Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

Winrock Town Center posted a neat short video on their social media accounts today previewing the new 4DX theater at the Winrock Regal Cinemas. It's really cool and neat to see it in action with the seats moving, smoke, water and lights, etc! The new theater experience will open to the public tomorrow. Below are a few screenshots and a link to the video on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/winrocktowncenter/reel/DKialbJP3c-/

[ABQalex]

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the SOMOS Apartments in the International District yesterday. The 4-story, 70-unit project will have ground floor commercial space as well. It's being built at Central and Alcazar across the street from the Talin Market and near the ART station at Louisiana Boulevard.

https://www.krqe.com/news/community/new-mixed-income-housing-project-underway-in-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Construction is underway for Sol Housing, a new mixed-income apartment complex in Albuquerque. The building called “Somos” is located near Central Ave. and Alcazar St., which is east of Louisiana Blvd.

City officials say it is designed to provide affordable housing for older adults and those with accessibility needs. The city said it’s part of their Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Plan, which aims to stabilize low-income neighborhoods.

The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency donated the land for the project. Funding came from:

• $4 million from the New Mexico Housing Trust Fund in the form of a loan;
• Approximately $1.6 million annually in 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits for 10 years;
• $5.18 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD);
• $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the U.S. Department of Treasury;
• $158,756 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for infrastructure improvements.

The complex will offer 70 homes, 80% of which will be reserved for people age 55 and older. Also, 59 will be income-restricted and 11 will be market-rate units.

Construction is expected to be completed in December 2026.

Here's an overhead pic of the site and the earthwork/early construction for the apartments. It's from the updates section on the SOMOS Apartments website. Construction actually got underway on May 19th.

https://somosapts.info/updates

[ABQalex]

Here's the most recent construction pic that I can find of the Route 66 Flats project on the Westside. It's from a City Desk ABQ article back in February about changes to the city council's housing bill that passed at the beginning of the year. The changes have to do with the appeals fees for neighborhood associations, which also ultimately passed. (Note that City Desk ABQ has been undergoing a bit of upheaval and changes lately and its archive and new stories are being migrated and hosted/posted on various other sites now).

https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2025/02/27...s-for-city-developments-more-affordable/



Here's the rendering of the project to compare with what's been built so far. In the construction pic you can see the concrete pad/foundation where the one-story office/amenities structure will be built next to the L-shaped main structure.



Here also is a screenshot of Google streetview from later in February showing the project from a similar perspective and just a bit further along.



Albuquerque Business First had a story late last month about the West Mesa Ridge project on Coors Boulevard. It gives an update on the project and the overall timeline for bringing all of its phases to fruition. The project was another recent recipient of funds and funding mechanisms that Housing New Mexico approved at its meeting last month. It is also a recipient of funds from the city’s Housing Forward initiative. YES Housing expects that the first phase with 128 units will be completed by December of 2026. The story is unclear as to whether actual construction has begun, but I assume if it hasn't it will get underway soon in order to be finished by late next year.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/...72-unit-apt-westside-complex-update.html

After receiving approval from the Albuquerque City Council in August 2024, a developer provided clarity around the construction timeline and costs for a new apartment complex on the city’s growing Westside.

Phase 1 of construction on West Mesa Ridge — YES Housing’s $51.2 million, 272-unit affordable apartment complex near 701 Coors Blvd. NW — is expected to finish by December 2026, YES Housing CEO and President Chris Baca said in an email statement.

There will be 128 units in Phase 1, according to previous Albuquerque Business First reporting.

Baca anticipates Phase 2 of construction, with the remaining 144 units, to finish by December 2028, Baca said.

The project’s current preliminary cost of $51.2 million is an $8.2-million increase from the estimate of $43 million in August 2024, previous Albuquerque Business First reporting shows.

Of the $51.2 million, $34 million will go toward construction, Baca said.

Albuquerque’s Housing Forward Fund will fund approximately 19% of the project, previous Albuquerque Business First reporting shows.

In addition to Albuquerque Housing Forward, West Mesa Ridge is also supported by the city of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County and Housing New Mexico, Baca said.

Emerson Construction Inc. is the general contractor, and Jeebs & Zuzu LLC is the architect for the project, Baca said.

Amenities at the complex will include raised garden beds, a playground, laundry facilities, walking paths, a computer center, community space and washer and dryer hook-ups in certain units, Baca said.

It will also have an early childhood center, facilitated by a portion of the 12.4-acre site being donated for the development of the center, Baca said.

West Mesa Ridge will have 70 one-bedroom units, 142 two-bedroom units and 60 three-bedroom units ranging in size from 610 square feet to 1,060 square feet, Baca said.

Rents will range from $335 per month to $965 per month for a one-bedroom unit, from $420 per month to $1,180 per month for a two-bedroom unit and from $490 per month to $1,375 per month for a three-bedroom unit, reflecting rent ranges for those making 30% to 80% of area median income, Baca said. The rental rates will likely go up next year, Baca said.

Chelsea Investment Corporation, YES Housing’s partner, selected this site due to its size and location, Baca said.

The 12.4-acre site can easily accommodate several phases and has a surrounding neighborhood mix of commercial development, such as medical facilities, various retail centers, grocery stores, banks, worship centers and restaurants, Baca said.

