., said.

The proposal was passed 4-0 as part of the consent agenda. District 5 Commissioner Walt Benson was not present.

YES Housing Inc. currently owns 25 acres of the 97-acre site, and plans to purchase the remaining 72 acres from the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) to develop the multi-use project. Those initial 25 acres cost $2.7 million, Baca said.

ABCWUA Executive Director Mark Sanchez authorized Baca to pursue the zoning amendment on March 13, he added.

"[The location] already has more than enough of M-2, and we'd like to develop what we call an agri-hood," Baca said. "It's a new term, but it really is centered around keeping the agricultural nature of the property while bringing in other uses as well. So one of the first things we'll do is move in an agricultural hub that will serve the small farmers in the area where they can process their produce, package and then take to market."

Since the zoning amendment was approved, Baca and his team will now shift gears to develop a master plan for the site, he said. Baca anticipates construction to begin by the first or second quarter of 2025, should he receive all approvals necessary to begin development, he added.

"[The plan is to turn the site] into a more community-friendly use while still addressing some of the need for housing, the need to preserve agriculture land and the [the need] to keep as much of [the site] green as possible so that [we can] mitigate some of the industrial uses around it," Baca said.

Here also are an early site plan for the entire development, as well as renderings of the aggregator facility itself, which are visionary in nature. They were posted by the project architects and the founder of YES Housing on LinkedIn recently. The project is named Aldea del Rio.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...2938823327744/



https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...9799403114497/









https://www.linkedin.com/m/feed/upda...4395339689984/











For the agricultural aggregator they will be partnering with the Agri-Cultura Network, which is a cooperative of over 70 small farmers in the South Valley and throughout the state.

https://www.agri-cultura.org/