Albuquerque Development Thread

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Albuquerque rail yards named historic district

By: The Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Albuquerque's rail yards and an expanded area of downtown Raton have been designated as state historic districts.
The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs announced the new historic sites on Monday.
The department says Albuquerque's rail yards, which were established in 1880, are the state's largest historic industrial complex.
The Cultural Affairs Department's properties review committee listed the Albuquerque rail yards on Aug. 8, noting the area's historical and architectural significance. It also forwarded the nomination to the National Park Service as a potential National Register of Historic Places listing.
The committee also expanded the Raton Downtown Historic District by increasing its northern and southern boundaries, and by including buildings constructed through 1966 as contributing to the district. The historic district originally established in 1977 included buildings constructed between 1880 and 1927.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S...e=t.co&cat=504

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Design build plan to rescue De Anza Motor Lodge

By Richard Metcalf
Journal Staff Writer

The proposed redevelopment of the long-closed De Anza Motor Lodge in Nob Hill reached a pivotal point Thursday when a city official announced the release of a request for proposals at an “Infill 101″ workshop held by NAIOP, the commercial real-estate development association.

The RFP is the equivalent of soliciting bids or proposals from developers to design and build a new life for the historic but now derelict property at 4301 Central NE, built in 1939 and purchased by the city of Albuquerque in 2003. The deadline for the proposals is Jan. 9.

The RFP’s release at the Infill 101 workshop coincided with the presentation of a hypothetical plan to redevelop the 2.1-acre De Anza site as a mix of uses, including high-end apartments and a hotel, at an estimated cost of $9.9 million. The redevelopment was based on the city donating the site and private financing.

The hypothetical plan to redevelop the De Anza was one of several case studies outlined by teams of commercial real estate pros at the workshop to illustrate the challenges of urban infill. While the De Anza plan isn’t a real proposal, it was based on onsite visits, brainstorming and real world cost estimates.

“The site is something the community knows about and has strong feelings about,” said team member Tom Jenkins of Real Estate Advisors. “That was something we had to keep in mind.”

The city’s RFP and the hypothetical plan coincided on one important element in the De Anza’s redevelopment: the property’s three buildings fronting on Central and a basement with murals by a Zuni artist would be preserved and renovated.

While the city’s RFP doesn’t get into details on what happens to the rest of the property, the hypothetical plan calls for tearing the rest down and replacing it with a 45-room hotel and 41 apartments, both in three-story buildings. The hotel and apartment would share a clubhouse, fitness center and swimming pool.

The hotel and apartments would be built atop “subterranean” or partially underground parking structures.


http://www.abqjournal.com/445995/biz...tor-lodge.html

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Councilors tired of waiting for the bus

Dan Mayfield
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

The city’s medians along Central Avenue have not been landscaped because of Bus Rapid Transit planning, but several city councilors are fed up with waiting.
Bus Rapid Transit is a new type of service that will speed up the city’s busses by giving them dedicated bus lanes, or extra right-of-way through medians.
At Monday night’s City Council meeting, four of the nine councilors asked for an updated time line to the BRT plan, and showed displeasure at the time it is taking for the city’s Transit Department to have public meetings on BRT.
“After four years now, people are starting to wonder if it’s ever going to happen,” Councilor Rey Garduno said.
Councilors whose districts contain parts of Central Avenue have wanted to have medians landscaped but have been unable to, they said.
City Transit Director Bruce Rizzeri said that his department has been following a time line that it established in February, and that it would be able to move forward with BRT plans once it has public meetings in October.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...59263&page=all

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Albuquerque approves plan to make downtown streets safer

By: Kai Porter
KOB Eyewitness News 4

If you've ever thought it can be a little hairy driving around downtown Albuquerque, you're not alone.
City officials are taking a closer look at some of the most dangerous intersections, and have a plan to do something about them. Albuquerque just released a traffic study that determined the most dangerous intersections in the city.
The City Council approved new money to fix up the number one problem intersection on the list – 3rd and Mountain.
Josh Meyer works on the corner of 3rd and Mountain and says he's not surprised it earned the top spot on the list.
"We're worried that someone's going to come through the building," Meyer said. "We've seen numerous accidents – I've seen cars parked up on the sidewalk after accidents. I've seen cars turned over. I've seen cars in just about any precarious position you can imagine."
He said he's glad to hear the city will finally be making some improvements to the area.
"We've been talking to people trying to get some kind of situation where they can be alerted that there's an intersection here, because I think people look past it trying to get some deterrent or flashing lights to slow some people down," Meyer said.
Albuquerque Business first compiled the top ten most dangerous intersections list, according to the downtown neighborhood traffic study.

http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s...l#.U_Sxt8VdW5h

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Downtown campus plan in progress

By Daniel Montaño
Daily Lobo

After 18 months of planning, the grand vision of Innovate ABQ is coming into focus.