It’s also near West Mesa High School, an aquatic center, Interstate 40 and a large pedestrian overpass bridge, Baca said.

[ABQalex]

Albuquerque Business First has a story about a new subdivision with 262 lots in Los Lunas that has been approved. The village continues to be the fastest-growing community in New Mexico in percentage terms. It's nearing 20,000 residents and had an estimated population of 19,907 residents as of the July 1, 2024 estimates from the Census Bureau that were released last month.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2025/06/07/los-lunas-approves-plats-for-262-lots.html

The Los Lunas Planning and Zoning Commission approved preliminary plat requests for a subdivision just west of Interstate 25, clearing the way for key infrastructure work to proceed for 262 residential lots.

The preliminary plat approvals are for the Vistas at Los Senderos community, an LGI Homes New Mexico community near Los Lunas’ Walmart Supercenter.

The community will feature three- to five-bedroom homes and picnic tables, ramadas, a tot lot playground and a basketball court, LGI Homes’ website shows.

The commission unanimously approved the community’s Phase 2 preliminary plat, which includes 162 lots, and its phase three preliminary plat, which includes 100 lots, a Los Lunas document shows.

LGI Homes New Mexico was the applicant for the request, and Doug Chubin of Coe and Van Loo Consultants was its agent.

The preliminary plat approvals give the applicant one year to complete grading and drainage improvements and installation of public infrastructure, Los Lunas Community Development Director Alex Ochoa said in an email statement.

The applicant can apply for a one-year extension to complete this work if necessary, Ochoa added.

The next step after successfully completing the improvements is to submit for a final plat approval, which would be heard by the Village Council.

If approved by the Village Council, the final plat would then be recorded with the Valencia County Clerk, legally creating the lots and clearing the way for the homebuilder to apply for building permits.

[ABQalex]

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held this past week for the 132-unit Felician Villa senior apartments in Rio Rancho. Below is a story with pic of the project by Albuquerque Business First. Towards the end of the story the developer hints at more such projects in the future in New Mexico.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/...ic-charities-opens-132-unit-complex.html

A former convent site in Rio Rancho has been transformed into an affordable housing complex for people 55 and up. CC Housing, an arm of Albuquerque’s Catholic Charities, and Chelsea Investment Corp. announced the grand opening of a new 132-unit affordable housing development on June 3.

Felician Villa is a two-phase housing complex at 1301 and 1325 Stephanie Road SE in Rio9a Rancho that will serve people who are 55 and older. The second phase of the apartments received $16.2 million in low-income housing tax credits from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority in 2023. The project broke ground in March 2024.

“Felician Villa is a shining example of what’s possible when mission-driven organizations and strong community partners come together,” Natasha Gacinski, who became CEO of Albuquerque's Catholic Charities in July 2024, said in a news release.

The three-story structure was designed by Jeebs & Zuzu, and the general contractor was Emmerson Construction. The land for the new housing development was donated to Catholic Charities by the Felician Sisters of North America, a religious organization. Previously, the site was the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent of the Felician Sisters of Rio Rancho, first founded in New Mexico in 1975.

“This development not only offers affordable, high-quality housing for seniors; it reflects our deep commitment to dignity, stability and opportunity for all,” Adam Saber, executive vice president and COO of CC Housing, said in the release.

Catholic Charities is a member of Catholic Charities USA. It is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to bettering lives throughout its local communities. Created in 2015, CC Housing is a part of Catholic Charities and is dedicated to identifying new construction developments to meet the need for affordable housing in the state.

Chelsea Investment Corporation, founded in 1984, is a real estate developer headquartered in Carlsbad, California.

“The Felician Villa affordable housing development represents the best, most innovative and highly sought-after lifestyle for seniors in Rio Rancho,” Charles Schmid, CEO of Chelsea Investment Corporation, said in the release. “We are looking forward to future affordable housing partnerships and to changing lives for the better in New Mexico.”

Here's another story by the Rio Rancho Observer about the project with more pics. You can see that it's just the first phase structure with 66 units that has been completed. The identical and adjacent second phase structure with another 66 units is still under construction but nearing completion. The story gives more of a history of the site as a convent and the project’s name in honor of the Felician Sisters who donated the land for the project.

https://www.rrobserver.com/business/seni...ea30223-1da6-49c7-a0eb-d4e8dfbaabf3.html

RIO RANCHO — A complex for seniors ages 55 and up opened with a grand celebration June 3.

The Felician Villa apartments at the end of Stephanie Road have been in the construction process since the ground breaking March 21, 2024. Now, the first part of the complex, Villa I, is home to many senior residents.

Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull said he was grateful for the investment in Rio Rancho and the resource for seniors.

"I remember being out at the groundbreaking, and there was just nothing but dirt, and there was some footers being poured at the time, and we were kicking it off. Now, we have 66 lease units back here. I think it is fully leased, and that just really speaks to the demand that is here, and not just in Rio Rancho, but in New Mexico when it comes to housing, and not just housing, but affordable housing," he said.

He added that as the senior population grows in Rio Rancho, "so does the urgency for safe, affordable housing."

"Far too many older adults in our community are living on fixed incomes and struggling to find housing that is both affordable and accessible," Hull said.

