Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

The new Flix Brewhouse location on the east side is scheduled to open in May. They had a tour for our local media last week showing the progress so far to renovate the former UA High Ridge 8 theater for their use. Below are stories and pics from KOB-TV and the Albuquerque Journal about the project and its anticipated opening early next month.

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After years of planning, the Flix Brewhouse on the eastside is finally coming to fruition.

“It doesn’t always line up with the expectations of construction schedules and permitting and all those other things. But we are almost there, we will be open the first week of May,” said Chance Robertson, CEO of Flix Brewhouse.

Robertson says their location on the westside has always done well, and they’ve been looking for an opportunity to bring that experience to the other part of town.

“We have often found ourselves saying, ‘I wish we had a few more seats, I wish we had a few more screens.’ So when this opportunity came available to not only get a few more seats and a few more screens and get to the other side of town, we know people in ABQ are either eastside or westside often, so we wanted to make sure we were on both sides of town,” said Robertson.

“This is the first city to have two Flix Brewhouses, and we base it off revenue and admits, and the requests for the people in the community to want to bring this to this location,” said Victor Lopstaine, regional director of operations for Flix Brewhouse.

Aside from business on the eastside, they also hope being next to Hinkle Family Fun Center will bring more business to the area.

“I think there is just a lot of that, ‘Oh it’s in our neighborhood now too,’ that is the thing we are hearing the most about and that is super exciting for us and we can’t wait to get open,” said Robertson.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/...ca42e671c.html

Dust filled the air at Flix Brewhouse’s soon-to-be Northeast Heights location on Wednesday, as construction workers bustled about in preparation for an anticipated opening in May.

The space, located next to the Hinkle Family Fun Center on the corner of Indian School and Tramway NE, is undergoing renovations that will transform the former Regal UA High Ridge movie theater into Albuquerque’s second Flix Brewhouse, a Texas-based dine-in movie theater and brewery chain.

The location, which will be staffed by 130 people, will bring the company’s number of locations to 11 and Albuquerque’s total locations to two, making Albuquerque the only city with a pair, said the company’s CEO, Chance Robertson. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has multiple locations, but they reside in different towns, he explained.

Flix Brewhouse, founded in 2011, first came to New Mexico in 2016, opening its first location on the West Side. Robertson, a native of New Mexico, said the location has performed “incredibly,” despite being closed much of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When we opened in Albuquerque, we were received with just completely open arms,” Robertson said.

The warm embrace is a big part of why the company decided to expand with a second location, Robertson said.

“We’ve always just been really busy in Albuquerque,” he said. “We also know that Albuquerque is kind of a town where you’re either on the West Side or you’re on the East Side, so when this opportunity came up, it just made too much sense for us.”

The company first announced that it was opening a second location in 2023, around the same time that the former Regal UA High Ridge shut its doors. At the time, the company was aiming for an early 2024 opening, but it discovered that the 28,000 square-foot building, constructed in 1989, presented more surprises and “skeletons in the closet” than originally thought, Robertson said.

The site, which Flix is leasing long term from Hinkle Income Properties, is still under construction but has completed the majority of renovations — including converting one of the building’s eight auditoriums into a kitchen. Robertson said renovation costs will exceed $6 million.

The renovation marks the company’s first time entering and outfitting a former theater space, according to Summer Hasan, head of marketing and brand for Flix Entertainment.

The location will have seven theater rooms featuring Dolby immersive sound, laser projection and around 700 luxury electric recliners equipped with a service button and the company’s new sliding and pivoting tabletops. It will also have a microbrewery and a restaurant that seats around 40 people.

“It’s a full movie experience and a full kind of restaurant experience,” Robertson said, adding that the company doesn’t claim to have the best restaurant but does aim to have the best hospitality and interactive dinner-and-a-movie experience.

People can visit the restaurant without attending a movie, said Victor Lopstain, an executive general manager with Flix Brewhouse. He added that some of the most popular menu items are the pizza, the Nebulas IPA craft beer and the warm cookie dessert.

Robertson said the company expects to open the location the first week of May, barring any last-minute surprises or shipping delays.

“I think there’s a range of emotions. Certainly overwhelming. Excitement is the No. 1 thing,” Robertson said. “I’m most excited for that first day.”

[ABQalex]

Mattophoto has a disappearing story on his Instagram account showing the Park Square Market that is nearing completion. It looks like most of it is finished, with some tenants/vendors open for business and just a few finishing touches needing to be completed. Below is a link to the video and several screenshots that I made for when it eventually disappears.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ma...8149196063900/



















https://www.instagram.com/visitabq/reel/DIUrAZkxzYE/

Here's another video that Visit ABQ posted last week on its Instagram account highlighting one of the Park Square tenants, Little Gems, which is a healthy bowls/salad spot. You can catch a few more glimpses of the market in the video as well.

https://www.instagram.com/eatlittlegems/



Here's a link to the Park Square Market website which has a section/tab listing all the current tenants/vendors that will be located in the food hall. It also includes a nice aerial pic of Park Square which looks like it is a couple of years old, as the nearby Markana Uptown is early on in its construction. Hopefully they'll upload a similar and updated view once all the exterior renovations have been completed!

https://www.parksquaremarketabq.com/

[ABQalex]

Mattophoto also currently has a set of disappearing stories on his Instagram account showing the progress at the Rail Yards. Below are links and screenshots for the three separate videos. As he notes, the new interior structure is really coming along, with walls and floors being framed and constructed. Catch the videos before they disappear!

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ma...6280206601631/















https://www.instagram.com/stories/ma...8988275654828/











https://www.instagram.com/stories/ma...1406224852215/

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First has a story about the planned renovation and conversion of most of Sycamore Square from office/commercial to residential. The current plan is for 20 residential units on the second and third floors but the new owners/developers say that they are still open to other uses and plans if something else comes along. The first developer named in the partnership for this project is the same one who is currently building the 3-story apartments on Rio Grande Boulevard. They say that they may start construction as soon as June 1st.

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

The new owners of the Sycamore Square property near Presbyterian Hospital plan to convert the vacant building into a use they believe will help uplift the community.

Fritz Eberle and Avi Lahiani acquired the property at 1400 Central Ave. SE in late 2024 for an undisclosed price, Eberle said.

Absolute Investment Realty’s Jeremy Nelson represented Eberle and Lahiani and the previous owner in the deal, Eberle said.

Now, Eberle and Lahiani are underway with a prospective multi-family conversion, but they are welcome to interest in joint-venture partnerships and other commercial uses, according to their broker, Kate Potter of Colliers New Mexico-El Paso.

“They are planning to make it multi-family unless there’s another use that comes along that makes more sense,” Potter said. “I’ve been engaging with higher education, nonprofits and all sorts of different uses that could make sense for that area.”

The three-story, 21,170-square-foot building has primarily been used as office space in the past, Potter said.

