Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

KRQE has a story about the Route 66 sign grant program. They update the progress on the 14 signs that received grants to help restore or improve their looks. They have photos and renderings of each of the signs. I'll embed just a few of the progress pics, but be sure to click the link to see all the pics and renderings!

I'm also gonna include the nice pic taken today of the Arrive Hotel project from their story, even though it doesn't show the sign, but it shows the progress on the overall project.

https://www.krqe.com/photo-galleries...n-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With the 100th anniversary of Route 66 coming up in 2026, the City of Albuquerque is working with 14 local businesses and property owners to restore vintage signs along the “Mother Road.”

The City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture and Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency is investing $432,000 in the Revamp Route 66: Sign Improvement Grant Program. As of mid-September, a little over one year after the program was announced, new and restored signs are popping up across the city.

Some businesses like Root 66 Barber and The Imperial Inn have already had their signs finished. The 5501 Plaza and the Dog House said their signs are almost complete.

“It’s been an honor to get it for sure. These signs aren’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination and it’s not something we would have probably invested that much money in. So to be awarded that really meant a lot to us,” said Dacia Weist, owner of 5501 Plaza and program participant.

“It’s going to be great; because it’s going to show, it’s neon. So we are looking forward to it, and hopefully it will attract more people,” said Vicki Jaramillo, general manager of Dog House.

KRQE NEWS 13 compiled the following list and photo gallery to track the transformation of the signs at the 14 establishments participating in the Route 66 sign program.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque City Council voted tonight to uphold the Environmental Planning Commission's approval of a zone change for the two homes on Harvard Drive and Silver Avenue SE. They rejected the neighborhood association's appeal by a 6-3 vote.

This will allow for the project that will create a coffee shop, restaurant and community gathering space to proceed. Remember that the project includes a new two-story structure that will be built between and in back of the existing structures.

Below are two nice pics of the properties from a recent City Desk article about the appeal.

https://citydesk.org/2024/contention...iversity-area/





Here also is a more recent pic of the nearby El Parador apartments at Yale and Silver that Albuquerque Business First recently published in a story about the project.

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



Another project near UNM is a new structure that is being built on the former Mannie's restaurant site at 2900 Central Avenue SE. The new structure will have a total of 4,851 sq ft and be divided into two spaces for lease. The developer is envisioning a restaurant and a retail tenant. The project broke ground back in June and is under construction.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...ut-re-unm.html





A new restaurant with a big student following will also be coming to an existing structure across from the UNM campus on Central Avenue. Roni's Mac Bar has existing and planned locations in Texas, Utah and Missouri. Its menu consists of various mac n' cheese and grilled cheese sandwich options. The couple who are the franchisees of the brand in New Mexico chose the UNM area because of that popularity with students. They expect the renovations to be completed and to open late next month.

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

[ABQalex]

The city had a "Taste of the Sunport" event on Tuesday to preview the new concessionaires that will be coming to the Sunport with the "Dream of Flight" Terminal Improvement Project. The food and beverage outlets each had samples for the guests to try out.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...whats-to-come/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – For many visitors to the Land of Enchantment, it’s the first place they see and the last impression they get of New Mexico: the Albuquerque International Sunport. Now, the airport is trying to take flavors to new heights for people passing through—unveiling more than 15 new concessionaires which are expected to be up and running in the airport beginning this fall.

“What we’re doing at the airport is a generational investment. It is meant to last us 40 years; and that includes a whole host of new food offerings,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. The city is giving the community a taste of what’s to come:

“We love our foods, so when we’re in our own airport, we want to eat our food. And so, that’s cool. But also we like to show off our food to everyone else, and look, it’s also economic development,” Keller said.

16 new concessionaires are coming to the Sunport’s food hall, and they’re mostly local brands like Sadie’s, New Mexico Piñon Coffee, Laguna Burger, and more. “That means entrepreneur opportunity for small businesses in our city. It also means hundreds of jobs for folks in our city. It also means that those dollars stay here in our city,” Keller says.

Tuesday, people got to try out those concessions before they begin moving into the airport. “We really wanted to kind of showcase what’s happening before it happens; one, because we’re so excited about it, and we knew members of the community were excited about it,” says Manny Manriquez with the City of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department, “This is an opportunity, before those units open their doors, to introduce the people behind the vision.”

The vendors at the event echoed that enthusiasm: “I think its exciting because a lot of people will find out [about] our Indian bread and our native, our cookies, you know,” said Rita Toledo, chef for the Indian Pueblo Kitchen.

“I think it’s really awesome. We get a lot of tourists coming in to see us anyways. We have really unique flavors that really showcase New Mexico so I think it’s going to be really awesome to be one of the first people customers see when they come into the airport,” said Christina Ortiz, director of operations for New Mexico Piñon Coffee.

The renovation of the Sunport so far has cost roughly $90 million. Officials said most of the work should be done on the airport by the end of 2025.

The main sit-down restaurant and microbrewery tenant has just recently canceled its plans to open a spot in the terminal after being unable to come to an agreement for the operation. The concessions contractor is now looking to fill it with another brewery. The local beer blog and many other people seem to think that it will be Bosque Brewing Company that will be brought in to operate the main food and drink spot.

https://nmdarksidebrewcrew.com/2024/...vated-sunport/



There have been a few other changes in the lineup for the project that have recently been announced. Smashburger will now be replaced by Laguna Burger, a popular local and Native-run burger restaurant known for its green chile cheeseburgers. It will join the Indian Pueblo Kitchen as Pueblo-inspired food offerings at the Sunport.

It's been noted that the Sunport will be unique among airports in the country in having Native restaurants and food operations. For this reason some people are hoping that Bow & Arrow Brewing Company might be the operator of the main food and drink spot in the revamped terminal. It's another Native-run business that has its main operation in the brewery district just north of Downtown Albuquerque.

https://www.bowandarrowbrewing.com/



Here's a complete list of the new food and drink concessions at the Sunport as of now from Albuquerque Business First's story about the tasting event.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...na-burger.html

• Black Mesa Coffee Co.
• Cheese and Coffee
• Flavor of New Mexico
• Frank's Famous Chicken & Waffles
• Indian Pueblo Kitchen
• Laguna Burger
• New Mexico Piñon Coffee
• Rush of Prana, also known as Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe
• Sadie's of New Mexico
• Steel Bender Brewyard
• Taos Peaks
• Teller Spirits
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Dunkin'
• Panda Express

The tasting event was held in the historic, Pueblo Revival-style Old Terminal structure at the Sunport. Below are a few nice pics of the structure and grounds that have been posted on Facebook, Instagram and the Sunport’s website. The Old Terminal is a WPA project that was built in 1939 and in use for passengers until the mid-1960s when the new terminal was built.

https://www.instagram.com/abq.sunport/





https://www.facebook.com/michael.m.p...NjGkPFizL6Gh1l













https://www.facebook.com/groups/2620...2091512140880/





https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...36780006372446



https://www.abqsunport.com/history/





Here are pics of the "Dream of Flight" statue at the Sunport being moved to its new place of prominence at the center of the food hall. It’s the namesake and inspiration for the current renovation project.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...0296434364416/









The Sunport’s original 1914 Ingram-Foster biplane was also recently moved a bit within the terminal's Great Hall as part of the renovation.

https://www.cabq.gov/artsculture/alb...foster-biplane

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...51071197049173



KOB-TV has more of a look at the Sunport renovation and the new food and drink vendors. It's expected that the entire Sunport renovation will be completed in spring next year. The new food hall portion is scheduled to be completed around Thanksgiving this year.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/progr...port-upgrades/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Construction has been nonstop at the Albuquerque International Sunport for the last year.