The project was made possible in part by a $1.5 million grant from the federal housing program, according to Hull.

"We're greatly appreciative of that, and that investment is one that reflects the shared values of our responsibility to care for every generation. The Felician Villa is a shining example of the kind of forward-thinking development we want more of in Rio Rancho," he said. "We're not just opening doors to homes, we're opening doors to opportunity to connection and to a better quality of life."

He also thanked the Felician Sisters, who own the land that the complex was built on and invested in the project.

Charles Schmid, CEO of Chelsea Investment Corporation, the company charged with development of the Felician Villa, said the process in Rio Rancho has been "outstanding."

He also recognized the role Housing New Mexico played in the development of the Villa.

"It is so refreshing to be surrounded by problem-solving individuals," he said.

Adam Saber, executive vice president and COO of Catholic Charities Housing, said the Villa provides basic needs.

"It's a place where you can go back, take a shower, have a meal, spend some time with your family, your loved ones, have some good, quality sleep," he said.

He also said the priorities of the project were clear from the start of the project.

"We started mid of 2018 seven years ago when the Felician Sisters approached Catholic Charities to start discussing the donation of this property, and they had one condition. They said, 'We want a project continuously serving the Rio Rancho community,'" he said.

Isidoro Hernandez, executive director/CEO of Housing New Mexico/MFA, spoke about the push to open more complexes like the Felician Villas across the state.

He said in the past month or so, Housing New Mexico has been a part of openings and groundbreakings for about 4,800 units across 19 municipalities.

"Not only are they bringing housing to their communities, the economic impact is just tremendous," he said.

The Felician Villa, he said, is expected to last at least 30-40 years.

The opening event also marked a celebration for New Mexico Housing, which celebrated its 50th anniversary the same day, according to Hernandez.

They weren't the only ones celebrating an anniversary. The Felician Sisters celebrate their 150th anniversary this year. Sister Rosemarie Goins said in 1975, the mother house in Rio Rancho was built in front of the 10 acres, making 2025 their 50th anniversary as well. The mother house is a place for drug rehabilitation and worship.

She also talked about the origins of the word "Felician."

"The word means joyful. It means happy. So this place should be radiating joy and happiness always every time you say 'Felician.' We are very pleased to have our name attached to these buildings," she said.

St. Felix Pantry was also in attendance, and Storehouse New Mexico received a check from Chelsea in the amount of $2,000.

State Sen. Cindy Nava, District 9, commented on the project after the speeches were complete.

"I think it's extremely important, as someone who comes from (Housing and Urban Development). I've seen groundbreakings across the country for a long time, and I know coming home, and in my district, there's so much meaning behind it, because we know the needs of our communities. We know the needs of low-income communities and the intentionality in pulling and bringing this together," she said. "I think it's a really innovative approach, and it's an example that we can build upon from across the state."

She added that the housing crisis in the United States and New Mexico especially benefits from complexes like the Felician Villas.

The villas include community spaces, including a gym, a library and more for residents. Each floor of the building is equipped with a shared laundry room. The rooms themselves are fully stocked with a kitchen and bathroom as well as a sliding glass door.

[ABQalex]

Here are some pics of the 240-unit 550 Paseo and 152-unit Casa de Encantada apartments in Rio Rancho. The adjacent projects were completed earlier this year and are by the same developer, DBG Properties. The pics are from their listings on the RentCafe and Apartments.com websites.

https://www.rentcafe.com/apartments/nm/rio-rancho/550-paseo/default.aspx





















https://www.apartments.com/casa-de-encantada-senior-apartments-rio-rancho-nm/8nf2b00/

[ABQalex]

Here are pics of the new Market Street store in The Village at Rio Rancho that opened at the end of April. The first two are pics posted by people to Google. The third is a pic that was recently posted in a Rio Rancho neighborhood profile on the Homes.com website. The rest are from a news release on an industry website.





https://www.homes.com/local-guide/rio-rancho-nm/western-hills-neighborhood/



https://theshelbyreport.com/2025/04/25/the-united-family-debuts-new-market-street-in-rio-rancho-nm/



























The Market Street Express gas station and convenience store located right on the corner of Unser Boulevard and Wellspring Avenue also had a ribbon-cutting ceremony that included a check presentation to Special Olympics of New Mexico. The first pic below is from a Rio Rancho Observer story before it opened. The fourth pic is from a poster to Google. The rest are pics from the news release above.

https://www.rrobserver.com/business/rio-...3b69ad8-feb5-11ef-b4fc-776eb5ad040b.html

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a story about Titan Development’s Allaso Vineyards project that has recently been completed. Remember that they had a ribbon-cutting ceremony late last year, but apparently that was just for one of the two 3-story structures that make up the development. The story says that the second structure was completed last month and that they are now at 70 percent occupancy overall.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_33255cae-c084-4caf-8af9-557f1e99a9f7.html

A luxury development in northeast Albuquerque is trading in the clangs of hammers and drills for the sounds of pool splashing and igniting fire pits.

Construction on Allaso Vineyards, a 111-unit multifamily community complex located at 8901 Holly NE, is officially complete, the project’s developer told the Journal last week. The community is one of five Allaso-branded residential complexes Titan Development has launched in Albuquerque over the past five years.