Eberle and Lahiani believe a multi-family use targeted at healthcare workers and UNM students is appropriate because of the city’s need for housing and the building’s proximity to Presbyterian Hospital and the University of New Mexico.

They also believe it would help uplift that area of Central Avenue.

“Avi and I really like improving property and improving neighborhoods,” Eberle said. “That’s really fun, and I think it’s very creative. I like the creative side of it that allows us to try to find solutions where they haven’t been found.”

The conversion would create 20 luxury apartment units along Central Avenue on the second and third floors of the building, which are each approximately 10,000 square feet, Eberle said.

The first floor would remain office space, he added.

The converted Sycamore Square would have one- and two-bedroom units ranging in size from 612 square feet to 896 square feet and in price from $1,500 to $1,800 per month, Eberle said.

The two office spaces on the ground floor would be 1,831 square feet and 1,592 square feet.

Amenities in the building would include gated and covered parking, EV charging stations, trash chutes on each floor, security and balconies, Eberle said.

There are 35 parking spaces below the building and 16 spaces behind it, Eberle said.

Eberle and Lahiani aren’t sure when they will start construction, but they’re targeting a June 1 start date, Eberle said.

It’s expected to take nine months to complete the conversion. Eberle declined to disclose the estimated cost of the conversion.

Still, Eberle and Lahiani are open to joint partnership on the project or pivoting conversion plans if they find or are presented with a use that makes more sense.

“They’re not tied to that (multi-family plan),” Potter said. “They are more than willing and open to having somebody who has their own architect in tow (and) who has other inspiration that would be great for this building to come forward and bring them additional ideas for it. They really are very open to that.”

I had posted about Sycamore Square over at SSC last year when Mark Baker was considering purchasing it as well. He had posted some pics of the graffitied exterior and interior that was attracting vandals and other trespassers.

https://www.instagram.com/archibot/p...3/?img_index=2



https://www.instagram.com/archibot/p/C6xYfrYOW1f/



A conversion to residential uses would actually be a return to what the underlying structures originally were. Sycamore Square itself was a conversion of four old apartment buildings that were connnected with new elements and transformed into a commercial/office plaza in the 1980s. The new portions include the small parking garage at the back of the original structures.

Below are some of the pics and a newspaper clipping that I posted over at SSC last year showing the original structures and the renovation plans from the 1980s, as well as pics from its sale listing showing how the structure appeared in recent years. It went downhill, was vandalized and deteriorated quite rapidly after it was left vacant a few years ago. A renovation for medical offices was also planned by its previous owner during the pandemic, but that never came to fruition.









Here's another pic from the Albuquerque Museum's online archives showing two of the original underlying structures of Sycamore Square. It's looking southwest toward the intersection of Sycamore and Central. In the background across the street are structures identified in other pics as either the "Albuquerque Sanatorium" or the "National Lutheran Sanatorium" They stood where Presbyterian Hospital's massive new parking structure stands today.



Here are some additional pics and layouts for the structure from its current real estate listings where they are trying to find other possible uses and interested tenants for the property. You can see that the interior has pretty much been gutted and doesn't look that bad now in terms of condition. The exterior is what's really looking bad and falling apart currently. The layouts give some insight and indications of how the original structures were joined together and how the developer now envisions mixed uses for the structure.

https://www.colliers.com/en/properti...usa/usa1146248















Hopefully this renovation does come to fruition before the structure deteriorates further!

[ABQalex]

Here are pics of the completed El Parador apartments on Yale and Silver SE near UNM. They are from their website, their listing on Apartments.com and Jack Rembe on Twitter.

https://paradorabq.com/







https://www.apartments.com/el-parado...ue-nm/wv210ck/









https://x.com/RembeJack/status/1907596677508215130

[ABQalex]

Nob Hill News began publication earlier this month. It's sent out three times weekly by email (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and is published on Substack as well. Below are a couple of stories from this week that I found interesting and which give a taste of their content so far. I've been pleased with it and plan to keep my subscription.

https://www.albuquerquenobhillnews.com/

On Monday they had a piece about the 20th anniversary of the new street trees on Silver Avenue that replaced the original elm trees planted under Mayor Clyde Tingley.

Silver Hill’s Second Generation of Trees Turn 20

In the late 1920s, former City Commissioner “Mayor” Clyde Tingley—whose name graces the arena at Expo New Mexico and the Tingley Beach recreational area on the Rio Grande, among others—launched a plan to beautify the neighborhood of Silver Hill. The fashionable and middle-class area—roughly bounded by Yale Avenue and Presbyterian Hospital on the east and west sides respectively, and Central Avenue and CNM to the north and south—primarily housed university students, professors and personnel and patients from the sanatorium that later became Presbyterian Hospital. From his home on the corner of Silver and Ash Avenues, Tingley launched a plan to develop a “parkway” through the neighborhood with landscaped medians and sidewalks, complete with tree coverage.

Under his direction, dozens of Siberian elms were planted along Silver Avenue’s median and sidewalks from Yale Boulevard to Sycamore Street, as well as lining the sidewalks on Gold Avenue. They became iconic of the neighborhood and made it charmingly distinct from surrounding areas that were designed in a more quintessentially Sunbelt fashion, without medians or a canopy of trees.

By the early 2000s, however, the elms—most standing around 50 feet—approached the end of their natural lifecycle. Their brittle branches swung dangerously over pedestrians while their ancient roots contorted the sidewalks. “They were a safety hazard,” said Ingrid Kelley, a former resident of the neighborhood, “So something had to be done. But the city wanted to cut them down and put in gravel.” Many Silver Hill Neighborhood residents were deeply opposed and went to the state legislature to seek support for rethinking the Silver and Gold Avenue streetscapes.

Kelley, at that time a master’s student in the Community and Regional Planning program at UNM, saw an opportunity. She made the neighborhood the focus of her thesis project, integrating historical research with information gathered through discussion groups and interviews with community stakeholders. The result was The Silver Hill Streetscape Manifesto. Released in 2001, the 43-page document proposed a plan of action and design criteria for improving the neighborhood, with special attention given to reforestation efforts. It also earned her a graduate degree.

“When you’re a student, you have time. Firms don’t have that kind of time. Most residents don’t have that kind of time. [The manifesto] was something the neighborhood needed to identify what the people really wanted,” Kelley said.

Armed with the Manifesto, the Neighborhood Association got state and city backing to begin work with Michael Meléndrez, a physiologist and biochemist “that happens to love trees,” as he put it. Alongside his father, Sam, and business partner Dan Garrison, Meléndrez launched a plan for rehabilitating the soil of Silver Hill and reforesting it with native hardwood trees. Meléndrez owns one of the oldest tree nurseries in the state—Trees That Please—where he cultivated a variety of native oaks, southwestern soapberry, lacebark elm, and Chinese pistache to rehome in Silver Hill.

