Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

KOB-TV today had a look and conversation about the progress and plans for the new UNM Hospital tower as part of its Eye on New Mexico series. They conducted the interview and program near the construction site with a nice view of the new tower behind them. I haven't had time to watch the entire program, I've just skimmed through it. Forgive me if they say something like the entire 12 floors will be built and I missed it, lol

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/albuq...ospital-tower/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A new tower at UNM Hospital has been under construction since early 2021.

On this week’s edition of Eye on New Mexico, Spencer Schacht discusses the plan for the critical care tower and what patients can expect after the project is completed in 2024.

Gallan95 over at SSC yesterday posted a snap from the new tower's construction cam and noted that work on the 9th and final level had just begun. I commented that I keep hoping that UNM will announce that they will go ahead and build the entire 12-floor structure all at once. I also noted that the construction cam had to be adjusted upwards recently to capture the new floors. As you can also see, the old parking structure has been completely demolished and it looks like work is getting ready to start on construction of the new skybridges linking the new tower to the existing hospital.



Here's the most recent snap from the construction cam. It shows a night-time view where you can see how they often light up the site and cranes. Work seems to be going on 'round the clock at the site. They've really made lots of progress in the last couple of months since I last posted an update.



Below are a few pics of the UNMH construction site that I never got around to posting when I first found them. They were taken back in August while the old parking garage was still being demolished.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ChGWQwPpqx8/



https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cynth...73497856-Ggn7/







Here's a nighttime picture from the end of August showing one of the construction cranes with its lighting.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Chq0iQtsntA/



A groundbreaking ceremony was held by UNM on Monday just north of the new hospital tower for the Behavioral Health Crisis Center. It's a joint project with Bernalillo County, part of the homeless and mental health funding initiative that was passed by voters several years ago.

https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2022/09/ber...is-center.html

Bernalillo County, in partnership with The University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) is set to break ground on the long-awaited Behavioral Health Crisis Center.

A groundbreaking celebration is planned for Monday, Sept. 26, from 11a.m.-12:30 p.m. next to the UNM Psychiatric Center, 2400 Marble Avenue NE.

The project is funded in part by a behavioral health initiative tax passed by Bernalillo County voters in 2014 to meet the serious need for additional mental health services in the county.

The revenues from this tax have enabled the county to implement a variety of mental health service initiatives over the past few years.  Now the county is partnering with UNMH to bring one of the centerpieces of the plan to fruition.

The UNM Psychiatric Center at UNMH is the largest community mental health provider in the state, providing a full spectrum of behavioral health care to thousands of New Mexicans each year. These include psychiatric emergency services, inpatient acute care, the psychiatric urgent care clinic and addiction treatment, as well as a range of outpatient mental health services.

The UNM Psychiatric Center, together with UNM Children’s Psychiatric Center, provides one of the largest continuums of behavioral health care in the Southwest.

Construction planning for the Behavioral Health Crisis Center began in July 2022 as a joint project that will allow Bernalillo County and UNMH to address existing discontinuities in behavioral health care in New Mexico.

“This is definitely a win-win-win situation,” said Bernalillo County Manager Julie Morgas Baca.

“Bernalillo County, UNMH and the public are all coming together on a long-awaited project offering best practices in behavioral health care for our residents. This county project is delivering on a promise, using $20 million in county funds and a $20 million match from UNMH, for construction and continued operation of a centralized behavioral health care facility.”

UNMH CEO Kate Becker said the new facility will help bridge an existing gap in the levels of care for behavioral health patients in the Albuquerque area.

“Right now, we have many people who do not meet inpatient admission criteria,” Becker said. “The Behavioral Health Crisis Center will help patients who are not acute enough to be in the hospital, but still need more support than just regular outpatient care.”

Morgas Baca and Becker also cited the expansion of the Psychiatric Emergency Department, the increased capacity for pediatric patients and a more defined area for law enforcement to drop off patients as additional benefits of the center.

This new facility will comprise 48,699 square feet and sit adjacent to the UNM Psychiatric Center.

UNM is also hoping that voters next month will pass the funding for the new home of the Fine Arts program. This past week they outlined the funding that they hope to receive for various projects at the main campus and their branch campuses across the state. I've included the descriptions of the two projects in Albuquerque below, but information about the others is available at the link.

https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-seeks-...e-of-go-bond-3

This year voters in New Mexico have the opportunity to vote on General Obligation Bond 3 which is designed to help provide funding for statewide higher education institutions to finance projects including building upgrades and renovations.

New Mexico voters will find GO Bond 3 for Higher Education on the ballot to help provide New Mexico’s colleges, universities, and specialty schools with the ability to ensure students have the tools and resources necessary to be successful.

GO Bond 3 will provide more than $215 million in higher education funding, including $89.2 million for The University of New Mexico and its branch campuses. The passing of GO Bond 3 will not only provide more than 33 colleges and universities with access to the latest in training and teaching tools but will also create more than 2,000 new jobs in 20 communities throughout the state without raising taxes.

Institutional bonds are debt commitments that allow the University to make investments in large capital projects, similar to what private citizens do when they buy a home and take on a mortgage. Universities use this financial tool in order to fund large brick-and-mortar projects and can serve as matching funds to other sources to fully fund large building projects. Typically, there are no tax increases associated with GO Bond 3.

If passed this November, GO Bond 3 will fund six projects amongst UNM’s north campus, main campus and branch campuses.

The projects include:

Center for Collaborative Arts ($45 million)

The proposed Center for Collaborative Arts & Technology (CCAT) will reduce the space College of Fine Arts (CFA) which now occupies 13 separate buildings, consolidate its space to support student success, and create a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable use of space in both energy usage and economically. The estimate includes new construction of a multi-story building with technical and equipment labs and performance spaces for Music and Theater, Art and Technologies, and Fine Arts education.