Titan completed its first Allaso project in June 2023 with the 158-unit Allaso Journal Center and its second Allaso venture in September 2023 with the 281-unit Allaso High Desert, which was the first Allaso project Titan broke ground on in 2020.

Allaso Vineyards now marks the third completed Allaso project. Construction continues on Titan’s remaining two Allaso projects — The Senary by Allaso in the Journal Center and Allaso Olivine, which sits at the corner of Alameda and Louisiana NE.

Titan created the Allaso brand when the developer started working on solo projects in 2020, said Titan Partner Josh Rogers. The name has roots in Greek mythology, as does Titan. Allaso means “change for the positive,” which Titan felt represented the goal of these residential developments, he said.

The Albuquerque-based developer broke ground on Allaso Vineyards — encompassing two U-shaped, three-story buildings — in January 2022. The company completed the west building in November and currently has 97% occupancy, Rogers said. Titan finished construction on the east building last month, and tenants have already started leasing the property.

He said the overall occupancy for the property is 70% so far.

“Everybody who tours it wants to live there,” Rogers said. “It’s leasing up really fast, and people seem to love the community.”

When Titan first came across the site in 2019, Rogers said initial thoughts were that “you can’t find a less walkable place” in northeast Albuquerque. But when the developers took a closer look at the commercial growth in the area — including a nearby Orangetheory Fitness, VCA Animal Hospital, Massage Envy, Jinja Bar & Bistro and one of Albuquerque’s two Trader Joe’s just across the street — they were sold.

“This has everything that you probably could ever want,” Rogers said.

The urban-style property has one- and two-bedroom apartments ranging from 575 to 1,154 square feet. It also features high-end amenities: a resort-style pool and spa, rooftop decks, game lawns, fire pits, shaded areas and an outdoor fitness area.

Every unit has quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and large cabinets and floor plans. Rogers said rent varies from $1,600 to $2,300 per month. He said the most common lease agreement is for 12 months, but there’s some flexibility.

Rogers declined to share the development cost. HB Construction built the property and Greystar manages it.

The apartment community isn’t the only addition to the area. Titan also constructed a new roundabout at the nearby intersection of Holly and Ventura NE. Rogers said the intersection there previously was “failing” and had major traffic problems, so the city of Albuquerque asked Titan to build the roundabout in exchange for impact fees, one-time charges local governments impose on new developments.

Rogers said the roundabout elicited opposition and concern from the surrounding neighborhood initially but he’s since received emails from people saying they were wrong and expressing their appreciation for better traffic flow.

“This project represents our attention and care for the surrounding neighborhoods,” Rogers said. “We take great pride in designing projects that are a complement to the neighborhood ... and can be something that is not an eyesore.”

The story above also mentions Titan’s Allaso Olivine project. Below are a few pics of that project from its framing subcontractor's website.

https://www.darrelljulian.com/olivine

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal on Sunday also had a story about the new Park Square Market that will be having its grand opening tomorrow. More of its tenants have been named and will be opening in time for the event. The story also has a pic of the renovated courtyard at Park Square which is part of the overall renovation project for the office, retail and restaurant complex in Uptown Albuquerque.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_94ed955c-5792-4bfd-9970-2c573c1e946b.html

Felicia Meyer, owner of HAWT Pizza Co., remembers the excitement of getting dressed up after her high school graduation to go to Park Square and eat at Japanese Kitchen.

Meyer thought One Park Square and Two Park Square — two 10-story office buildings on the 7-acre, mixed-use campus known as Park Square in Uptown Albuquerque — were “iconic.” They were some of the first high-rises built in the city in the 1980s.

“Coming here and seeing the courtyard and whatnot kind of always felt like this had potential to be something more than it was,” Meyer said.

HAWT Pizza Co. is one of a dozen new merchants bringing fresh energy to the office complex through the newly constructed Park Square Market, which includes two food halls and a revitalized courtyard.

Introduced in 2023, the market — which will have a grand opening Wednesday — is part of a broader $10 million-plus investment by Heritage Cos. into Park Square. It aligns with broader efforts to revitalize the Uptown area and attract steady foot traffic, including across the street at Winrock Town Center, where separate developers are building new retail and office space and revamping existing properties.

“To see all the upgrades, it almost makes me want to cry because there’s life,” Meyer said.

Park Square Market, managed by Heritage Restaurant Group, began construction about a year ago, according to Suzie Lubar, president of Heritage’s real estate arm.

The idea for Park Square Market was to create an upscale but warm experience for both tenants of the office buildings and visitors, Lubar said. The developers aimed to give the buildings’ roughly 800 occupants “a reason to come to work” by reinventing the typical office property into more of a lifestyle campus, she said.

“People stay longer, come back more often and spend more money in places that attract their affection,” said Jim Long, CEO and founder of Heritage Cos., whose empire also includes the successful Sawmill Market near Old Town. “If we want people to want to come back to the office again, we have to create environments that are fun and exciting. We also want to continually showcase in our projects, the incredible food and beverage talent we have in our city.”

One of those local food artisans is Rowan Schnalzer, a first-time food hall tenant and owner of Little Gems, a healthy salad and bowl spot.

A former assistant property manager with Heritage, Schnalzer carried around the concept for Little Gems for about a decade before asking if she could pitch it for Park Square Market.