Silver Hill resident James Montalbano found his way to Albuquerque and a little apartment on Silver and Mesa Avenues just as the neighborhood began its discussions of reforestation in 2002. “I was charmed by those trees initially,” he said. “It made the neighborhood walkable. And it was unique to have a tree-lined boulevard in the high desert.” He put down more permanent roots in 2004 when he bought a house and joined the neighborhood association.

For Montalbano, the trees have marked the passage of time. When he bought his home 20 years ago, the trees that now stand tall along Silver and Gold were saplings. “For those first few years, I could see the fireworks at the ballpark from my porch,” he said. “I can’t anymore.”

This Saturday, Silver Hill will host a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the reforestation project. “It’s a great excuse to get the neighbors together,” Montalbano said. “The trees are a big part of what makes our neighborhood such a nice place to walk and bike and live.”

The festivities will be headquartered at 1701 Silver Ave SE (at Pine St) on Saturday, April 26, from 3 to 6 p.m. It wouldn’t be a party without music, so local band Cassis Trio will provide the tunes while Annapurna’s Cafe will supply desserts. All are welcome to attend.

They also had a story about the new townhomes/apartments going up on Garfield Avenue. The developer says that he plans yet more apartments in the area. Remember that he also built the similar apartments nearby on Cornell Drive and the Ocotillo Ridge project on Jefferson Street and Silver Avenue in the Highland area as well.

Garfield Townhomes Break Ground

Developer Evan Davis of Sunlight Properties is focused on “missing middle” housing — a term coined in 2010 to describe the lack of medium-density housing arrangements in the US. He told Nob Hill News that his new 16-unit townhome development at 2404 Garfield Avenue SE is a step toward remedying that situation. The project, which recently broke ground, is expected to be finished sometime next year and will look very similar to an already completed sister property at Cornell Drive and Silver Avenue, not far from the Frontier.

The Garfield property - adjacent to the Fairview Memorial Park cemetery - sits in the University Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, which was created in December 2022. Davis said MRA incentives weren’t the only reason he was interested in developing the location, but that it was a factor.

Each unit will be approximately 800 square feet and have one parking spot each. He intends to rent them at the market rate, estimated at around $1,500/month. The townhomes will also be LEED Platinum certified.

Davis said he’s interested in constructing further energy-efficient, infill developments in the area that address the lack of housing options between the single-family home on one end of the spectrum and apartments on the other.

When Nob Hill News began publication I was also glad to see that they enlarged their original coverage area to extend to San Mateo Boulevard on the east and Gibson Boulevard on the south.



Hopefully one day there will be more such hyperlocal news sources covering even more areas of the city such as the International District east of San Mateo, Uptown and the Northeast Heights north of I-40, the North Valley and South Valley, Mesa del Sol and areas on the Westside, etc. Albuquerque could really get on board further with this trend. For now though, I'm completely thankful for Downtown Albuquerque News and Nob Hill News!

[ABQalex]

The city issued an RFP at the beginning of the month for the 2.4 acre property it owns at Kathryn and San Mateo SE adjacent to the Community Safety Department headquarters. They envision and are asking for proposals for a mixed-use project with multifamily units.

They especially are interested in a "viable" grocery store concept for the project, and proposals will score extra points if such a thing is included. Proposals and submissions are due by June 11th.

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/request-for...eo-rfp-02-2025

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/k...2025-final.pdf

Request for Proposals (RFP) Now Open for Mixed-Use, Multi-Family Housing Project

The City of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA) has a new development opportunity in the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area. A Request for Proposals (RFP #02-2025) has been issued for a City-owned, 2.4-acre site located at 1100 San Mateo Blvd. SE, just north of the newly opened Albuquerque Community Safety Headquarters and a planned community marketplace.

What We’re Looking For

MRA is seeking bold and transformative proposals that will help meet local housing needs and activate this key property. The RFP invites qualified developers to submit plans for a multi-family housing project, with the opportunity to include mixed-use components such as:

• Grocery stores
• Daycare facilities
• Health clinics
• Retail shops
• Wellness studios
• Office spaces

There are no income restrictions for the housing component—proposals can include affordable, market-rate, or a mix of both rental and for-sale units. Bonus points will be awarded for proposals that include a viable grocery store concept, as this is a top priority for the surrounding community.

Project Goals

This development is intended to:

• Close housing and service gaps in the Near Heights area
• Support the goals of the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan
• Contribute to neighborhood revitalization and small business development
• Increase access to affordable and diverse housing options

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque City Council at its meeting earlier this week approved $9.1 million in additional funding for the Farolito Senior Community and SOMOS apartment projects. The Farolito Senior Community is of course already under construction. Sol Housing's executive director, Felipe Rael, spoke at the city council meeting and said that the additional funding for the SOMOS project was the final piece necessary and that it would allow them to begin construction next month.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...-city-council/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Millions of dollars are now heading to two major housing developments in southeast Albuquerque following a vote from city council. The city says a total of more than $9 million in funding has been approved for two Sol Housing developments.

A million dollars in ARPA funding and more than $5.1 million in federal funds will be going to the Somos project, near Central and Louisiana. The mixed-use development will create 70 new housing units, with 59 of those reserved for low income residents. $3 million in ARPA funds will also be going to the Farolito Senior Community. The project is already under construction and will bring 82 affordable housing units for seniors to the East Gateway Neighborhood at Central and Eubank.

Here's another story from KRQE earlier this week where they talk about an additional $23 million in funding that the city has set aside that will help build or improve about 1,100 affordable housing units across the city. This includes funding for the Park Central conversion project at San Mateo and Central and the Wells Fargo building conversion in Downtown Albuquerque.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...o-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — An initiative by One Albuquerque is expected to bring over 1,000 affordable-housing units to Albuquerque. The “Housing Forward Fund” consists of $23 million for addressing Albuquerque’s housing supply.

Here’s a look at the funded projects:

• Los Altos Lofts ($6.2M) – The City converted a former motel on Hotel Avenue, near Lomas and Eubank, into 90 affordable housing units. 86 units are leased, with multiple applications pending for the remaining units.

• West Mesa Ridge ($8M) – Funding was awarded to YES Housing’s West Mesa Ridge affordable housing development. The 128-unit project at 701 Coors NW includes affordable one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments.

• Beach Apartments Staircase Repairs ($3.3M) – The City is working toward the reconstruction of 42 staircases.

• Energy Efficiency Upgrades ($1.5M) – Improvements to 594 City-owned units to reduce costs for residents and the environmental impact. This is being achieved through a contract with ICAST.

• Commercial Property Conversions ($3M) – Supporting projects that transform underused commercial spaces into housing. This includes redeveloping the Wells Fargo building at Lomas and Third into about 100 affordable housing units. Funding will also go to the Park Central Apartments, a vacant office building at Central and San Mateo. Once completed, the building will be transformed into 155 housing units.

The fund is comprised of $20 million in gross receipts tax and $3 million in general funding.