The design firm Perkins and Will publicly presented its initial master plan for Innovate ABQ to the Board of Regents on Aug 8, explaining the different possibilities for the future of the venture. Although because plans just got underway, specific details are still being worked out.

Lisa Kuuttila, CEO of STC.UNM, has been heavily involved with the project and said unveiling the master plan marks a pivotal moment for Innovate ABQ.

"This is a very interesting process and we're very excited to kick this off," Kuuttila said. "This marks a critical step forward taken with a critical mindset."

Andrew Cullen, associate vice president of planning, budget and analysis, said the planning process is expected to be finished and presented to the Board of Regents for approval by December.

In the week before their presentation, representatives from Perkins and Will met with several groups - including ASUNM, GPSA, the Dean's council and neighborhood organizations - to discuss the plans, Cullen said.

"We're very excited about the prospect of moving forward with the master plan," he said. "We had an excellent reception from all of our constituent groups."

Innovate ABQ's main campus will include office space that will be available for high-tech industries, research firms and similar companies, Cullen said.

The main campus will be located on the northeast corner of First Street and Broadway Boulevard, where the First Baptist Church is currently located, but Innovate ABQ will also include a research district, which will extend along Central Avenue and Broadway, he said.

http://www.dailylobo.com/article/201...ate-abq-update

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Walk-bike-transit scores driving higher apartment rents in Albuquerque

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

Apartment communities in the Albuquerque area that have solid walking, biking and transit scores command an average rent that is almost 26 percent higher than those that do not.
That was one of the main takeaways Wednesday at the Apartment Association of New Mexico’s 2014 outlook held at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque.
It is the first time the association has included a walk score in its assessments and, New Mexico apartment expert Todd Clarke said, probably one of the first groups in the country to do so.
“They drive less, and some are already not buying cars,” Clarke said. The “they” are millennials — 18-to-35-year-olds — and they are sparking the apartment market across the country and in part in Albuquerque.
Clarke is a consultant who has been studying millennials and their effect on real estate for many years.
He said new data shows that there is less than one car per millennial nationwide. He said the cities that cater to the group’s desire to rent and use mass transit are seeing a payoff.
The good news for Albuquerque is that it is one of the top cities in the Southwest for walkability, bikability and mass transit, Clarke said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...=t.co&page=all

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Geltmore Group has more plans for Downtown

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

“We want Downtown to grow and become a 21st century place, an amazing place,” he said.
The Silverman’s have been looking at vacant Downtown office buildings and the viability of converting some into market rate apartments. The projects would appeal to millennials and baby boomers, Silverman said, and would steer clear of gentrification and help build a ready labor pool Downtown so potential employers will take note.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...17364&page=all

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Nob Hill considers a Business Improvement District

By Associated Press
Albuquerque Journal

Building upon the brand identity of Nob Hill as safe, walkable and interesting is a big reason behind a push to establish a Business Improvement District and levy a tax on commercial property owners along a just over one-mile stretch of Central Avenue, said one of its proponents.

“Why are we distinct from everywhere else?” said Walt Arnold, member of the Nob Hill BID Steering Committee. “Build on that and I think, over time, the payback will be good.”

A BID requires the approval of 51 percent of the affected property owners through a petition. In Nob Hill’s proposed district, there are about 160 commercial property owners in the 44-block area straddling Central from Girard east to just past Washington.

The petition drive is underway. The steering committee plans to submit the petition, BID plan and letters of support to the City Council for final approval in October.

The proposed BID will be discussed Tuesday at an 8 a.m. breakfast meeting for affected commercial property owners at O’Neill’s Pub, 4310 Central SE. O’Neill’s co-owner Robert Munro, a supporter of the BID, is president of the Nob Hill Main Street organization.