The Dream of Flight renovation project is a massive overhaul of the airport, and a key piece is the food vendors.

Sunport officials have been working on the project since its creation. They say vendors will open in phases starting this fall after Balloon Fiesta.

“So those tenants come in they do their own capital build-outs that’s their investment dollars that go into that build-out, we provide them the shell,” said Manny Manriquez, Sunport Innovation and Commercial Development deputy director.

16 new vendors were announced this week, most are local favorites like Sadies and Laguna Burger.

Mayor Tim Keller says going local is a win-win.

“And it’s also economic development these are literally represent millions of millions of dollars that stay in our economy to local businesses and it also represents employment for those folk,” said Keller.

One favorite won’t be a part of the re-imagined Sunport.

“It’s regrettable that Santa Fe Brewing is not going to be in the program, but we have so many excellent local breweries here in New Mexico that were founded here,” said Manriquez.

It’s unclear what other local brewery will fill the key position that connects the two terminals.

Alcohol will only be allowed in the food hall and concourse. Drinks can’t be taken into the public side of the terminal. The Sunport will give a wristband to those 21 and up. Folks can get a to-go cup for your drink, but you can’t take it on your flight.

The renovation will also bring the Sunport current with TSA security requirements.

For starters, TSA was moved for more efficiency, it was also expanded. All the HVAC and plumbing is getting modernized too. Common areas and the new food hall will also feature $5 million worth of local art.

On Wednesday, we asked if this is the last big renovation for a while.

“As far as large scale renovations, yes,” said Manriquez. “There are still going to be some other improvements, some other smaller renovation projects.”

Sunport reps expect this project to be completed by spring 2025.

The Sunport has once again been voted as one of the best mid-sized airports in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates in their annual airport rankings. The Sunport came in at number 12 among airports with between 4.5 million and 9.9 million passengers.

The responses from the survey participants highlighted towards the end of the story below seem to be why the Sunport has always done well in this survey and why it's so important that it continues to exhibit and have its local flavor in its offerings, design and ambience.

https://www.krqe.com/news/national/n...action-survey/

(WJET/WFXP/KRQE) – Roughly a billion passengers make their way through airports across the United States each year — but some of them are having a better experience than others.

The results of J.D. Power and Associates’ “North American Airport Satisfaction Study” were released this week, revealing the top-rated airports in the U.S. and Canada (but no other North American countries) in terms of passenger experience. Seven criteria were considered: “ease of travel through airport; level of trust with airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and arrival/from airport experience,” according to J.D. Power.

Airports were also divided into three categories by passenger volume: medium airports (4.5M to 9.9M passengers per year), large airports (10M-32.9M passengers per year), and “mega” airports (33M + passengers per year).

The Albuquerque International Sunport made the passenger satisfaction list.

Overall, J.D. Power found that most passengers (60%) at least “somewhat” enjoyed their airport experience over the survey period (August 2023 through July 2024), despite traffic and rising airfare prices.

“Most travelers are still enjoying the experience,” said Michael Taylor, the managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power, in Wednesday’s press release. “However, we are starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending, with average spend per person in the terminal declining significantly from a year ago.”

At the top of the rankings in each category were the Indianapolis International Airport (medium), the John Wayne Airport in California’s Orange County (large) and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (mega).

New Mexico was ranked in the ‘Medium Airport’ category at number 12.

An abbreviated list of the top airports for each category, with scores based on a 1,000 point scale, is below. A full list is available at the official J.D. Power website.

Medium Airports

1. Indianapolis International Airport (687)
2. Jacksonville International Airport (686)
3. Southwest Florida International Airport (675)
4. Ontario International Airport (672)
5. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (670)
6. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (669)
7. Palm Beach International Airport (669)
8. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (668)
9. John Glenn Columbus International Airport (658)
10. Bradley International Airport (654)
11. Eppley Airfield (653)
12. Albuquerque International Sunport (646)

Large Airports

1. John Wayne Airport, Orange County [California] (687)
2. Tampa International Airport (685)
3. Kansas City International Airport (683)
4. Dallas Love Field (675)
5. Nashville International Airport (668)

Mega Airports

1. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (671)
2. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (643)
3. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (633)
4. John F. Kennedy International Airport [New York City] (628)
5. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (623)

Other key findings from the study indicate that passengers are spending slightly less on food and beverages than they did over the last study period, and that they rate airports higher when they feel the facility incorporates ” unique décor, signage, stores and restaurants” inspired by the city or region in which the airport operates.

J.D. Power and Associates, a market research firm, has conducted its North American Airport Satisfaction Study for 19 years. The study surveyed a total of 26,290 passengers who had traveled through an American or Canadian airport within the previous month.

Like always, the city has been slow to update and post the monthly passenger numbers for the Sunport, but they currently have them through June and that includes the numbers for the end of the fiscal year. The numbers show that the Sunport has now exceeded its pre-pandemic numbers from both calendar and fiscal year 2019 and also the most recent high mark for passengers in calendar year 2018 as well, at least by fiscal year.

https://www.abqsunport.com/facts-figures/

Albuquerque International Sunport 2024 passenger statistics

348,907 - January
353,071 - February
452,861 - March
450,500 - April
500,602 - May
503,656 - June

2,609,597 - 1st half total

5,471,678 - FY24 total

5,410,581 - FY19 total

5,406,094 - CY19 total

Calendar year 2018, with 5,467,693 passengers, was heretofore the busiest at the Sunport since the end of the Wright Amendment era when we regularly saw more than 6 million passengers a year and flirted with 7 million. It seems all but assured that the Sunport will end this calendar year well above that figure as well.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albu...tional_Sunport

The traditional busiest month of the year at the Sunport is coming up for the Balloon Fiesta in October. Airlines have recently announced increased frequencies, larger aircraft and new routes for the event, much like last year. Below are a couple of recent stories by KRQE and KOB-TV about those plans.

https://www.krqe.com/news/balloon-fi...alloon-fiesta/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque International Sunport is adding some flights from other airports across the country for Balloon Fiesta.

Delta Airlines will be adding flights from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York during the two weekends of Balloon Fiesta.

According to the Sunport’s website, flights between the Sunport and JFK will take place on October 4, 7, 11, and 13.

No Delta flights between the two airports are scheduled past that date.

The Sunport will also have an American Airlines flight between Austin, Texas, on October 4 and 13. Sun Country Airlines, the newest airline at the support, will also offer flights around and during the fiesta to Minneapolis.

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/ai...alloon-fiesta/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Spirit Airlines is adding flights from two major airports to the Albuquerque International Sunport for Balloon Fiesta this year.

The two airports are Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Each day, from Oct. 2-15, there will be daily flights to the Sunport from each destination.

“Albuquerque is a vibrant city that truly comes to life during its famous Balloon Fiesta, and we’re excited to make it easier for more visitors to experience this special event with our new limited-time service from Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles to complement our year-round service to Las Vegas,” said John Kirby, the vice president of network planning at Spirit Airlines. “New Mexico’s unique culinary scene and natural landscape give our Guests plenty of options to explore with friends and family while in town.”