Here's another story that KRQE had recently where they looked at and updated the four projects that the the city council approved last year which the mayor also touted as helping with our housing crisis. Note that the story of course was before the city council approval of funding for SOMOS earlier this week

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...t-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The city has given some nice tax breaks to four big housing projects in southeast Albuquerque, but months down the line, some of those projects have yet to see much work. Almost all of these projects are located on Central Ave., many of which have funding to start but still have more permitting, hiring, and funding challenges to meet.

“We’ve had a huge historic underinvestment in this area, and absolutely, before things get more expensive or the landscape gets more uncertain, it’s time to act and do what we have to do now,” said Nichole Rodgers, Albuquerque City Councilor.

She is pushing to get more housing in her district, including four projects for which the city already approved redevelopment tax breaks that could collectively save millions. “These all happen to be kind of off the Central corridor, which is really nice to see, too. That’s very important for access to the art transit route and reinvigorating central a bit in preparation for the centennial,” said Terry Brunner, Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director, CABQ.

But each of those projects still has a long way to go, including the “SOMOS” development, which will mix affordable apartments with commercial space at Central Ave. near Louisiana Blvd. The developer, Sol Housing, said their permits and contractor are set, but they need nearly $5 million to close the gap. “Our target date is kind of early May, so hopefully within 30 days we should be breaking ground and going vertical,” said Felipe Rael, executive director of Sol Housing.

Another project, the Highlands Central Market and Residence Inn, would be across from Presbyterian Hospital with a food hall and long-stay hotel. Titan development is still working on permits. “This one is really about local economy, business development, economic development,” said Rogers.

Near Nob Hill, the 16-unit Garfield townhomes have started utility work. Meanwhile, one of two towers on San Mateo near Central Ave. is looking for contractors before work begins to convert offices to apartments. “These are out-of-state developers that are kind of new to the New Mexico market, so we want to get them in the game as soon as possible. And those towers are also something that the community is just really interested in seeing get done,” said Brunner.

Across the four projects, if they come to fruition as planned, the city says it will add around 313 new units of housing. None of the projects has solid dates so far for completion. A funding boost for the 70-unit SOMOS project is slated for city council review next week. Developers are looking for $6 million from federal grants.

[ABQalex]

The city issued a request for information for a master developer for 172 acres of land at the Sunport, which includes the Aviation Center of Excellence on the former north-south runway and properties along the western edge of the airport grounds.

https://x.com/ABQSunport/status/1916899057458466947





This seems to include the area where Sceye, Inc. planned a manufacturing operation. I'm unsure whether this means that the project is no longer in the works. The parcels where the Sceye, Inc. project is planned are colored in green, which may indicate that they have a different status for development, i.e. current development plans.

The project received incentives and was going through the city’s planning approval process last year as far as I know. They were also in the news for their expansion plans as recently as late-November. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what the status is for the project.

https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico...in-new-mexico/

Here's a pic of Steel Bender Brewyard's upcoming space at the new Sunport food hall. It was posted by them on their social media accounts this past weekend. In replies to comments asking when they will be open, they said that they are aiming to open by this fall.

https://www.instagram.com/steelbende...p/DI6ynEuyf2j/



The Sunport recently welcomed and debuted its new direct flight to Nashville on Southwest Airlines. Below is a story by KRQE and a few pics of the occasion from the city’s OneABQ Media.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...art-this-week/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Sunport’s newest direct flight is scheduled to take off this week, giving New Mexico residents another place to travel for the summer. Last year, the Sunport announced they were adding a direct flight to Nashville, Tennessee, operated by Southwest Airlines.

At the time, the city said the route was something Southwest had worked on for a while to get to Albuquerque. Flights to the Music City are set to take off this Tuesday and will continue daily through at least August.

According to the website, Nashville is the 17th city Southwest has a direct flight from the Sunport.

https://www.facebook.com/OneABQMedia...6JWwwpkVLnM3Pl







Here also are a couple of neat pics of the Sunport taken by a guest at the Sheraton Airport Hotel that I thought I'd take this opportunity to share. They were posted to a Facebook group at the beginning of the month.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2868...6971428252556/

[ABQalex]

Titan Development has released a rendering of their hotel project in Nob Hill on the former Hiway House Motel property. Below is a story from KRQE which includes the rendering. It looks like the new 112-room hotel will be called the "Hiway Hotel" It will be part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio of boutique hotels. The developer hopes to begin construction early next year and the hotel to open in 2028.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...n-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s big excitement for Nob Hill as neighbors are now getting a first look at a new hotel that the county has green lit a big tax break for.

“We think it’s terrific and I have not talked to one neighbor who didn’t think so,” said Gary Eyster with the Nob Hill neighborhood association

For years the old Hiway House was an eyesore and a problem property in the heart of Nob Hill but after demolition. The now empty lot is set to get major upgrade soon.

“Mid-century modern-esque design and a little bit of space-aginess to it. We wanted to embrace the car culture of route 66 and this forward motion about the traveler because that’s what travel is all about as it relates to the hotel,” said Josh Rogers with Titan development partner.

The lot’s owners Titan development is getting ready to build a brand new 112 room hotel which will be linked to Marriott’s “Tribute” brand.

The planned boutique hotel will have a roof top bar, a restaurant and even an entertainment area.

[“Nob Hill has a real challenge, you know, Sunday and Monday nights a lot of the restaurants close. And I think with us bringing, you know, 112 rooms that are open every night and driving that the businesses around us is what’s really exciting about this project,” said Rogers.

This new building could bring a lot more people around. Roughly 30,000 guests a year are expected at the hotel while the bar and restaurant is expected to bring about 45,000 customers a year.

“That’s a lot of people who can patronize Nob Hill businesses and our community prizes Nob Hill businesses. This is one of the few neighborhoods in the city where you can walk a few blocks and you can have a lovely meal, have a beer or a wine,” said Eyster.

Alongside neighbors even some businesses say they think it will be a major boost to the area.

“I’m actually glad they’re bringing in a hotel because I think it’ll bring in more people, it’ll bring in more travelers, and definitely help our businesses out,” said Tonya Hill owener of Phat Stax.

The county approved a 34-million dollar industrial revenue bond for the project last week.

Titan development is hoping to break ground by the start of next year with an aim to open the hotel by 2028.

The Bernalillo County Commission at its meeting last week also introduced and began considering Titan's request of $34 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project.

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

Titan Development is one step closer to receiving a necessary $34 million industrial revenue bond for its redevelopment project of the former Hiway House Motel in Nob Hill.

The Bernalillo County Commission unanimously approved an inducement resolution to issue a $34 million IRB to Titan Development for its Hiway Hotel redevelopment project in its April 22 meeting.

The IRB means the county will hold the title to Titan's property until the bonds are paid, and Titan will not pay a portion of its property taxes or general receipt taxes until all bondholders are paid.

Without the IRB financing, Titan couldn’t use associated economic incentives for the project and would have to consider withdrawing from the location due to the financial gap, a Bernalillo County Commission document shows.