The Nob Hill BID plan outlines raising $150,000 in its first year through a real estate tax on property values. When divided among 160 owners, the first-year budget works out to an average of $630 per owner. The plan says the minimum assessment would be $250 and the maximum would be $5,000.

“We tried to learn from things that didn’t go right Downtown and that’s why we’ll have a maximum amount,” Arnold said. “We tried to make it more palatable for the large property owners.”

The only existing BID in the state encompasses Downtown and is administered by the Downtown Action Team. The legality of its tax levy on commercial property owners has been challenged in an ongoing lawsuit in state District Court.

http://www.abqjournal.com/450587/biz...-district.html

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Renewing Downtown

Stories by Dan Majewski + Mateo Coffman + Mike English
LocaliQ.com
Thursday, 21 August 2014



Introduction by Mike English
When I moved to Albuquerque in 2001, Jim Baca was mayor and there was excitement in the air about a revitalized Downtown. The enthusiasm was understandable. The movie theater complex had just opened at First and Central. The Alvarado Transportation Center, with a design nod to Downtown’s thriving past, was nearing completion. The old Albuquerque High School buildings had been brought back from the dead and converted into condos.

And here we are 13 years later.

There have been fits and starts toward Downtown revitalization, for sure. Successful restaurants like Farina, The Grove Café, Holy Cow and Standard Diner have joined Artichoke Cafe in sparking a thriving food scene in East Downtown. Hotel Parq Central transformed a derelict hospital into something beautiful. Hotel Andaluz took Albuquerque’s original Hilton Hotel back to its former glory. Marble Brewery opened. Mixed-income apartments went up, including the now almost-completed Silver Moon Lodge. Flying Star breathed new life into an old structure. The Downtown Growers’ Market evolved into a spring-summer-fall Saturday institution.
We don’t need to tally the false starts (multimillion dollar sports complex, anyone?) or failures. Let’s just say it’s been a challenging few years for Albuquerque’s economy at large, and Downtown in particular. But there’s reason for hope. The elements for a thriving Downtown Albuquerque are starting to align in a way they haven’t for decades. So check out these 10 projects changing the face of Downtown. Together, we think they represent a unique moment in Albuquerque’s evolution — and a real reason for optimism about our city’s Downtown.
http://www.local-iq.com/index.php?op...3979&Itemid=52

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Downtown makeover

By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer

Jeff Speck spent hours looking at traffic counts and walking around Downtown Albuquerque this year.

Civic Plaza is way too big, he says, and so are the traffic lanes on some streets – overbuilt for the volume of cars that actually travel on them.

Downtown could do without 19 of its traffic lights, he said, which can be replaced by all-way stop signs. The one-way streets of Marquette and Tijeras, meanwhile, should be converted to allow traffic in both directions.

And the city shouldn’t let the fear of attracting homeless people scare it away from creating “green” space Downtown.

These are just some of the ideas Speck – a Washington, D.C.-based planner and designer – has for making Downtown a more “walkable” and bicycle-friendly environment. He evaluated the city’s core under a $50,000 contract paid for through the discretionary fund set aside for City Councilor Isaac Benton’s district.

Speck, a former director of design at the National Endowment for the Arts, is still compiling his final report, but he delivered a two-hour talk earlier this summer to planners, neighborhood leaders and others. The full report is expected next month.

Downtown could use some “green” space and similar urban amenities, Speck said, despite concerns about attracting homeless people.

“Any nice place you make, homeless people will come, and the way to get around that is just to have them outnumbered by” other people out walking, Speck said. “… The reason homelessness seems like such a problem here is because you have so few non-homeless people walking.”

He also contends that many Downtown streets have a lane or two more than necessary, given their traffic volume. The lanes are often too wide, as well, encouraging higher speeds, he said.

http://www.abqjournal.com/452575/new...ver-ideas.html

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County manager to Downtown: ‘Bring something to us’

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

It looks like a case of down but not out.
Bernalillo County manager Tom Zdunek said Thursday that he recently reached out to Downtown Albuquerque stakeholders to bring him ideas for where the county should move its offices.
Zdunek is in the midst of looking at a variety of options for the consolidation of county offices and other operations — many of which are scattered around Downtown and are in deteriorating buildings. In June, he said chances were slim that the county’s needs could be met under a scenario that would keep them Downtown.
He said that in recent months he’s had real estate developers and consultants approach him, too; however, they don’t always understand what his requirements are. One broker told him he had 10,000 square feet available, for example.
Zdunek had the purchasing department issue a public request for information earlier this month that spells it out.
So what are the minimum requirements?
At least 265,000 square feet of space, 750 to 800 on-site parking spaces, access to public transit and a relatively centrally located spot within the county, with access to the freeway system.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...own-bring.html