Spirit Airlines already has daily year-round service to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more details, click here.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicks off Oct. 5 and ends Oct. 13.

Here's a nice pic of the Sunport that was posted on its social media accounts recently for the Labor Day weekend travel.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_bqL-5S9kK/

[ABQalex]

Another Pueblo Revival-style structure in Albuquerque has just been named a national historic landmark ahead of its 100th anniversary in 2025. The former Main Library was built in 1925 at Central Avenue and Edith Boulevard NE in Huning Highland/East Downtown. It is now the Special Collections Library for the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Library System.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...storic-places/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Another Albuquerque landmark has made it on the list of the National Register of Historic Places. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Special Collections Library of the Public Library was listed on the register as of Aug. 9, 2024.

“In Albuquerque, we celebrate our unique heritage and culture, and the Special Collections Library is an important place that keeps our history alive,” said Mayor Tim Keller in a news release. “We protect our historic places so they will continue to be valuable resources for families to connect and learn about our shared past.”

The Special Collections Library is located at 423 Central Ave. NE and is home to a wide variety of materials dedicated to Albuquerque’s history and culture. Its collections include historical photographs, maps, genealogical records, and a vast array of rare books. The building itself is an example of Pueblo-Revival architecture.

“We’re happy this beautiful historic building in Albuquerque has been officially recognized by being placed on the National Historic Register,” Acting Library Director Kelli Murphy said in the news release. “Library staff offer tours each month, so we invite community members to visit and enjoy this unique space.”

In March 2025, the library will celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Below are a few nice pics of the structure that were recently posted on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/harold.holl...aE9gKsxvgYgdYl



























Botts Memorial Hall is an addition that was made in 1951 on the south and west sides of the original structure and which itself is now considered historic as well.

https://abqlibrary.org/libraryhistory





Here are a few pics of the library structure as it was originally built from the Albuquerque Museum's online archives.

https://albuquerque.emuseum.com/collections









Here's another pic from about the 1980s after the addition was made and when the structure was no longer used as the main library.



The former Main Library was replaced by a new structure that opened in 1975 and which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and which was recently designated as a city landmark as well. It was designed by noted local architect George Pearl and is considered a masterpiece of Brutalism, regional modernism and adaptable architecture.

Mr. Pearl designed the structure on a grid with modular partitions that could be changed and adapted easily to the needs of the library as the years went by. A glass atrium and entry pavilion was added in the 2000s, along with a coffee and sandwich shop. The structure spans three levels and has over 100,000 sq ft of space with over 400,000 items, which is a third of the entire system's 1.2 million items.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main...e,_New_Mexico)



Below are a few pics of the new Main Library, including one from before the glass entry pavilion was added and one of the interior from the late-1970s, shortly after it opened. They are from the Albuquerque Museum's online archives and the recent ones have been posted to Google.











Here are a few more nice pics of the structure from its page on the Guide to New Mexico Architecture's website.

https://nmarchitectureguide.org/2019...ublic-library/

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of the Villa Agave apartments that Mark Baker's architecture firm posted yesterday on its social media accounts. His conversion of a former convent into 15 apartments was completed late last year.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...8941022863360/

















Here are some more pics showing a few more details, as well as the interior and a bit of the units themselves. They are from a post on the Villa Agave Instagram account and two separate listings for units in the structure on Trulia. The last two pics with the exposed brick are of the unit that's located in the convent's former chapel.

https://www.trulia.com/home/205-7th-...102-2052977060









https://www.instagram.com/p/C1FqMhkvpuT/









https://www.trulia.com/home/205-7th-...102-2053850087







Lastly, here's a nice aerial pic of the project from its listing on the Apartments.com website.

https://www.apartments.com/the-villa...ue-nm/j4hphz4/

[ABQalex]

Titan Development has begun to apply for planning approval for its new boutique hotel in Nob Hill on the former Hiway House Motel property. Below is a description of the project and a couple of images from their recent submittal to the Development Facilitation Team depicting what they are planning for the new structure to replace the old motel. They say that they have completed asbestos abatement of the old structure and plan to demolish it before the end of the year.

They don't say exactly how many rooms the new hotel will have, but it was said previously that it would be about one hundred. There will also be an underground parking level and new street parking created along both Central Avenue and Bryn Mawr Drive.







As the introductory letter for the project to the DFT above states, the existing Hiway House sign will be retained and refurbished as part of the project. Below is a pic of the sign taken back in July and posted on Flickr last month.

https://flic.kr/p/2qcU3hc

[ABQalex]

Something that UNM is planning and which I'm absolutely sick about is the demolishing and replacement of both Ortega Hall and the Humanities Building on campus.

They revealed the plans earlier this year and have recently been advocating for the passage of an upcoming bond to help pay for the project that will be voted on in November. They say that both of the landmark structures are too costly and inadequate for the university's needs to repair and retain.

The plan is to replace them with a single, smaller structure. This especially makes me angry, apart from the fact that these are two very architecturally significant and unique structures. I just know that they will be replaced with an architecturally inferior, cheap and run of the mill structure.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...ties-building/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With elections less than two months away, there are more than presidential candidates on the ballot. The University of New Mexico (UNM) is asking people to vote in favor of General Obligation (GO) Bond 3 as a building that is decades-old is falling apart. “What we want from our future building is a space that tells students that we are welcoming them here,” said Jennifer Malat, Dean of Arts And Sciences at the University Of New Mexico.

The humanities building was built in 1971 and has had smaller renovations since its construction. The building has been a staple on UNM’s campus for decades welcoming freshman class after freshman class. Now, a year from now, it could look completely different should the general obligation bond pass. “A review in 2020 showed that it has accessibility problems, the cost of repairs, and of renovating it in the ways that we need for it to be a modern facility for students and for faculty,” said Malat.

The 53-year-old building is in a state of disrepair. “Right now, this building has asbestos in it. When it rains, we get flooding on the lower levels, as well as leaking through ceiling tiles that happen. The building is not as accessible as we would like.”

The university wants to tear it down and rebuild a modern building. “We’re planning a new modern facility that will encourage collaboration among faculty, among students, and with the community.”

That’s why the university is asking for New Mexico voters to vote in favor of GO Bond 3. If passed, UNM would get $94.5 million for its projects of the $230 million allocated by the bond which will go toward higher education statewide.“We expect it will contribute to 2,300 jobs across the state in 29 localities and in 23 different counties.”

GO Bonds are funded by the state’s tax revenue and don’t increase taxes. However, if GO Bonds aren’t passed, they lower property taxes. The university said these bonds are an investment for New Mexico in the long run. “There are projects that, if the bond passes, will happen all across the state investing in our capital projects and building the infrastructure we need to have a strong state.”

If approved, the building would be torn down next year and the completion of the new one would be finished by 2028.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous that they use a great pic of Smith Plaza and the Humanities Building with Ortega Hall in the background as the thumbnail for the YouTube video below advocating for the passage of the bonds and the need to tear it down. It's like nobody there even thinks about what they are doing. This has been an iconic and well-recognized building for the university ever since it was built.