The inducement resolution of the IRB allows for legislation to be introduced so county commissioners can consider final approval to issue the IRB at its May 27 meeting, Marcos Gonzales, executive development officer for Bernalillo County Economic Development, said during the April 22 meeting.

"Titan is honored by the Bernalillo County Commission’s approval of the IRBs for the transformative Hiway House redevelopment in Nob Hill," Josh Rogers, Titan Development partner, said in an email statement. "We are deeply grateful for the commissioners’ thoughtful remarks and their recognition of the significant positive impact this project will bring to the Nob Hill community."

The redeveloped property will be a 112-room Tribute by Marriott hotel, according to a Bernalillo County Commission document.

Marriott’s Tribute portfolio is a brand of independent, boutique hotels known for their unique character, captivating design and vibrant social scenes, the document shows.

The hotel's amenities will include a rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city, meeting rooms, a signature restaurant, local retail featuring goods crafted by New Mexican makers and artists and fitness area, the document shows.

Construction is expected to begin on the hotel in the first quarter of 2026. The estimated cost of construction for the real property is $20 million, the document shows.

An additional estimated $8.5 million be spent on hard costs, and the remaining $5.5 million will be spent on land and soft costs, the document shows.

It’s estimated the hotel will be operational in the second quarter of 2027.

The hotel will create an estimated 77 new jobs. Of those jobs, 14 will be full-time and 63 will be part-time positions.

The average salary for managerial positions will be $72,333, and the average salary for administrative positions will be $35,000. Support positions will make $17.17 per hour.

It’s estimated the hotel will host 31,000 guests annually.

“I think this is a great example of how IRBs can be used to multiply dollars for economic productivity,” District 4 Commissioner Walt Benson said during the meeting. “While you have visitors staying there, they’re going to be spending money down on the street at the restaurants, the gift shops (and) the art shops.”

With the closing of Zinc Wine Bar and Bistro and relocation of Mesa Provisions, Nob Hill businesses near the Hiway Hotel will welcome the economic productivity Benson mentioned. Businesses in the Nob Hill Business Center, which Heritage Real Estate Co. recently acquired, will also benefit from the new hospitality project.

Here's the full rendering of the new hotel from KRQE's story.

[ABQalex]

It looks like work for The George at Country Club Plaza has gotten underway. Cactus Hibs over at SSC posted today that there is heavy equipment on the site and what looked like site prep underway.

I then posted about a notice of decision for approval of the site plan that I came across a coupe of weeks ago. It was issued at the beginning of the month.

https://dmdmaps.cabq.gov/DRB/PR-2022...-%204.7.25.pdf

Prompted by the news of possible work getting underway for the project I went looking and was able to find the new site plan and renderings for the reworked project. Unfortunately, it's just as I imagined, a worse project. It's now just a box with a driveway next to it, coming off of Central Avenue. These NIMBYs really do always mess everything up.







The original plan was much nicer and made perfect sense. It sensibly dealt with the awkward site and its narrow frontage along Central Avenue. It had a much nicer street presence and interaction with the street. In this new plan that all feels like an afterthought and a token gesture, with most of the ground-floor street presence and interaction now relegated to the driveway and back parking lots.

Needless to say, I'm not happy with how it ended up. But the NIMBYs are entirely to blame, not Jay Rembe. I'm just thankful for something to fill this empty lot and to have 34 more residential units for our city and along the ART route.

A reminder of the original plans for the project. Hopefully we'll see some 3D renderings released that may make the new project seem nicer than these flat, black and white renderings above do.

[ABQalex]

Smothered officially opened for business earlier this month at Country Club Plaza in the former Vinaigrette space. Below are pics that they've posted on their social media accounts over the last month and a half since they've been having their previews and soft opening. They are open from 8 am until 3 pm but some of their preview events took place in the evening, hence some of the night shots.

https://www.instagram.com/smotheredbrunch/

[ABQalex]

Curious Toast Cafe has opened its second location at the Park Square Market food hall in Uptown Albuquerque. The original location opened a few years ago during the pandemic in Downtown Albuquerque. The story below by KOB-TV says that they are currently in their soft opening phase until the food hall has its grand opening in the summer.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/curio...square-market/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Local businesses can run into a lot of challenges with just one location, let alone two. But some restaurants are taking a leap of faith with a new concept.

One of the newest food halls in Albuquerque is one step closer to opening its doors.

“The Benji for sure, it’s our take on avocado toast. It has avocado spread, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese,” said Victoria Van Dame, owner of Curious Toast.

Van Dame says she first opened the doors to Curious Toast during the pandemic. Five years later, she’s opening up a second location, this time in Park Square Market.

“From what I’ve been hearing, that live up here, it’s really sometimes a little bit harder for them to get to our downtown location, which is super unique, and we have art and are part of the downtown vibe down there,” said Van Dame.

Along with the favorites, they’re holding a permanent spot for a popular special.

“We have a chicken salad that was a special downtown, and then we decided to put it on the menu up here, which is really delicious. People come back, and they are like, ‘I’ll have the chicken salad toast,’ and we’re like, ‘It’s not on the menu,’” Van Dame said.

What really makes the customers come back are the New Mexico roots.

“They really enjoy that we source our different breads from different parts of the state. We do get some of our Tesuque bread from the Tesuque Village Market. Our local sourdough bread is from Ihatov, and she’s such a wonderful lady,” said Van Dame.

Although it’s not Van Dame’s first rodeo in the restaurant business, she says these two locations are the main focus.

“I can’t say that I’m not scared, a little bit afraid. Opening up a restaurant was kind of a thing, you know, ahhh how hard can it be? They said, open up a coffee shop, it’ll be fun, they said,” said Van Dame.

Along with Curious Toast, many of the vendors inside Park Square Market are currently in a soft opening phase. But the official market won’t have it’s grand opening until this summer.

Here's a pic of the Benji that was mentioned in the KOB-TV story above.



Here also are a few pics of the Curious Toast space that they recently posted on their social media accounts, including one taken while owner Victoria Van Dame was being interviewed by KOB-TV for their story.

https://www.instagram.com/curioustoastcafe/

[ABQalex]

The new Flix Brewhouse location has opened on the east side in the Northeast Heights. Below is a story by KOB-TV and a couple of pics from the Flix Brewhouse ABQ Facebook account. It will be celebrating its grand opening through the weekend. They had a soft opening yesterday with free food and beverage and "throwback movie" screenings for members of their loyalty club.

https://flixbrewhouse.com/theaters/g...erque-tramway/

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Families in northeast Albuquerque now have a new place to eat, drink, and watch movies.

The Flix Brewhouse off Tramway and Indian School just hosted their grand opening for the new location. The building used to be a Regal Theatre. It’s right next door to the Hinkle Family Fun Center.

Developers say it’s the perfect spot for their second location in Albuquerque.