“When I moved here, I thought Sawmill Market was super awesome. I thought, ‘Wow, it’d be so cool to have a spot in there.’ So it’s funny how things worked out,” Schnalzer said.

Schnalzer has hired five employees and is currently open, as are some of the market’s other merchants. Lubar said merchants started holding soft openings in mid-March to “kind of practice with office tenants” before welcoming the public in full.

Wednesday’s official opening celebration kicks off at 11:30 a.m., with brief remarks and a ribbon cutting. The event will showcase a South Food Hall and North Food Hall, collectively spanning roughly 20,000 square feet in separate buildings.

The Uptown food halls are 100% occupied with 12 local, artisanal food and beverage merchants offering up carefully curated coffees, salads, ice creams, wood-fired pizzas, cocktails and more. Park Square Market has many of the same merchants as Sawmill, but between 30-40% are new, Lubar said.

Little Gems, Curious Toast, Kashmir Coffee Lounge and Workhorse Taproom make up some of the new faces.

The opening will also showcase the outdoor courtyard, bounded by the north and south food halls, One Park Square tower to the west and Japanese Kitchen to the east.

Before the redevelopment, the courtyard had large trees more than 30 years old, but they started exhibiting strain and some were dying, Lubar said. About two dozen Frontier elm trees replaced the dying trees. The trees sit in squares of soil and grass carved out of concrete borders, surrounded by bench seating and square stone tiles throughout the courtyard.

Geometric squares and lush greenery are common design elements found throughout the food halls and courtyard. The design, by FBT Architects and concept designer Lauren Greene, pays homage to the market’s name and offers “a very indoor-outdoor experience,” Lubar said.

“I think it turned out better than we even envisioned,” she added.

Randy Perkins is a fan. Perkins is the Southwest CEO of the insurance brokerage firm Hub International, a Park Square office tenant since 2021.

“As a native New Mexican, I can honestly say this is a one-of-a-kind (spot) for our city,” Perkins said. It gives Perkins and his 145 employees opportunities to gather in a “more casual meeting space” on-site, he added.

The upgrades also mean good things for the Uptown area, according to Brian Colón, a managing partner at the law firm Singleton Schreiber, an office tenant of more than two years.

“I can tell you, one of the reasons that there’s been an infusion of businesses into the Uptown area is because folks knew this was on the horizon last couple of years,” Colón said. “It’s just exciting.”

More upgrades are yet to come, including an outdoor water feature, a vined arch-covered walkway, more parking spaces, a Gruet Winery tasting room, a jazz bar, upscale retail offerings and renovations to both towers’ first floors, Lubar said.

“Each project we undertake is done with the objective that we are continually improving our city and state,” Long said. “Albuquerque and New Mexico deserve to have the same beautiful environments that you find in other locations. We want to create places that are stimulating and inspiring.”

Here are some more pics of the new food hall and its tenants and offerings that were posted last week on the Everything Local NM account on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/everythinglocal_nm/p/DKkixGkyGF0/

[ABQalex]

The Downtown ABQ Main Street Arts & Cultural District posted these pics today of the new Burning Daylight Coffee brick and mortar location on the north end of Downtown Albuquerque. It occupies the former AmerAsia/Sumo Sushi space.

https://www.facebook.com/dtabqmainstreet...eMG2LwL7sfPqsL8LpDTPsskmp7RCfdRSLvuYMejl

[ABQalex]

The Afghan Kebab House on Gold Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque also celebrated its grand opening today. It actually opened back in April but has been operating in a soft opening phase since then. It occupies the space that was most recently Knead Dough Bar and still affectionately most-remembered as the Gold Street Cafe space.

Here are some pics of the new outdoor dining area that they set up and debuted this past weekend in anticipation of their grand opening.

https://www.facebook.com/downtownalbuque...uFGxB1Xzh4CUczvJzApLtMMiLorZWWzyn8xFnpVl



https://www.facebook.com/downtownalbuque...EKS9R5igwVQMbFmKjNSHbbe3ujqxdVSn3sUyB4bl





Here are a few pics of the entrance and restaurant itself. Note that they do have a traditional Afghani floor seating area as well inside.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1154878939761513&set=pb.100057182541604.-2207520000&type=3



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3721883234775509&set=pcb.1431366308054790



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122139453698792951&set=pb.61573788548044.-2207520000



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122139453692792951&set=pb.61573788548044.-2207520000



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10232246825926519&set=pcb.1398281364696618



And here are some pics of today's ceremony and more pics of the restaurant space as well.

https://www.facebook.com/dana.lerma.4065...n7RLz6yKSCeJpxEZ3qTWp2X1BZH1VUMaWrdS2kkl











https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3201181450019954&set=pcb.1410097546848333



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3201181473353285&set=pcb.1410097546848333



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=3201181640019935&set=pcb.1410097546848333



Finally, here are some more pics focusing on the star attraction, the Afghan food offerings.

https://www.facebook.com/FireMedicRN/pos...wgLChbLjtzjqMTWJi2YnZQyNwt8Eq5SRd8JwbREl







https://www.facebook.com/groups/albuquerquefoodies/permalink/1431366308054790/



https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10234092150384163&set=pcb.1396581691533252



https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573788548044

[ABQalex]

Poster DrewArlote shared these great pics over at SSC today showing activity at the Highlands Central Market/Residence Inn project site at The Highlands across from Presbyterian Hospital. He said it looks like construction has begun for the project this week. I've included a cropped closeup of the second of his pics as well, focusing on the site.