• Video Link

I never thought I'd see the day that these structures would be threatened and lost. They've been a point of pride on campus and I thought were as revered as the historic Pueblo Revival-style structures such as Zimmerman Library. Brutalism and this sort of modern architecture may not be in vogue and valued right now, but it's very important that the university retain and preserve these important examples of its architectural history and evolution.

They are key examples of adapting, incorporating and interpreting local building styles with a modern and international architectural style and movement.

Look at the pics below and tell me that these aren't perfect modern interpretations of somewhere like the ancient Taos Pueblo. Be sure to click the links and read the building histories as well on the UNM website. The Humanities Building was controversial and at first seen by faculty as inadequate, but note how the author of the histories says that both are landmarks and ultimately great designs with no need to demolish or replace them. Surely they can be abated, repaired and improved through remodeling. Their importance and significance would justify any cost to do so.

https://campushistory.unm.edu/essays...-building.html



https://campushistory.unm.edu/essays/ortega-hall.html



I can't say enough just how distraught and disappointed I am with all of this. I think it’s a huge mistake.

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of a nice event that I saw today and wanted to post about. They were posted by the kidicalmassabq account on Instagram. It's a group that advocates for bike safety with a focus on kids. They had a bike ride yesterday from Tiguex Park to Civic Plaza and back. While at Civic Plaza the kids got to enjoy the splash pad and playground that were added a few years ago when it was renovated.

They have various such rides throughout town at other points in the year, but yesterday was their big ride with over 130 participants. Be sure to click the link for two short videos of the ride and arrival at Civic Plaza. And also check out their account for more nice pics of their various rides, including on the UNM campus and in the Foothills.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAOPga0O32k/

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First is reporting that the Farolito Senior Community will have its groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow and actual construction will begin before the end of the month. It's a sister community and similar project to the Luminaria Senior Community that was completed a couple of years ago across the street on Central Avenue just east of Eubank Boulevard SE.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...ks-ground.html

Sol Housing will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for a senior apartment community in east Albuquerque on Central Avenue.

The Farolito Senior Community will be a 80,310-square-foot complex located at 10501 Central Ave. NE. The City of Albuquerque issued a $6.5 million permit for the 82-unit development Sept. 19.

Jaynes Corp. is the contractor, and Dekker is the architect for the four-story building that will offer one- and two-bedroom apartments. Planning for the project began in late 2022, Sol Housing Executive Director Felipe Rael said.

Construction is expected to begin by the end of September and finish in 17 months with leasing getting underway in the fourth quarter of 2025, Rael said. The project will cost $27.3 million in total.

Rents for affordable housing units, which comprise 85% of all the community’s units, will range from $442 to $1,108, Rael said. Rents for market-rate apartments will range from $1,200 to $1,350.

Amenities will include a community room, dog wash, dog park, on-site property management and a multi-purpose space.

The Farolito community is being built in response to continued demand for senior housing, Rael said. For example, Sol Housing has 456 people on its wait list for Luminaria Senior Community, which has just 92 units. Sol Housing built the Luminaria Senior Community at 10600 Central Ave. SE in 2022.

And New Mexico is on track to have one of the the highest percentages of people 65 years old and over in the country by 2030, according to census data referenced in a Sol Housing news release.

Sol Housing received a 60-year lease for the Farolito Senior Community site from the New Mexico State Land Office in December 2022. Its lease payments are expected to generate $1.9 million for New Mexico public schools, according to the news release.

The Farolito Senior Community will employ a maintenance worker and manager with wages ranging from $63,000 to $69,000, Rael said. Hiring is expected to begin in about a year.

It will also be a work site for the YouthBuild Program, a pre-apprenticeship program that provides occupational certification for youth ages 16-24 facing barriers to employment. The U.S. Department of Labor awarded Youth Development Inc. $1.5 million to administer the program over the next three years.

https://www.solhousing.org/communiti...nior-community





The SOMOS Apartments a couple of miles west on Central Avenue just east of Louisiana Boulevard SE should also get going soon. It was one of the four projects whose redevelopment tax abatement application was recently approved by the city council.

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First also has a story about the grand opening of a new wine bar/restaurant in the space that was most recently Zacatecas Tacos & Tequila in Nob Hill. Mission Winery's Wine and Dine operation opened to customers at the beginning of the month. The building had stood empty and as a blight in Nob Hill for over five years since Zacatecas closed back in 2019. I'm sure the ensuing pandemic didn't help with getting a new tenant in the structure either.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...d-opening.html

A new wine tasting room and restaurant in Nob Hill opened its doors to the public earlier this month.

Mission Winery Wine and Dine was created by founders Jessica and Seth Beecher, who are both 11th generation New Mexicans. The restaurant, located on the corner of Central Avenue and Amherst Drive at 3423 Central Ave. NE., had its grand opening on Sept. 14.

“Nob Hill is so special, it’s the only walkable area in town where you can go from business to business and everything is locally owned,” Jessica Beecher said.

The building was formerly a Zacatecas Tacos restaurant before it was closed in May of 2019; the couple bought the building at the end of 2022.

The building is 4,800 square feet in total, according to Jessica Beecher, which includes a stage for live bands and a lounge and sports bar area that is set open in a few weeks.

The winery renovations — which included replacing all the previous restaurant equipment — took about nine months. The Beechers declined to disclose the total remodel costs.

“We’re really happy to have something back in that space because it’s a great building,” Beecher said.

The winery has about 30 employees, split between full- and part-time positions.

The couple also operates the Central Bodega across the street that they opened in 2022 and a separate, 5,000-square-foot wine tasting room, which opened in Nob Hill last October and is now attached to the new restaurant.

The Beechers both dreamed of opening a winery, but the pandemic jump-started that process.

“When Covid happened, I was like ‘there’s no time like now to pursue our dreams,' so 2020 was the first year we made wines for ourselves and the ball started rolling from there,” Jessica Beecher said.

They received the licensing to sell wine in 2023. And this year, Mission Winery is on track to produce 2,000 cases of wine, with grapes grown across five vineyards in the North Valley.

The couple recently bought another building in Nob Hill that will be remodeled into a winery warehouse, she declined to give the location.

“To be able to offer that wine in a neighborhood that always thrived on excellent cuisine and locally owned spaces, it just made sense to us,” Jessica Beecher said.

Here's a nice pic of the structure from a poster on Twitter back when it was getting ready to open in the summer.

https://twitter.com/packedbags74/sta...90139503423905



The structure was originally built as a Dr. Pepper bottling plant back in the late 1930s. Below is a screenshot of Google streetview and a pic from a similar perspective of the structure as it originally looked when it was first built to compare.

[ABQalex]

The North Valley NIMBYs have now filed an appeal of the city council's decision to allow the soccer stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park to go forward. They filed their appeal in state district court. Let's see if they win the lottery and get a moronic and sympathetic judge like the Los Ranchos NIMBYs did in their first court case.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/neig...dfbc04857.html

Three neighborhood associations, joined by three individual plaintiffs, are continuing their fight against New Mexico United’s attempt to build a soccer stadium nearby.

The Wildflower, Maria Dier and North Edith Corridor neighborhood associations have appealed the Albuquerque City Council’s decision to deny an appeal of the planning process at the Aug. 20 council meeting on an 8-1 vote.

Neighbors previously cited concerns at an Environmental Planning Commission meeting in April about a stadium such as noise and light pollution and the impacts on local traffic. The new appeal echoes these concerns.