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Political will in play for keeping county offices Downtown

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

Having hundreds of Bernalillo County employees working in Downtown Albuquerque is important to ongoing revitalization efforts in the corridor.
That was the assertion of elected city and county leaders who spoke at a joint meeting Thursday night at the Vincent E. Griego Chambers.
The issue was officially raised by City Councilor Isaac Benton, whose District 2 covers Downtown. Benton has been concerned about reports that the county has been looking at options outside of Downtown to consolidate its offices and operations.
“It’s worried me that the county was sort of throwing up their arms to some extent,” Benton said, adding that thriving cities across the U.S. have thriving Downtowns in common.
The county is spread out around Downtown in several buildings, many of which were built decades ago and are in need of repair and renovation. County Manager Tom Zdunek has been heading up efforts to identify ways to consolidate not only for greater government efficiency, but to create more convenience for residents that need to conduct county business.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...24536&page=all

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County wants to demolish former Downtown jail

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

It’s a building that’s gone through a few incarnations since serving as the Bernalillo County Detention Center. And it is one the county would now like to see demolished.
The former Downtown detention center at 415 Roma Ave. NW, was previously the New Mexico Regional Correction Center and then later was used as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility.
County Manager Tom Zdunek says he’ll soon be issuing a request for proposals for its demolition. The complex sits on about 1.5 acres across the street from the county Sheriff’s Department and Albuquerque Police Department headquarters at 400 Roma Ave. NW.
The complex was built in the 1970s, although it did undergo a renovation in the early 2000s. Spokeswoman Tia Bland says the county is always in the process of assessing its buildings and their best uses — many of which are scattered across the Downtown corridor.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...town-jail.html

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EDo’s Pop ‘N’ Taco will become First National Rio Grande bank building

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

A quickly expanding Albuquerque-area bank is making a move in East Downtown.
Officials at First National Rio Grande bank said Thursday it will open a new branch office at 501 Central Ave. NE on a plot that is now the vacant and dilapidated Pop ‘N’ Taco.
The bank expects to be open there in August 2015.
Described as a mixed-use bank building, those behind the project said its proximity to Innovate ABQ made it a desirable location. Innovate ABQ is set to rise at the former First Baptist Church site at Central and Broadway Boulevard.
The future of the Pop ‘N’ Taco site at the northeast corner of Central and Edith Boulevard has been in limbo and the subject of much discussion for years. The family that owns the property through a Wells Fargo trust originally approved it for a drive-thru Subway restaurant concept. That idea was met with resistance from different groups and neighborhood associations and was eventually dropped.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...ional-rio.html

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City wants Downtown connectivity plans to include Rail Yards

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

The city is looking at expanding its Downtown connectivity plans for workers, residents and visitors to now include the historic Rail Yards to the south.
In May, the city laid out its initial connectivity plan to raise the pedestrian underpasses at First Street and Central Avenue connecting to East Downtown — not only making that it more efficient, but more inviting. With the specter of Innovate ABQ blossoming at Central and Broadway Blvd., the plans would bridge that project to the Convention Center, Alvarado Transportation Center, First Plaza Galeria and a proposed Entertainment District.
The city applied for a $15 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for that leg of the work, but officials learned this week they didn't receive the grant. However, Michael Riordan, the director of the department of municipal development for the city, said the city is exploring other funding options. And although the primary goal is still to improve the 1st and Central connection, the Rail Yards are now in the mix too.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq....html?page=all

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Downtown's 4th Street Mall, Convention Center renovations progress