“This is the first city to have two Flix Brewhouses, and we base it off obviously revenue and the request from the people in the community to want to bring this to this location,” said Victor Lopstaine, regional director of operations for Flix Brehouse.

The new location has seven movie bays, 700 total seats, a full kitchen and a brewery.

https://www.facebook.com/FlixBrewhouseAlbuquerque/

[ABQalex]

The city says that actual construction work on the Rail Trail's Central Crossing will begin in the "coming weeks" and that they have now received all approvals necessary from the state, railway, etc. I sure hope that's true and the project does indeed finally get underway!

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Central railroad crossing in downtown Albuquerque is about to get a huge makeover.

Construction crews are just about ready to get started on a new section of the Albuquerque Rail Trail.

“This section is really the center of the Rail Trail in a lot of ways,” said Terry Brunner, interim director of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency.

It took a lot of planning and authorizations, but reps with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency say they’re finally ready to transform these outdated and problematic underpasses into a new overpass, and eventually a key landmark on the Albuquerque Rail Trail.

“This is it’s going to really change how people interact with that part of town,” said Brunner.

Brunner says plans to replace the dark, narrow underpasses with a new, brightly-lit overpass are years in the making.

“We always remind people that this bridge has not been changed in 50 plus years,” said Brunner.

Brunner says construction crews will get to work on a new ramp next to the Alvarado Transit Center in the coming weeks, but the roughly $20 million project will also include a second ramp on the other side of the tracks, hopefully opening to the public in early 2026.

Brunner says that’s when the city will close the other underpass and enter the next phase of Rail Trail construction.

“After we build these ramps and improve the bridge, we’ll be able to then construct the Rail Trail going northbound along the railroad tracks and southbound to the rail yards,” Brunner said.

Crews got to work on the first section of the planned seven-mile loop trail last fall, but Brunner says the Central overpass is a key section of the project, with a planned electric tumbleweed sculpture in the mix.

“That’s an attraction for folks. They can ride their bike through it. It will light up at night. Provide a lot of Instagrammable moments for people,” said Brunner.

For now, crews are focused on getting this overpass open on schedule.

“By this fall, we should have sections of the trail ready for people to enjoy,” said Brunner.

Construction is expected to get started here in the coming weeks, and Brunner says there shouldn’t be many traffic issues.

He also revealed the city already purchased all the property needed to extend the Rail Trail north and south near First and Central, so we’re expecting some promising updates in 2025.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a story about building tall in Downtown Albuquerque. They talk to both Jim Long and David Silverman about it in the story. I especially like David Silverman's thoughts and optimism. Jim Long is sort of disappointing in his pessimism and comments, but I wonder if he isn't afraid of competition for Albuquerque Plaza and the Clyde Hotel as premier and highly visible properties in the skyline.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/...a2fc77984.html

Albuquerque is shooting for the sky when it comes to development in Downtown Albuquerque, but its skyline tells a humbler story.

Revitalizing Downtown Albuquerque has been at the center of development conversations for years, but those conversations always seem to have the question: Is building up a part of the equation, and if so, is it feasible? Some developers say yes, but it poses significant challenges.

Cities like Austin have found a way to transform their skylines, even through periods of national economic uncertainty, thanks to a growing tech ecosystem. The city has seen consistent vertical development over the past couple of decades, with its tallest 74-story building currently under construction.

Costs to build and a lack of private equity funds and market demand are the primary limitations keeping Downtown Albuquerque from building up, according to Jim Long, CEO and founder of Heritage Cos., which owns New Mexico’s tallest building, the WaFd Bank building.

Long said the cost it would take to replace his two Downtown high-rises, the WaFd building and the 20-story Clyde Hotel, would exceed $400 million, creating a significant cost barrier for many developers.

Private equity funds for investing in projects that would cost hundreds of millions to build are also few and far between, Long said. He added that lenders typically like to see borrowers be able to cover at least 25-30% of a project. For a $400 million project, developers would have to come up with up to $120 million.

A lack of market demand is also a driving factor. Long said there is simply not enough demand for big, tall office buildings, hotels or residential housing to “warrant a project like this.”

The primary reasons developers construct tall buildings? Governments putting public money into projects to attract additional investment, and expansions by large companies, Long said.

“To fill a large building, you have to have large tenants. You have to have large companies based here. We don’t have very many large companies based here,” the CEO said.

Many of these reasons are why past efforts to build up higher have failed — the most notable being former Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry’s early 2017 campaign to reshape the Downtown skyline with a proposed 34-story “Symphony Tower” at the parking lot on Third and Marquette NW. The project was ultimately scrapped after the current mayor, Tim Keller, took office in late 2017.

There is nothing preventing developers from building higher from a zoning perspective. There are no height restrictions for Downtown, said Mikaela Renz-Whitmore, manager of the city’s Urban Design & Development Division.

Renz-Whitmore said she thinks culture also plays a role in the development of Downtown’s structure.

“As part of a Southwest culture, where people really appreciate our vistas and our views... I think culturally, we kind of like our low, spread out development, and I think that absolutely set the flavor for what got developed,” Renz-Whitmore said.

At least one local company today is in favor of vertical development in the heart of the city: Geltmore LLC, a family-run team of local developers who were involved with the Symphony Tower proposal. Geltmore Principal David Silverman agreed with many of the challenges Long spelled out, but added, “That’s not to say we can’t do it.”

Long and Silverman both said some of the first steps to making vertical development in Downtown more feasible would be attracting large companies, potentially tech, into the area and establishing a Downtown Business Improvement District, or BID, which assembles a defined area’s property owners to collectively fund projects and services to boost economic development. Putting a BID together is currently underway Downtown.

Silverman added that the University of New Mexico “committing to something significant coming Downtown” is important, as well as the city investing in Downtown entertainment, such as a performing arts center or concert venue.

“We need a vision, we need a plan. ... We need to not be scared to take some chances,” Silverman said. “If we’re just going to focus on alleys and the graffiti and the lights, we’re not really going to get anywhere. That’s important, but we gotta aspire to a little more than just the status quo.”

For Geltmore, the planning and aspiring have already started. The group is currently under contract to purchase Downtown’s Wells Fargo building at Second and Lomas NW. If all goes well, the acquisition will lead to some interesting development opportunities.

“There’s vacant land that comes with it, like a whole city block,” Silverman said. “Our plan is to go vertical, and we’re going to start planning now for that in the future.”

Silverman said the more than 500-room hotel that was identified as a potential strategy for boosting tourism in Visit Albuquerque’s most recent 10-year Destination Master Plan is a project that is on Geltmore’s radar and could potentially fit the bill for a tall building next to the Wells Fargo tower.

“It’d be nice to change the skyline and get something taller. (It’s) certainly something that we’re hoping to accomplish,” Silverman said. “We’re pretty far away at the moment, but we’ve certainly got our sights to try to do that.”

Renz-Whitmore said developers getting creative with mixed-use spaces would be necessary to spur vertical growth in the heart of the city. She gave the example of UNM thinking about a dormitory tower project.