Councilor Brook Bassan, who represents the district in which the stadium would be built, was the lone vote against. Bassan declined to comment Tuesday evening.

The appeal was filed Sept. 17, and no hearings have been scheduled yet by state District Judge Victor Lopez.

The Yntema law firm, which is representing the neighborhood groups, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Since 2020, New Mexico United has been seeking a home, initially proposing a Downtown location using money generated by bonds, which was shot down by voters in 2021.

Balloon Fiesta Park was proposed and then selected as the location for the club‘s permanent home, a privately financed stadium on leased land from the city, last November . This year, the project faced hurdles.

The stadium received the OK from the Environmental Planning Commission in April and the city’s Land Use Hearing Officer in July.

The United Soccer League requires its franchises to have dedicated soccer-only stadiums with a minimum capacity of 5,000 in place by 2026. The team currently plays at Isotopes Park, the home of the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes baseball team.

During a Tuesday event hosted by NAIOP New Mexico, a commercial real estate association, Mayor Tim Keller acknowledged the appeal.

“There’s one last step in court, but we also should have a stadium soon at Balloon Fiesta Park,” Keller said. “So if you didn’t know that, it’s passed on all approvals except an appeal in district court.”

Here's an image from the Journal's story above depicting the lighting scheme at the new stadium which the team presented to try to address the concerns about light pollution. They said that most of the lighting would be focused within the stadium and stay within the stadium footprint and site.



One bit of good news in these NIMBY appeals is that the Los Ranchos village leadership decided not to appeal the state district judge's ruling barring the village trustee from voting on matters having to do with the Village Center project going forward.

Here is the link to the Trailhead at Chamizal's new website. It says that the apartments will be opening next month. It also includes a few renderings which we've never seen before. I'll post them below in the absence of any recent pics of the project.

https://trailheadatchamizalabq.com/









Here also are pics of the completed small strip mall structure across the street. Even though I derided it previously I really don't mind it based on aesthetics alone. I would prefer strip malls at least make an effort to have a nice design. I actually like the mostly glass storefronts. There's no way that I'd prefer or take it over the Village Center project, however!

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/6601...ue-NM/4334653/







It would've been so much nicer had the building been built up to the sidewalk and the hideous parking lot hidden behind it. That would've contributed much more to the village's stated goals for 4th Street and its village center zone, but apparently that's not what people in Los Ranchos want or prefer.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a nice pic of UNM's new School of Nursing structure in a story about its recent good showing in a national ranking of nursing schools. They say that the structure was recently completed.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/...3f2301bb0.html

New Mexico has one of the best Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs in the country, according to a recent national list released by U.S. News & World Report.

The honor belongs to the University of New Mexico College of Nursing, specifically its BSN program, which ranked 54 in the latest list from the digital media company. The university said in a news release the ranking moves the College of Nursing program up 13 spots from last year’s report.

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, took the No. 1 spot and Duke University ranked second among the nearly 700 nursing schools across the country. UNM’s ranking places it in the top 8% of nursing colleges, university officials said.

In a statement, UNM College of Nursing Dean Rosario Medina said the university is “excited to see our national ranking rise,” calling it a “testament to the commitment of our dedicated community.”

“We strive to create a supportive environment where every student feels they belong and (are) equipped to excel,” she said of the College of Nursing, which has just shy of 1,100 students. “By preparing our students to meet the unique needs of communities across New Mexico, we are building a dynamic workforce of compassionate, skilled nurses ready to make a difference.”

The news comes as UNM recently hired Medina as dean the College of Nursing in February. Medina, who brings more than four decades of experience in nursing and academic leadership, began her role in June.

She was selected following a national search led by Dr. Patricia Finn, the dean of the UNM School of Medicine, and assisted by Korn Ferry, a national firm specializing in executive searches.

The news also comes as the university recently completed construction on the new home for the College of Nursing — a $43.3 million facility just west of UNM Hospital. The 93,740-square-foot facility also houses UNM’s College of Population Health.

Another nearby medical/health sciences project has recently gotten underway on the UNM North Campus. It's a 32,500 sq ft addition to the UNM Hospital Children's Psychiatric Center that will create a new 36-bed inpatient facility.

https://www.mcclain-yu.com/unmh-chil...hiatric-center

[ABQalex]

Here's a recent story and update that KOB-TV had about the Park Square Market food hall project at Park Square in Uptown Albuquerque. The developer says that they are aiming for work to be completed by March of next year.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/new-f...n-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A new era is quickly approaching in Uptown Albuquerque. Construction is well underway on a brand-new food hall near Coronado Center.

It’s going in on the bottom floor of the Park Square Towers near Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

It’s from the same team behind Sawmill Market in Old Town Albuquerque.

KOB 4 got an inside look Friday and learned developers have a lot in store for the new space.

“We are coming into the closing of the project, and we will open March 1 of 25,” said Jackie Moss Apodaca, vice president of the Heritage Real Estate Company.

Apodaca says the Park Square Market project was delayed by the pandemic, but construction is just about 80% complete, bringing a version of the popular Sawmill Market to a new part of town.

“This is more of an upscale urban audience. In these two towers, we have over 800 employees who need somewhere to eat, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Along with, we’re building a fitness center, a medical spa and an onsite concierge doctor. So we really want to provide them everything that they’re going to need while on property,” said Apodaca.

The new food hall will be split between the bottom floors of the north and south towers, with a renovated plaza in between them.

Apodaca says there’s also plans for a wine tasting room and jazz club, promising a unique experience for a younger crowd.

“If you’ve gone to other cities, like Madrid, New York, and they have amazing food halls, and so there’s no reason why we can’t have one in Albuquerque,” Apodaca said.

Park Square Market isn’t the only big thing coming to Uptown Albuquerque. Construction is also underway on the Winrock redevelopment across the street, also promising new spaces for younger crowds.

“As far as we’re concerned, Park Square has always been this beautiful, seven acre place that just needed a little bit of love and attention to get it back to the, you know, excellent high-end place that it once was,” Apodaca said.

New opportunities inside some older buildings.

“Albuquerque hasn’t seen anything like this, and I’m really proud of how it’s turning out,” said Apodaca.

Here are a few more renderings of the Park Square Market from the project page on Heritage Real Estate's website.

https://www.heritagerec.com/see-whats-coming







Yet more renderings of the project from an Albuquerque Business First story last year, including a couple of renderings showing the changes and renovations to the rest of the retail and commercial space at Park Square. The Ruth's Chris Steakhouse is already existing but I'm sure the Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo and Yves Saint Laurent locations are just highly aspirational placeholder tenants, lol

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...s-planned.html















Here also are a couple of pics showing the nearby renovation of the Hilton Garden Inn hotel that Legacy Development announced last year. They are transforming the exterior of the hotel as part of the project. They've already gotten rid of the faux gable roof portions and are re-stuccoing and repainting it as well.

The pics are from a traveler on I-40, a guest of the nearby Marriott hotel and a local roofing company that had a recent job nearby. You can see the Uptown skyline beyond the house, with the hotel and Markana Uptown project visible in the upper right corner of the pic below.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...7807649742848/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C-d8FeHyz37/



https://www.instagram.com/p/C_5I_EROKxt/





As a bonus, here's another nice recent pic from a hotel guest at the Marriott looking the opposite direction towards Winrock Town Center and the urban Target store with the new dual-branded hotel between and beyond.