(Click the link directly below his original pic to see it in its much larger original size. It's really an awesome view and it looks like it was taken from Presbyterian's new parking garage)






https://tinyurl.com/4zknzmdx

I tried looking up the building permit activity for the site. It looks like a building permit for new construction was issued on Monday. Of course, with the city’s horrible new system there's very little information to be gleaned now, but it looks like this project is indeed underway!

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Development Commission at its meeting last month also recommended to the city council the approval of a redevelopment tax abatement for the nearby Sycamore Square project.

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/adc-minutes-5-15-25-draft.pdf

[ABQalex]

UNM Hospital posted a neat timelapse today of the construction cam for its new tower showing its progression over the past four years. Below are a few screenshots and a link to the video on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/unmhospitals/reel/DKxMocWvGTa/







Here are a couple of snaps from the construction cam that I took last week after one of our recent rainstorms. They were taken later in the day and at night. I thought they were interesting and wanted to share them to show the project at different times of the day and the structure's lighting, etc.





Here are a couple of pics that a UNM employee posted of the new tower on LinkedIn last month.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7326440964086976513/





And here are some nice pics that an executive of a firm working on the project posted on his LinkedIn account recently as well.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7324182443010260992/

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a story about the new 4DX theater at the Regal Cinemas Winrock.

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_104b61e3-613a-4e90-83bc-c1acc59b03fc.html

Moviegoers in auditorium No. 1 were in for a wet and wild ride as they watched the live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake at Regal Winrock on Tuesday — and not because of the plot.

As attendees watched the cute and fluffy blue alien create chaos on the big screen, the auditorium offered a chaos of its own with water spraying, wind blowing, seats rumbling and fog emerging.

“The water, the moving, it’s a great experience,” said Yoruba Moreu as he exited the auditorium.

The auditorium, one of 16 at Regal Winrock, offers an immersive, multi-sensory cinematic experience through a theater format known as 4DX. The format draws viewers into the action using motion, vibration, water, wind and scents administered by special seats, ceiling-strung wind turbines and other technology throughout the theater.

Regal Winrock debuted the 4DX auditorium, New Mexico’s first, with showings of “Lilo & Stitch” and “Ballerina” on June 6. General Manager Kyle Chavez said it was a packed house.

“Our opening day went incredibly well,” Chavez said. “In fact, for the first weekend, pretty much every single show was sold out for this auditorium.”

The arrival of 4DX is part of a larger wave of upgrades sweeping Regal Winrock and the surrounding Winrock Town Center. The entire theater is getting new signage, carpet and luxury recliner seats. Four auditoriums are still under construction, two of which will convert to IMAX and RPX formats that will offer “big screen, big sound,” Chavez said.

Chavez said those two auditoriums, expected to open in July, would make Regal Winrock one of the few Regal locations in the nation to offer all four premium formats: IMAX, RPX, 4DX and ScreenX, the latter of which has three screens in one auditorium.

The Winrock theater broke ground on the 4DX auditorium — one of Regal’s largest, according to Chavez — in January. The work was “intensive,” he said, adding that all seat platforms were raised about 8 feet higher to make room for the plumbing lines required for the water effects. There were also plumbing lines added to the ceiling.

Nozzles built into the auditorium’s 168 seats spray water during wet movie scenes, and additional sprays occasionally come from the ceiling. Each seat has a button that lets moviegoers turn off the spray effect. Additional effects include bubbles, snow and strobe lights.

As for scent effects, Chavez said the most common scents include ocean, floral and grass. Chavez said the 4DX experience and its more than 15 effects “really puts you inside the movie.”

Movie lovers and thrill seekers can currently watch movies in the 4DX format for an average of $20-21 per person, Chavez said. The effects are best experienced during action, horror and animated films, he added. The general manager said he anticipates a worthwhile 4DX experience for the live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Jurassic World Rebirth.”

“We’re excited for that one because the producers in the studio said that they had 4DX in mind when filming it,” Chavez said of “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which comes out July 2.

Regal Cinemas opened its first 4DX theater in Los Angeles in 2014 and has been expanding the format throughout its 408 theaters in 41 states ever since, Chavez said.

CJ 4DPLEX, based in Seoul, South Korea, is the producer of the technology and 4DX format that Regal uses in its theaters. Chavez said the company watches the movies, and programs the effects and their timing individually.

The new 4DX auditorium impressed Moreu. He attended the June 6 showing of “Ballerina” and came back for more on Tuesday.

“We don’t have much entertainment here in New Mexico and Albuquerque. We are starting to grow out of a mid-sized city to a bigger city, so we need more attractions like this,” Moreu said.