“I do think there’s opportunities for building tall buildings, but I think our market isn’t quite there yet,” Renz-Whitmore said, adding she doesn’t see another skyscraper going up in Downtown but does see more buildings between three and seven stories starting to go up at populated centers throughout the city.

Long agreed, adding, “(Downtown) should grow vertically when the market demand warrants it. ... If you were to build today, it would be an economic disaster.”

Silverman said he and the Geltmore team hope to see barriers, including costs, shift over the next five to seven years.

“Why wouldn’t we invest in some density in our core? If people say the health of your city is judged by your Downtown, then why wouldn’t we try to make our Downtown better?” Silverman said.

I must again take issue with the false characterization of what doomed the Symphony Tower. Again, it never had a chance to even see if it could come to fruition by going after financing, etc. The mayor killed it before it even got a chance to get to that point.

I also must take issue with the idea that we must have very large companies in order to build tall here or ever again.

El Paso was able to build a new tallest building of 314 feet in height with only a local bank and a local development firm as its main tenants and driving force. Surely we could see something similar come to fruition with companies and outfits here like Nusenda, Sunward, etc. and Geltmore, Titan Development, Legacy Development, etc. coming together in a similar fashion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WestStar_Tower

And that's for a traditional office building. Never mind hotel and residential. The barriers to those coming to fruition are much lower. To dismiss the possibility or idea of building those is quite absurd, IMO.

What's missing here and what I've always said, is the desire, determination and will to be Downtown and build here (and taller) by our local business establishment, development community and movers and shakers. It's a cultural shift that needs to happen.

I've seen it in many other cities Albuquerque’s size or even smaller where they focus on and do things to benefit their Downtown area first. That leads to building taller and building up their downtown areas. See smaller places like Fargo and Sioux Falls in the Dakotas, for example.

Fargo has a new tallest building and Sioux Falls is building quite a bit of buildings in the 7-10-story range in its downtown area in two big developments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDO_Building

https://www.thesteeldistrict.com/

https://cherapa.com/

These projects were all initiated, occupied and developed by local companies and development groups. They didn't need huge companies to make the difference in their cities and downtown areas. They just needed the ones they had to focus their efforts and commit to building up and improving their downtown areas. It's entirely possible and can happen here too.

But unfortunately, that sort of culture and will just doesn't exist in Albuquerque right now, apart from a few determined individuals and government efforts, which has also unfortunately been lacking and lagging under this current mayor.

I'm thankful that we do still have some people like the Silvermans in this city, who believe in something bigger and better, especially for our downtown area. You'll sure as hell never get anywhere as a city or downtown area with a defeatist and unworthy attitude. We need to believe in ourselves and say it often that nothing is impossible here. That's where we start!

[ABQalex]

Unfortunately, the push for a quality of life tax package for a new performing arts center failed at the city council earlier this week. It was a classic example of dysfunction, misguided efforts and turf wars on behalf of our city leaders.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Performing arts center tax proposal collapses

Idea looks to be a dead letter for the year at least

A proposal that would have asked voters to raise taxes to fund a Downtown core performing arts center, a Northeast Heights aquatic center, and potentially a large group of other infrastructure projects to be named later went down to defeat at Monday's City Council meeting amid a flurry of hostile amendments that ultimately led even Joaquín Baca, the bill's sponsor, to vote against it.

The attack on the bill began with an amendment from Councilor Klarissa Peña that would have moved the Downtown core performing arts center down to fourth in the funding priority list, behind projects located at the Westgate Community Center and the Cibola Loop Multigenerational Center, which are both located on the Westside. (The aquatic center, a long-standing priority of Councilor Brook Bassan, was already at the top of the list.)

Baca objected to the move, saying he had never seen a sponsor's project brushed aside in such a way.

"You might as well cross my name off as sponsor and put Peña in there," he said.

But Peña held firm while also making her displeasure with the whole business quite clear. The amendment is "exactly how I feel about the sponsor and the allocation … in his district," she said, referring to the performing arts center.

The amendment failed on a 2-7 vote, with Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn joining Peña in supporting it.

Fiebelkorn then proposed doing away with the bill's named projects and the broader funding formula, which allocated money by council district, in favor of the more typical process in which councilors hash out the dollar figures as a group. She called it "the adult thing" to do.

Baca countered that "the adult thing is always to let people know what you're voting on."

Fiebelkorn's amendment passed, effectively gutting the bill’s original structure. She then followed up with another amendment proposing that all of the funding go to affordable housing. That change failed.

By that point, the legislation's fate was all but sealed. Rather than belabor the point, councilors moved to vote on the overall bill, skipping further discussion over the objections of Bassan, who as president of the council typically has discretion over such matters. That decision also had the apparently inadvertent effect of cutting off scheduled public comments on the bill, though speakers who signed up were later allowed to address the second part of the two-part legislation.

When the final vote came, the measure failed 0-9.

The proposal would have raised the gross receipts tax by three-eighths of one percent to fund a series of "quality-of-life" projects. The proposal had attracted the support of Bassan, who noted that voters had already supported the aquatic center in multiple general obligation bond elections in previous years and might well do so again. Its main detractor looked to be Councilor Dan Lewis, who had previously called for raising money for new projects by reducing operational spending rather than levying new taxes.

Representatives of the New Mexico Philharmonic had spoken in favor of the performing arts center, saying it would attract visitors, boost nearby businesses, and serve as an inspiration to young people.

Reached for comment Tuesday, Baca did not rule out reviving the proposal at a later date, but said it was now a practical impossibility to get a question on the November ballot.

I'll just say it again, improving and doing things that will benefit Downtown Albuquerque must be the priority of our entire city and all city councilors. It is both the heart and face of our city. And thus, its health and wellbeing matters the most and is of the utmost importance for our entire city.

This sort of provincialism and these sorts of turf wars are exactly what's wrong with our city. You can advocate for more amenities, etc. in other parts of the city without derailing and denying funding for projects Downtown. More funding for affordable housing is also absolutely necessary and a worthy fight, but this was about quality of life projects, not affordable housing. We can allow ourselves nice things while also recognizing and trying to deal with our other issues separately and at a different time.

It's this type of sh!t that has always held our city back and kept us from being the best version of ourselves that we can be. I'm utterly disgusted by it and completely tired of seeing it happen over and over, decade after decade. It must stop and we must change the way we do things here if we are to have any hope of a brighter future.

I hope the city council, especially these two councilors who derailed this bill will take to heart the utter astonishment and bewilderment expressed by those who spoke about the bill after it was derailed by the amendments and subsequently failed in a 0-9 vote. It was an utterly embarrassing scene.

[ABQalex]

The city this week also released the final version of the Downtown 2050 Metropolitan Redevelopment Area plan. The next step will be for the city council to vote on whether to adopt the plan.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...-for-downtown/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There’s a new plan the city hopes can breathe new life into downtown, and KRQE News 13 is getting a look at what big projects could take top priority over the next few decades.