The Albuquerque Journal recently had a couple of stories about the former Monroe Junior High School whose campus sat on the current site of the Uptown Target store between 1953 when it was built and 1974 when it was closed. The buildings themselves were finally torn down in the late 1980s.

One of the stories recounts the many failed development proposals that were planned for the property before the Target project was ultimately successful and built in 2012. The school's alumni are having a reunion for all classes this weekend to mark the 50th anniversary of the school's closure.

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/gone...2547a8be8.html

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/so-w...8314cf06b.html

The 1950 census showed Albuquerque to be a city of some 97,000 souls, the population located predominantly in the north and south valleys, the University of New Mexico area and the military bases.

At the time, Lincoln Junior High School, at 912 Locust SE, and Jefferson, at Lomas and Girard NE, were the only Albuquerque Public Schools junior highs east of Broadway.

But, as the city gradually expanded toward the Sandias, APS opened Monroe and Wilson junior highs in the fall of 1953.

Monroe sat at 2120 Louisiana NE, on the southeast corner of Louisiana and Indian School. At the time, the stretch of Louisiana between Constitution and Menaul was almost bucolic — a safe, practical and convenient location for a public school.

But then:

In the spring of 1961, the Winrock shopping center opened right next door. Shelley Fabares, a star of the TV series “The Donna Reed Show,” was brought in for the grand opening and signed autographed photos one afternoon for starstruck Monroe students.

On the other side of the street, less than half a mile to the north, the even more expansive Coronado Center opened in 1964.

In relatively the same time frame — the exact date could not be pinpointed — the I-40 exit and entrance ramps at Louisiana opened just north of Constitution.

Virtually in the blink of an eye, those once-pastoral few blocks had become one of the busiest stretches in Albuquerque.

In the meantime, junior highs had sprouted in the Heights like blades of grass. That migration to the east had become a stampede. McKinley, 1954; Jackson, 1957; Madison, 1959; Van Buren, 1960; Grant, 1961; Hayes, 1964.

It should have come as no surprise, then, when in 1972 APS announced plans to close Monroe in the next couple of years.

APS cited declining enrollment — clearly a function of Jackson, Madison, Grant and Hayes having opened nearby — and an above-average cost per student as well as safety concerns due to high traffic volume.

Not expressed, at least not directly, was that APS clearly viewed the Monroe property as prime real estate.

“The recommendation is to sell the property,” APS stated.

As the axe began to fall, Monroe students began to mourn. Monroe parents, on behalf of their children, protested — concerned not only about the closing, but about where their younger kids would end up.

APS was in the process of shifting from an elementary-junior high-high school model (6-3-3) to a 5-3-4 middle-school model. Monroe’s 1973-74 ninth-graders, almost en masse, would be ticketed for Del Norte High School. But for seventh- and eight-graders, the situation was fluid.

“Every single student and every single parent was extremely upset,” Marita Eckert, Monroe Class of ‘73, said in a phone interview. “We had wonderful teachers and administration, we had intramural sports, we had orchestra, we had shop and art, and we were just a small ‘Mayberry’ community.”

But APS held firm, and the last day of classes at Monroe, June 7, 1974, came and went.

Almost immediately, APS put the property at 2120 Louisiana NE out for bid.

Prime real estate that it appeared to be, it didn’t sell.

Developers, seeking to build hotels, grocery stores, office buildings etc., blamed APS when negotiations kept falling through; APS blamed the developers.

In 1987, APS did sell the Monroe property to a development company. The company went bankrupt, and the property redounded to APS. Over the next 15 years, the property would be sold twice more, with a similar result.

The building hadn’t gone completely unused.

In the fall of 1974, Monroe was host to Arroyo Del Oso Elementary School students and faculty while construction of their own building was completed. From 1975-79, APS used the property as office and storage space.

From 1979-88, the Monroe property was the home of New Futures School, an APS-administrated school for teenage unwed mothers.

The building itself was finally razed in 1988.

In 2002, APS completed a sale of the Monroe property to Hunt Development of El Paso. Yet, in newspaper archives, the trail went cold. Whatever happened to 2120 Louisiana NE?

Finally in 2013, Target, the budget department-store giant, opened a mega-store where Monroe faculty and students had thrived for 22 short years.

Go Mustangs.

There is of course now a James Monroe Middle School that opened on the Westside about 15 years ago which carries on the former Uptown school's name and traditions.

https://www.homes.com/school/albuque...2tktb9bl90907/



This same dynamic played out with Lincoln Junior High School near Downtown Albuquerque, which was also closed in the mid-1970s and eventually moved to a new campus in Rio Rancho as Lincoln Middle School. The former LJHS campus still stands and is now used by APS as offices for its maintenance and operations staff.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque International Sunport will be adding a daily, direct flight to Nashville starting next year in April. Southwest Airlines made the announcement this morning.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/abq-s...-to-nashville/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Southwest Airlines is adding daily, nonstop service between the Albuquerque International Sunport and the Nashville International Airport.

Nashville is the Sunport’s 30th nonstop destination. The route is scheduled to begin April 8, 2025. Here is what the schedule will look like:

Start Date Route Departure Arrival

April 8, 2025 ABQ-BNA 1:40pm 5:25pm

April 8, 2025 BNA-ABQ 2:35pm 4:35pm

A quick check at the maiden nonstop flight shows a $226 “Wanna Get Away” fare for a one-way ticket, with options for tickets costing $246, $306 and $356. You can learn more about the schedules and fares at this link.

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

Southwest Airlines announced a new nonstop service for the Albuquerque International Sunport, the new route will be to Nashville International Airport (BNA) and is planned to begin on April 8, 2025.

"We're pleased that it's finally happening and I think it's going to be a positive for our travelers out of the Sunport," Daniel Jiron, business development manger for the Albuquerque International Sunport said.

The first flight from Albuquerque to Nashville scheduled to depart from the Sunport on that date is at 1:40 p.m. and it will arrive in Nashville at 5:25 p.m. The first flight from Nashville to Albuquerque will be on the same day from 2:35 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.

This new route will bring the total number of nonstop destinations at the Sunport to 30. Some of those other flights include Chicago/Midway and O’Hare, New York/John F Kennedy, Orlando International and Long Beach, which was added in September of 2023.

“We have been pursuing this route for a long time, and we’re thankful that Southwest Airlines is making it a reality,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said in a news release.

"It's a route that has seen an increase in demand and to be able to connect Albuquerque with Nashville is a tremendous win for our community," Jiron said.

Southwest Airlines makes up 51.20% of the market share for the Sunport, as of June 2024. The Sunport saw 503,656 total passengers in June, with over 5 million passengers a year.

Southwest Airlines had more than 137 million passengers in 2023 and has 117 airports across 11 countries, according to the release.

This is great news! Nashville is one of the destinations I've been hoping the Sunport would add in the eastern part of the country. And it's been such a hot destination in the last few years.

Earlier this year it was reported that the Sunport will be trying to go after more eastern destinations such as Washington, DC and Boston, as well as regaining international service to Mexico. I hope this will be a harbinger of things to come, especially once the terminal renovation is complete!