[ABQalex]

That last pic above of the Regal Cinemas Winrock is from the Homes.com website. Below are a few more nice pics that they've recently added to their site showing Winrock Town Center and the recent developments there, including the new park, office building and dual-branded hotel.

https://www.homes.com/local-guide/albuquerque-nm/snow-heights-neighborhood/







Here's a screenshot and link to a nice short video that Winrock Town Center recently posted on their Instagram account. It shows one of their weekly free concerts at the stage in the park. They've been attracting great crowds and the park can be very lively at times, especially for these performances and the markets. I especially love the kids swinging and playing nearby at the playground as well at the end of the video. It's really nice to see! I think the park area could be incredible if they ever succeed in building the rest of the structures around it that they have planned, especially the apartments and boutique hotel.

https://www.instagram.com/winrocktowncenter/p/DKkUEeWv00X/



And here's a pic of the crowd at another of their recent free concerts. It's from a post that the concerts' non-profit organizer and promoter, AMP Concerts, co-posted with Winrock Town Center on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/ampconcerts/p/DKUiWCPOOqE



And here are a few more nice pics of the park and its events that Winrock Town Center recently posted on its social media accounts.

https://www.facebook.com/Winrocktowncenter















Lastly, and as a bonus, here's a nice pic from Homes.com showing the nearby ABQ Uptown lifestyle center where you can see the new Element by Westin Hotel in the background as well.

https://www.homes.com/local-guide/rio-rancho-nm/panorama-heights-west-neighborhood/

[ABQalex]

The Park Square Market had its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. Below are stories from KOB-TV and KRQE about the new food hall.

https://www.kob.com/news/top-news/new-food-hall-to-open-in-uptown-albuquerque/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Park Square Market, a brand new food hall in uptown Albuquerque, officially opened its doors to the public Wednesday.

The same developers behind the popular Sawmill Market developed this new market.

“This will be a neighborhood market. This will be a place for people who live in this area, both in the Uptown area and kind of the northeast heights,” said Adrian Perez, the president and COO of Heritage Companies.

The Park Square Market is bringing around a dozen food and drink options to the bottom floors of the Park Square Towers. That includes new partners like Little Gem and Sawmill favorites like Lemon and Brine.

“Little Gem does healthy salads for lunch and dinner,” Perez said. “They [Lemon and Brine] do a whole myriad of different types of custom-made lemonades and pickles.”

A spacious patio connects the two separate food halls that makes up the market.

“Imagine when these trees get full and all the foliage gets nice and big, you’re going to have all this beautiful natural tree cover,” Perez said.

They’re not done yet with additions.

“We’re also going to be opening up a jazz bar here in the very near future, and I think that’ll be a great place to kind of revitalize the music scene in Uptown,” Perez said.

Developers with Heritage Companies say they’re excited to give Albuquerque a taste of big city life.

“Albuquerque is growing up in a lot of ways. I think we deserve what all great cities have, and that’s places for people to hang out, shop, relax, eat and enjoy a great beverage, in a place that’s safe, in a place that’s welcoming, in a place that’s comfortable and gives you the ability to kind of live, work and play,” Perez said.

The official grand opening kicked off Wednesday, June 11, at 11 a.m. The market’s regular hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/park-square-market-in-uptown-opens-for-business/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — After months of construction, a new market place is open for business in one of the busiest parts of Albuquerque. Park Square Market in Uptown held its grand opening on Wednesday.

This comes from the same people who made the Sawmill Market in Old Town. “This is a lot similar to Sawmill,” said Heritage Hotels & Resort CEO Adrian Perez. “It gives you the opportunity to have multiple different food types, all under one roof. You have burgers, you have pasta you have pizza. Healthy bites like salads, you have a great ice cream vendor in Neko Neko. A great ramen vendor. a great coffee vendor.”

The market is laid out as two buildings connected by a courtyard.

Here's a nice short video on Facebook showing the project and ribbon-cutting ceremony as well. You can see the new sign above the courtyard entry for the food hall in the video's thumbnail image.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/665252003183397

[ABQalex]

YES Housing’s founder posted these pics of Calle Cuarta today on his Facebook account. They show the new mural being painted along the 4th Street side of the main structure. It will have an agricultural theme.

https://www.facebook.com/chris.baca.568/...jVpEJBSSZfv8Xd69WgAnDchuymirRH2gzYmZbeZl







Here are some awesome pics of the completed Trailhead at Chamizal project that Pacificap Management posted today on their LinkedIn account to mark the apartments being fully leased. It really does look great, I will never understand the opposition to this project!

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7339361541462376449/











The first tenant of the commercial spaces on the ground floor of the structure directly on 4th and Osuna was also revealed last week by a real estate broker on LinkedIn. The post says that Psalms Salon has opened its doors. Hopefully it's the first of many new commercial tenants to come on the site!

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7335666469705326592/

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News had a story this past week about a new roundabout that's being constructed at Mountain Road and 19th Street at the entrance to Tiguex Park and near the end of the Sawmill portion of the Rail Trail that is under construction as well. The story included pics of the roundabout construction and linked to a drawing of what it will look like, which I've screenshotted and included below as well.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Roundabout construction begins near Tiguex

Construction began this week on a $1.3 million roundabout designed in part to help Albuquerque Rail Trail users more easily travel between Sawmill and Old Town.

The roundabout will be installed at Nineteenth and Mountain, and the intersection will be closed to all traffic through October 30. As of this week, barricades extend west to Twentieth, east to Eighteenth, and about 150 feet south on Nineteenth.