After months of gathering opinions, the city’s finalized its new “Downtown 2050″ plan, which says better parking and new shade are some of the biggest priorities. Some business owners say they would be a welcome change. “This is our home, this is our neighborhood. And everybody down here is really optimistic that the city of Albuquerque is reinvesting into Downtown,” said Mark Baker, owner of 505 Central Food Hall.

Some consider it the heart of Albuquerque, and in 2025, downtown is still a hub for workers, restaurants, and events. A new roadmap called the “Downtown 2050 Redevelopment Plan” is now outlining what the city should focus on changing, including adding more trees for shade, widening sidewalks, and installing more art.

Albuquerque Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director Terry Brunner said the plan is important for a critical part of the city. “It does contribute a lot to our gross receipts and our tax revenue. It’s the place usually tourists go first to figure out what’s happening in your town, and it’s also a site where people work, live, and play these days,” says Terry Brunner, Director for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency.

Other priorities include adding more wayfinding kiosks and finally helping people figure out where to park. “Well, we would love to see an app being used so that if people are coming downtown,n they know where the available spaces are, or how many spaces are in the parking garage, or what’s the current rate,” says Brunner.

The plan also outlines filling vacant buildings with pop-up shops and temporary retail stores. Baker said that while the area has grown in some ways, there’s more work to be done to make it better. “And this is a unique neighborhood, that’s very important for keeping our young people in Albuquerque and attracting new people to our state,” says Baker.

MRA Director Brunner said the city is aiming to tackle these improvements over decades. They estimate the collection of initiatives could cost millions, and that money, which will most likely come from Albuquerque City Council. The city has already launched wayfinding improvements, and they’re asking for people’s opinions on how best to do it.

It's amazing to me that the city council will most likely accept and adopt this plan, perhaps even unanimously like they did its boundaries, but yet we still have councilors who believe that somehow Downtown gets more than it should and is focused on too much. The plan lays out the reasons why that's not currently so and why it's important that we do focus on the area for the sake of our entire city and its health and competitiveness on a national scale.

People across the country don't judge our city by whether there are an equal number of pools or community centers, shopping centers and commercial areas across the city. They judge us by what our downtown area is like and whether we are investing in it. That includes whether we've built any tall buildings recently or have big new projects being built currently.

Some people can argue whether those are valid measurements, but the plain and simple truth is they are the most common, quickest and easiest way that people do judge a city and whether it is doing well, flourishing and progressing. People couldn't care less about how many nice and growing suburban areas we have.

We need to make sure that there is constant activity and big projects always being built in Downtown Albuquerque in order to make our city successful and known as a great place nationally. We need to attract and have as many people visiting, working and living in our downtown area as possible. And we must do anything and everything possible to make the goals laid out in the redevelopment plan a reality.

I hope our leaders and all our citizens will commit to this plan and seeing it through successfully!

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/d...inal-email.pdf

[ABQalex]

Here's a pic of the groundbreaking ceremony for the George at Country Club Plaza. It confirms that the project is indeed underway. It was posted on LinkedIn last week by a project manager for the city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...9493726621697/



Albuquerque Business First has a story about renovations and changes coming to the former Little Red Hamburger Hut structure along Mountain Road. The new owners plan the improvements to make way for a new restaurant and additional tenant for the structure. It looks like the new restaurant will be called "MASA" unless that's just a placeholder name for the rendering.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...urger-hut.html

An iconic Old Town eatery's former home is getting a fresh start, as investors work to create an appealing space for new tenants while honoring the building's rich history.

A partnership of local investors acquired the former Little Red Hamburger Hut building the week of April 28 and spoke with Albuquerque Business First about its plans for the property.

The partnership, managed by John Algermissen, will renovate the one-story, 2,660-square-foot building at 1501 Mountain Road NW for an undisclosed restaurant user and another tenant, Algermissen said.

The restaurant will take the majority of the space in the building, he said.

Insight Construction is the general contractor for the renovation, and Gordon Barnard of Barnard & Co. Designworks LLC is the designer, Algermissen said.

Algermissen declined to disclose the cost of the renovations. He said that the partnership purchased the building for an amount slightly under the asking price.

Base 5 Retail represented the seller in the transaction, and Algermissen represented the partnership, he said.

As a broker specializing in retail representation for NAI SunVista, Algermissen found that several of his clients were looking to lease space in the Old Town area but that there was limited retail space available that met their needs.

Algermissen’s experience helping place businesses like Sunday Bagel and Rumor Pizza in the Old Town area convinced him that many other retail concepts, especially restaurants, could thrive there if space were available.

“It’s very walkable and (there’s) good demand for products and services in that area, so restaurants tend to do pretty well,” Algermissen said. “There just really isn’t, I would say, good space out there on the market that meets their needs.”

The lack of appropriate space in Old Town for these concepts, coupled with the demand he was seeing for it, led him to close that gap by forming the partnership and finding an appropriate building for redevelopment and leasing.

The building at 1501 Mountain Road NW appealed to Algermissen and the partnership because of its location, the parking lot to the east and the front and rear patio, Algermissen said.

The building was originally built in the late 1800s or early 1900s, Algermissen said. It was the Little Red Hamburger Hut until it closed just before Covid, and it's been mostly vacant since then, he added.

"That's also what was really cool about this building is that it had a lot of historic relevance," Algermissen said. "The biggest thing we've been working on is trying to create a balance of being able to bring some life into a historic building while making sure it can be attainable from a rent perspective."

Algermissen said that he and the partnership have been able to strike that balance between renovating the building but keeping its rent manageable for the restaurant tenant.

While I do like this project and the plans I do worry about losing the structure's original rustic charm. It doesn't look very good or appealing in its current state and dark color scheme, but it was absolutely charming and whimsical painted up as the Little Red Hamburger Hut.



But I'll take a fancier scheme so long as the structure is put to good use like a restaurant once again and contributes to the activity along Mountain Road!

[ABQalex]

The city has announced that they will be having the ribbon-cutting ceremony and a celebration for the Wells Park expansion project towards the end of the month.

https://www.cabq.gov/office-of-neigh...alk-wells-park

Below is a neat aerial pic of the project that was recently uploaded to the Wells Park neighborhood profile on the Homes.com website. It looks like it was taken within the last two months or so as the project wasn't quite completed yet but the trees and landscaping, etc. were starting to get green.

https://www.homes.com/local-guide/al...-neighborhood/



Here's another neat aerial pic that was recently uploaded to the Wells Park neighborhood profile on the Homes.com website. It shows the area around 4th Street and the north end of Downtown with several of the projects that have been built there, including the Cuatro senior housing and Hope Village supportive housing projects. You can also spot Anthea @ The Granite, the Emerald Building, the new Monroe's restaurant structure, and the new Town & Ranch operation. I'd really love to see even more projects happen in this area. It could really be a great area!