Below is a nice pic of the crane that has been at the Sunport over the last year to aid in the renovation. It's from a recent City Desk article about an apprenticeship program by the city to try to address a shortage in construction workers locally.

https://citydesk.org/2024/softening-...rtage-squeeze/

[ABQalex]

A new dental school will be coming to the city in a 70,000 sq ft space at the Lovelace Biomedical Campus on Ridgecrest Drive SE. They say this will be the first ever dedicated dental school in the state, although I thought UNM had a dental school. They have a "Department of Dental Medicine" at least.

There was a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the project. I'm uncertain, and the news stories are unclear, as to whether any new space is going to actually be built. One would assume so, with a "groundbreaking" but perhaps it's just meant to be ceremonial and symbolic.

Either way, the $40-50 million project is expected to be completed in May next year and enroll up to 200 students.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/crews...in-new-mexico/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The first dental school in New Mexico is coming as New York-based Touro University broke ground on its newest branch, coming to Albuquerque soon.

The clinical facility will be part of the Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute. School officials say they chose New Mexico because they saw a need.

“We talked about a dental school and we’ve been talking about this for 40 years, at least. And even in the last 10, it’s become sort of this pie-in-the-sky dream. It’s like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We want to believe its there but like it’s never going to happen,” Mayor Tim Keller said. “This is real. This is what everybody n Albuquerque needs to understand.”

Leaders expect to have the facility done by May of next year. It will provide around 200 students with a new dental practice location.

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

Touro University, based out of New York, held a groundbreaking on Sept. 25 for its expansion into New Mexico.

The facility will be an undergraduate dental clinical training facility for students in the College of Dental Medicine at Touro. The 70,000-square-foot facility will be located at 2425 Ridgecrest Drive SE, in the Lovelace Biomedical building.

“Our relationship with Lovelace created this opportunity,” said Dr. Alan Kadish, president of Touro University. “We have the expertise, space and resources and we think there’s a lot of people in the community we can help dental care, so it made perfect sense.”

Touro University, established in 1970, is an independent institution of higher learning focusing on the Jewish community. The university has over 19,000 students currently enrolled in 37 campuses across four different countries, according to the school's website.

“The opportunities for involving our students in the community and what Lovelace does are limitless,” Dr. Kadish said.

The general contractor for the facility is Bradbury Stamm Construction, with the construction cost for the facility between $40 to $50 million, Kadish added.

The planned completion date is in May of 2025, with students starting a few months later, in July.

Once open, the facility will hold 100 employees and will start with 80 students. That number is planned to grow to 200 students in total, after a few years.

For those students, the first two years in the dental program will be focused on biomedical foundational knowledge and simulation training on Touro’s New York campus in Westchester County.

Then half of the 200 students enrolled in the program will spend the last two years in clinical training activities and treating patients at the new Albuquerque facility.

“We’re doing healthcare and education all over the country where it’s needed, and having a facility here next to Lovelace fits right in with our mission and will be a tremendous engine in our growth,” Kadish said.

The new dental clinic at One Central in Downtown Albuquerque recently opened. Below are a link to the website for The Smile & Co. Dental Studio's website and a few pics of the space, which looks fairly swank for a dental clinic.

https://www.thesmileandco.com/









Mattophoto has a story right now on his Instagram account showing the construction work on the new FBT Architects office space on top of 500 Marquette. Below is the link and some screenshots. Watch it before it disappears!

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ma...3950467479226/

[ABQalex]

The Downtown Growers Market posted this nice aerial pic of the market and Robinson Park on Instagram today. With fall upon us and cooler weather coming, there are only a few more weeks left until the end of their season. I really hope they end up building their indoor marketplace somewhere nearby, preferably on the old Cafe Oaxaca site!

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



Here are a few more pics from the ground of the market that they've also recently posted on Instagram.







And here are a few old pics showing Robinson Park throughout the years. As the Instagram post notes, it's the second-oldest park and greenspace in the city after the plaza in Old Town. It dates from the late 1800s, just after New Town's founding. The pics are from the Albuquerque Museum's online archives.

https://albuquerque.emuseum.com/collections

















This pic is marked as being Robinson Park as well in the Albuquerque Museum's files, but I'm not sure that it is. It looks like it could be one of the other triangular parks along Central Avenue or somewhere else in the Downtown Neighborhood area. I just love it, though. If it is Robinson Park I wish we could plant more of these kind of trees to get it back to this look. Most of the current trees in Robinson Park date from the 1960s to 1980s.

[ABQalex]

Here's an interesting thing that I found recently. A property on 1st Street just south of the Coal Avenue overpass is being marketed for sale with plans for a 100-unit apartment building. The listing is on the New Mexico Apartment Advisors website and a real estate broker recently posted it on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...6782526922753/







Who knows if this will ever come to fruition as planned, but it's exciting to contemplate! I've always wished this area on 1st Street around the overpasses would get developed in such a way. I've thought the empty lot and old El Madrid Bar site between the overpasses could be a possible location of a new hotel connected to the Alvarado Transportation Center, sort of like a new Alvarado Hotel (in name).

The nice little pocket of vibrancy nearby along 2nd Street with Zendo Coffee, Sidetrack Brewing, Flyby Provisions, The Bloomstone, Sanitary Tortilla Factory, Turquoise Museum, etc. could really be expanded and receive a nice jolt with more residential, hotel and commercial space in this area.







Homewise also contributes to this activity on 2nd Street with fairly regular events at its headquarters in the renovated old Orpheum Theater space. They often have art events, gatherings, and screen movies outdoors, etc. It's known as the Orpheum Community Hub.

https://www.instagram.com/orpheumcommunityhub/







The unimproved parking lot behind Homewise where they screen the movies itself could eventually become the site of a new residential project. It's directly north of the site that's for sale on 1st Street and about the same size, so could also have about 100 units in a similar structure. I really hope Homewise has plans to eventually develop the site!

[ABQalex]

Here are a couple of screenshots and a link to a drone video that was recently posted to Facebook by Franken Construction Company of the Rail Yards and work being done on the Boiler Shop for the new CNM/state film school.

https://fb.watch/uSaq6Qu1sm/





Here are a couple of screenshots and link to another nice drone video of the project that they posted back in May on their Facebook account.

https://fb.watch/uSbgPDuthg/





Mattophoto last week had a nice short video of the renovation work and construction being done at the Boiler Shop which he posted as a disappearing story on his Instagram account. Below are a few screenshots that I got of the video before it disappeared.

https://www.instagram.com/mattophotollc/















Downtown Albuquerque News recently had a piece looking at the possibility that is being floated around and has recently been studied of using one or more of the structures at the Rail Yards as a permanent and year-round indoor home for the Rail Yards Market. The current Blacksmith Shop and Tank Shop are seen as the most likely choices to house the market, as they already do so, but currently only in warmer months and in a certain capacity due to their condition of not being completely restored or improved with climate control, electricity, plumbing, etc.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

A recently completed UNM study shows that the long-held dream of expanding the Rail Yards Market into a permanent year-round operation looks to be achievable, but in the near-to-medium term at least, the market and the city are taking baby steps toward the sort of agreement that would put the idea firmly on track.

The challenge begins with the current main home of the market, the 30,000-square-foot Blacksmith Shop. The building is what people in the real estate and construction business call a "cold shell" - a basic setup that keeps the rain off of those milling about inside but doesn't do much else. There's no climate control, not much in the way of utilities, and the bathrooms are a portable arrangement set up outside a few paces from the building's north entrance.