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

Two high-profile Downtown Albuquerque construction projects have been progressing this summer, but one experienced a slight weather-related delay.
The $25 million Albuquerque Convention Center renovation has been moving along well, said Michael Riordan, the director of the city's department of municipal development. Riordan said some of the work done on 3rd Street on the west side was delayed due to a relatively wet summer, including a big storm that hit Downtown particularly hard on Aug. 1.
The renovations, led by Bradbury Stamm Construction, include things large and small. There are new ceilings, doors, wall finishes and carpet, as well as newly redone ballrooms, balconies and the addition of a bell tower. The exterior is getting new paint and stucco and 8-by-20-foot banners promoting Albuquerque's amenities will be hung outside soon as well.
The work on 3rd Street includes revising curbs and gutters to make a narrower roadway with a table-top pedestrian walkway. Pedestrians will be able to access the "grand entrance" of the Convention Center from Civic Plaza without walking across traffic. New street trees are being planted too.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...itter&page=all

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City to release high-speed broadband RFP

Dan Mayfield
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

On Friday, the city of Albuquerque said it will release a request for proposals for high-speed Internet along Central Avenue. The RFP will be to operate, maintain and provide an open access, high-speed broadband network, including free wi-fi along Central and inexpensive access throughout the Innovation District, said Peter Ambs, the city’s chief information officer, on Friday.
“We want to make sure we’re supplying ample bandwidth to our Innovation District; our railyards and all the entities along Central will be benefactors on this, whether it’s retail along Nob Hill or a resident,” Ambs said. “We know that the incumbents have fiber along Central. They own it and they control it…and they will have an opportunity to bid on this, and I hope they do. The key is that it’s an open-access fiber broadband network.”
The incumbents include CenturyLink and Comcast.
“If we could get access to the current dark fiber on Central, that’s ideal; the willingness of the incumbents to do that has not always been the case in other cities,” Ambs said.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...a=twt&page=all

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‘Dank, dark tunnel’

By Dan McKay
Journal Staff Writer

Empty bottles of booze, some graffiti and a few spiderwebs greet pedestrians willing to brave the dingy underpass separating Downtown Albuquerque from the neighborhoods to the east.

City Hall had hoped to change all that with help from a $15 million federal grant to make the area more inviting for walkers and cyclists.

It didn’t get the money – as city officials learned last week – but Mayor Richard Berry and others now say they will pursue other funding sources and try to do the work in phases.

Albuquerque’s own bond program, state capital outlay and other federal grants are among the possibilities, perhaps even private funding.

“We don’t want a moat between Downtown and the rest of the city,” Berry said in an interview, describing the project’s importance. “All these efforts are designed to get rid of the physical and emotional barriers between Downtown and the rest of the city.”

Interest in replacing the underpass intensified in recent months as redevelopment efforts in eastern Downtown picked up. The University of New Mexico and others are planning an “innovation district” anchored in the old First Baptist Church building on Central Avenue, just east of the railroad tracks.

The goal is to create a space where entrepreneurs, students, researchers and other creative people work together.

Central New Mexico Community College also plans to boost its presence at the First Plaza Galeria site, and the city’s main bus depot and a Rail Runner commuter train station – Alvarado Transportation Center – are already located at Central and the railroad tracks.

http://www.abqjournal.com/466287/new...underpass.html

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City to convene a Downtown parking summit

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

Parking complaints are not a phenomenon only applicable to Downtown Albuquerque. It's an issue for many downtown cities, whether a problem that is real, perceived or somewhere in-between.
Mayor Richard Berry has said the city has identified about 9,000 Downtown parking spaces, a mix of publicly and privately owned. Whether that number is sufficient, or perhaps more importantly, whether most of those are considered convenient, is often in the eye of the beholder.
So the city has contracted with a national parking expert — Julie Dixon of Dixon Resources Unlimited and Albuquerque engineering firm Wilson & Co. — in advance of a "parking charette," or summit, later this fall. The goal? To bring Downtown stakeholders together to talk about parking problems and map out potential solutions.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...0&t=1411481562

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Latin-Caribbean restaurant coming to Downtown Albuquerque

Damon Scott
Reporter-
Albuquerque Business First

A rookie restaurant owner is planning to bring a new style of cuisine to Downtown Albuquerque.
Alejandro Arteaga said he’ll open Café Caribe ABQ in December at Downtown Albuquerque’s 4th Street Mall — which is now under reconstruction.
Arteaga, who will act as owner and chef, said the restaurant will offer Latin-Caribbean cuisine. He said his dishes are inspired from traditional offerings in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
Arteaga was born in Mexico City, where he said both sides of his family were passionate about cooking authentic Mexican cuisine. And while this will be his first foray into restaurant ownership, Arteaga said he has run kitchens since he was 17.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerq...n.html?ana=twt