The intersection marks the southern end of a prominent rail trail segment currently under construction between Bellamah and Mountain (DAN, 8/30/24). From there, the trail is slated to continue south on Nineteenth, then into Old Town and West Old Town toward the bosque trail.

"The roundabout will provide a widened crossing for users to cross from the rail trail to the Tiguex Park-Old Town area," Mayfield said. "Roundabouts are much safer for walkers and bicyclists," he added, noting that the Mountain Road corridor has more generally been targeted for new infrastructure capable of slowing vehicles down.

Roundabouts are quite large and sometimes require taking bites out of nearby corners. This project is no exception and will impact bits of the northwest corner of Tiguex Park and the northeast corner of the sculptures that make up La Jornada, a public art display.

"The sidewalk at the corner of Tiguex Park will be modified, but the grass and retaining walls will not be affected," Mayfield said. "The sculpture area will have minor modifications to boulders, irrigation, landscaping, and one small statue will need to be relocated."

The city "is working with the artist to make sure the character of the display remains," he added.

The plan for October's Balloon Fiesta, when the city traditionally imposes a moratorium on such activity in the Old Town area, is "still being developed," Mayfield said. "More information will be provided as it is available."

Downtown Albuquerque News the week before had a short bit about the new neon and sign elements that will be added to the existing Old Town/Plaza Vieja adobe archway at San Felipe Street and Central Avenue. It includes a rendering of the final design that was chosen.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Final design for Old Town neon sign selected; construction is imminent

The process of turning a giant archway at the corner of San Felipe and Central into a neon sign beckoning passersby into Old Town is slated to begin within days. Phase one of the project (DAN, 1/28/25) will involve some site prep and demolition, with sign construction set to wrap up by late July or August. The work follows an extensive design process that culminated in a straw poll taken at the March annual meeting of the Historic Old Town Association, where a concept with a giant blue arrow was the runaway winner, HOTA President J.J. Mancini said.

Downtown Albuquerque News also had an update on Thursday about the county's plans to build affordable senior housing at 6th and Coal in Downtown Albuquerque. Unfortunately, it looks like that won't be happening any time soon as they haven’t been able to secure as much funding from the state as they need to get the project going. They're now going to use the site as overflow parking for their nearby headquarters at Alvarado Square.

The story includes a pic of the site as it appears now that they've added fencing around it to delineate and secure the new temporary parking area. They say that the fence could aid with the eventual project construction as well.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

With housing project on hold, site becomes parking lot

A long-vacant property at the northwest corner of Sixth and Coal is set to have a temporary life as a parking lot while officials from Bernalillo County wait for the money to pay for bigger plans they have for the land.

Officials had once envisioned the site as housing for veterans but have more recently proposed a 60-unit complex for low and moderate-income seniors. They believed they could break ground on that project with nearly $9 million in funding they had asked for in Santa Fe earlier this year, but lawmakers had other plans and awarded the project just $600,000, county spokesman Randy Harrison said.

"It's not beyond the planning stages for now," he added.

With the county's Alvarado Square headquarters just three blocks from the site, the lot will instead serve as a temporary parking area for employees from satellite offices visiting for business and training.

Meanwhile, the county has put up a green chain-link fence around the property that Harrison says could be used by the future building contractor to secure the site.

[ABQalex]

Here's an image that FBT Architects has on their website in a page dedicated to their work on the UNM Health Sciences Center/North Campus master plan update from 2020. It shows some intriguing structures and sites for new structures. You can see that they show the new UNM Hospital tower and what looks like a similar tower with angled wings to the west as well, connected with sky bridges across Yale Boulevard.

You can also see the student housing/mixed-use structures along both sides of Lomas that UNM has planned for and envisioned for years. Most of these things are visionary and conceptual in nature, but it gives us an idea of what may be built on the North Campus in the future. The fact that some structures are actual projects that have been built makes me think that some of these other structures and sites may be more than visionary and are the basis for actual projects and structures that may soon be built.

https://fbtarch.com/places/higher-education/unm-health-sciences-center-master-plan/



I went looking for the actual master plan to see if those keyed numbers in the image had explanations or labels describing what they are or what uses they will have. Unfortunately, the plan isn't available to view or download online, they just say that it will be available and published once its final revisions have been done.

https://hsc.unm.edu/about/finance/capital-projects/capital-planning.html

While looking for this plan I came across two interesting things that UNM has put out in the last couple of months concerning the new School of Medicine structure. The first is an RFP back in April for an architect and design services for the new project. The RFP says that the project will encompass about 330,000 sq ft of space. The RFP closed on May 16th.

https://www.highergov.com/sl/contract-op...medicine-expansion-facility-de-48807484/

I also found this PDF file from last month describing the project, as well as laying out a plan and timeline, and justifying the need for a new School of Medicine facility. It includes two design concepts for how it might be built and where it will be located. I believe it's right on the northeast corner of University and Lomas. That would mean that it would also be west of that second tower structure pictured above and which is also somewhat visible in these illustrations.

https://hsc.unm.edu/leadership/_media/hsc---som-building-legislative-request---web-final.pdf

The two design concepts that they give depict horizontal or vertical orientations and they say that they will look at what is preferred and better suited for the needs of the School of Medicine. The vertically-oriented option looks like it would be nine stories, and the horizontally-oriented option would be six stories.