That would need to change were the market to take over the building (and/or some other structure on the larger campus) on a permanent basis. And while plenty of vendors have said they're interested in the idea, it wouldn't come cheap: Between roofing, electrical, bathrooms, seating areas, event space, offices, and other interior work, the study puts the cost of a top-to-bottom renovation at about $327 per square foot. That crunches out to $9.4 million when applied to the Blacksmith Shop alone.

But the project still looks to be doable. The study concludes that demand across the city could likely keep such a market going, fees charged for renting spaces could fund the administration, and that the initiative generally stands a "good chance of success." A key part of the formula, it notes, is the organization behind the market that has taken things this far, creating the seasonal gathering from scratch, shepherding it through a pandemic, developing a brand, and pushing the operation from total 2018 sales of $1.4 million to a 2022 record of $2.8 million.

"They have quite a few of the necessary features of a public market in place," research scientist Charis Aherns told the Rail Yards Advisory Board in August.

There are, however, many years' worth of logistical and financial hurdles to navigate before a ribbon cutting. The study envisions a five-year process of scaling up operations (beginning on page 19 of this document) that could include creating a foundation, raising several million dollars for a reserve fund, beefing up marketing efforts, tending to diplomatic relations with adjacent neighborhoods, and lining up key future tenants.

Market Manager Alaska Piper told the advisory board that a critical part of the near-term strategy would involve the infrastructure that could support such a ramp-up. The plan is to support, however it can, city efforts to scrape together the money required for such things as permanent restrooms and a new roof for the Blacksmith Shop. Another idea under consideration is to open a storefront either on or off the campus - a kind of Rail Yards Market specialty shop - and use it to build momentum toward the larger vision.

A further matter to sort out is what the market's relationship would look like with the city - which owns the Rail Yards - in that future scenario. Mayor Tim Keller is on record as a fan of the permanent market idea in principle (DAN, 4/24/23), but his deputies have been more cautious, expressing interest but not exactly cheerleading.

So it was last month. Charley Salas-Ramos, the city's deputy chief operations officer and a key administration point person on the Rail Yards, said the next step would be to take the feasibility study back to her colleagues for consultation. If there is a big joint agreement down the road, it would come well into the process of building the infrastructure and ramping up the market, she added.

https://www.instagram.com/railyardsmarket.abq/















I really dont see what all the trepidation and uncertainty is from the city and administration, it's obvious that the Rail Yards Market should occupy permanent space at the Rail Yards with the help of the city. But of course we always waste time, money and resources studying and debating whether we should do the obvious. I've said it before, but as a city we need to spend the money and do everything necessary to ensure that these structures are brought up to snuff and preserved.

Here we have an existing tenant that is doing well and wishes to expand year-round, what exactly are we waiting for and still trying to figure out??

Wasting years and letting more decades go by with the structures being derelict and continuing to decay is not acceptable and continues to be detrimental to the city and its wellbeing. I'm glad that some progress is being made on some of the structures, but we really need to bite the bullet and get the largest structure, these two structures and the rest of the property brought up to snuff and in reasonable condition to prevent further deterioration.

After that, we can see what uses or further improvements and developments shake out going forward. The biggest hurdle and impediment to them finding uses and tenants is the condition that they are in currently. The city should bear and take on that task and responsibility to fix and improve them first. Preserved and productive structures are obviously more advantageous to the city going forward than letting them rot. It's coming up on forty years that they've been vacant and abandoned.

Below are some more nice pics of the Rail Yards that were posted back in June on Facebook. The first pic is of the old Freight House structure that is just to the north in Downtown proper, and yet another structure that we need to do all that's necessary to get it renovated and occupied. This is our history as a city, it's hugely important. I wish all the anger, regret and nostalgia for structures we've lost like the Alvarado Hotel were channeled into preserving and saving the things that we still have, such as these structures.

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.p...00076325410432

















Here's a nice pic of the recently-restored Santa Fe Railroad 2926 Steam Engine. It’s been having excursions over the last year to the Rail Yards from its current home in Wells Park via the spur and the main line of the railroad. It most recently did so this past weekend for its second annual Railroad Days event. It's in preparation for their ultimate goal to provide excursions throughout northern and central New Mexico from a new home base in the Rail Yards.

https://www.instagram.com/santafe2926/



Here is a historic pic of the engine undergoing maintenance and repairs at the Rail Yards when it was still operating for the railroad.



They hope to rebuild the former roundhouse structure around the existing and historic turntable to serve as its new home and that of its parent organization, New Mexico Heritage Rail. But of course, they are being left alone to try to come up with and raise money for this dream by the city. Yet another possible tenant and neat amenity and attraction for the Rail Yards that the city somehow doesn't see worthy of helping along instead of hoping some magic tenant or user with deep pockets will come along to foot the bill of restoring, improving and occupying the Rail Yards.

Below are a couple of nice pics of the interior and exterior of the former roundhouse structure and a neat aerial view of the structure and the rest of the Rail Yards in their heyday. Be sure to check out the rest of the pics at the second link especially. Its a link to the Wheels Museum's website and its page of pics for the former Roundhouse structure. It has many pics of it throughout the years. Check out the entire website for more such pics of the Rail Yards and Albuquerque’s railroad history.

https://x.com/americanrails/status/1777777123555528807



https://wheelsmuseum.org/?page_id=307

[ABQalex]

Here are some more renderings of the new Fine Arts Center on the UNM campus that were recently posted on the Fine Arts section of UNM's website. The official name of the new structure is the "Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology" The structure will be four levels, with one partially underground. The upper levels only partially cover the overall footprint of the structure.

The renderings show that the structure will be on the eastern half of the site. They also show a landscaped area on the western half. This could just be a placeholder in the renderings in the absence of a design for the second phase, but I'd be willing to bet that there actually won't be a second phase at all and this is it for the project.

It's a mixed bag as far as I'm concerned. It's actually a decently tall structure in terms of floors but it casts doubt that it can live up to expectations and will be as substantial as the original vision for the site. I don't hate the design, but I don't love it, either.

There will be a groundbreaking for the structure in two weeks.

https://news.unm.edu/news/a-new-era-...rts-technology

https://finearts.unm.edu/ccat/













Most of my problem with the design continues to be the Central Avenue side. It's hard to tell from the rendering above whether that glass on the Central Avenue side includes any kind of entrance, but I doubt that it does, being that the level is partially underground. It would help the design immensely if it were an entrance from the street. In the cross section it looks like it's just windows in the gallery portion of the structure, however.

But doesn't the building look a bit sad, small and isolated in this rendering as compared to the original concept renderings? I'd rather they build this first phase/structure directly across the street from the Architecture building/George Pearl Hall on the western half of the site. That would also place it directly opposite Central Avenue from the Tamarind Institute. There it would have a chance for synergy and interaction to create an arts district, at least immediately and in the absence of a second phase that may never be built.

[ABQalex]

Kairos Power had a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for its Salt Production Facility, the latest expansion at its facility in Albuquerque on Mesa del Sol. It's the first of three expansions that were recently helped along with incentives approved by the city last month.

They also had a dedication ceremony for the overall Manufacturing Development Campus, the name for its facility in Albuquerque, which was the former Schott Solar facility and where they've been making additions and improvements for their purposes over the past few years.

https://kairospower.com/external_upd...nced-reactors/