To remain competitive with peer fine and studio art colleges in the southwest in recruiting and retaining students and faculty and to be able to grow New Mexico's workforce in the film, music, and other creative arts industries, the College of Fine Arts must offer the technology and facilities that are necessary for these practices. Students and faculty need instruction, research, rehearsal, and performance space with appropriate ventilation, sound systems, light, and acoustics, depending on each specialized art program.

A state-of-the-art fine arts facility is not only integral to UNM's recruitment strategies to grow enrollment, but it is also essential for promoting retention through centralized student activities and services that support student success. Additionally, establishing a collegiate climate where a student can meet with faculty and collaborate with classmates in a safe and inclusive space provides for improvements in attendance, achievement, retention, and eventual graduation.

Children’s Psychiatric Center ($36 million)

The proposed University of New Mexico Hospitals Children’s Psychiatric Center will be located on UNM’s north campus and will renew the current facility to enable intensive, modern partial hospitalization capabilities on our campus, upgrade the programming and state-wide telehealth support to patients and their families in their communities and provide the physicians and equipment to facilitate concentrated specialty care in facilities located outside Albuquerque.

Children benefit from personalized care that may include inpatient, residential or partial hospitalization (day) programs. The current center is almost 50 years old and consists of a 35-bed cottage-style hospital and adolescent inpatient unit. The facility is spaced out and requires more staff and coverage spread across multiple facilities. It is currently the only facility in New Mexico affiliated with an academic medical center.

UNM Children's Psychiatric Center provides intensive behavioral health care for children and adolescents through age 17. Children benefit from personalized care that may include inpatient, residential or partial hospitalization (day) programs at the center. UNM Children's Psychiatric Center is the only facility in New Mexico affiliated with an academic medical center, and the only center in the state that cares for children with serious emotional disturbances—regardless of a family's ability to pay.

Another recent project at UNM is the Central and Girard gateway that got underway in July. This project will replace the old structures that were town down back in 2020. It's expected to be completed by the middle of next month.

http://news.unm.edu/news/unm-site-im...irard-to-begin

Construction work to transform a highly visible address bounding UNM’s main campus, the northwest corner of Central Ave. and Girard Blvd., will begin construction on Monday, July 25.

“The Central/Girard intersection is a visual gateway to campus, providing welcome for visitors traveling westbound on Route 66 and Central Avenue,” said Amy Coburn, UNM university architect and director of Planning, Design & Construction. “The northwest corner of the intersection serves as a entry for students, faculty, staff, and community members who access public transportation or walk between campus and the adjacent neighborhoods and retail establishments.”

The existing site has poor visibility, and deteriorating infrastructure, and, until the recent demolition of the wall structures last year, was beset by criminal activity.

“The site improvements will remove visual barriers, replace deteriorating infrastructure, and install an interlocking ‘UNM’ identity marker, which will welcome visitors to campus,” said Coburn.

The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM), a passionate stakeholder in the development of these site improvements, were awarded $400,000 funding for this project from the NM State Legislature via House Bill 349, which passed in 2020. UNM Facilities Management contributed $29,190 towards this project, bringing the overall project investment to $429,140.

The Central & Girard site improvement project is designed for approximately 11,246 gross square feet of construction and landscaping improvements. Construction, which starts in late July, is expected to extend over four months with an estimated completion date in mid-November.

Here are pics of the old structures that were torn down.

http://news.unm.edu/news/demolition-...ral-and-girard





An interesting thing to note is that the Solar Arc public art piece at 4-H Park originally used to be located at this spot, right at the corner between the wall structures. I have memories of it being there when I was little and I'm unsure of when it was removed to the park at 12th and Menaul. I assume it was sometime in the early to mid-90s.

[ABQalex]

KOB-TV has a story about the new Downtown Growers Market/Three Sisters Kitchen indoor marketplace project. It looks like they gleaned some of their information from posts in this thread that I've made. Unfortunately, they've confused the renderings for this project with the ones that I posted from the Brown Property RFP in comparison. Their video report has some nice views of the cleared project site, however.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/downt...ans-expansion/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The effort to beautify downtown Albuquerque continues – an abandoned building right on Central has been demolished.

But the demolition was only the first step. The plan is to use the open lot to expand the Downtown Growers’ Market.

Neighbors say they are relieved something is finally getting done with the Café Oaxaca building that has been causing problems for the last few years.

All that is left of Café Oaxaca is the sign.

“The walk-through traffic has gotten way more up even from a few years ago, they tear through the fence, sneak in the building,” Leah Martinez, a neighbor, said. “We witness all the drug trafficking there are constantly cop sirens here after sundown.”

Back in April, firefighters blocked off the intersection of 10th and Central when the abandoned building caught on fire. While AFR couldn’t say what started the fire at the time, neighbors suspect it was a homeless person trying to stay warm.

“They kept getting in there you know,” neighbor Bobby Sandoval said, “They’d throw their stuff out here, backpacks, and trash all around, a lot of homeless coming through here.”

The fenced-off parking lot caught the eye of the nearby Growers’ Market – which is planning on expanding.

The popular Saturday market has outgrown its current location at Robinson Park. Every week, the market hosts more than 200 vendors and serves nearly 3,000 customers.

The expansion is going to do more than just make room for more vendors – they plan on building a whole food campus.

“We need to design a food campus that bridges the gap between growers and consumers and communicates Albuquerque’s unique food system, amplifies local food options, and celebrates seasonal change,” Senior Architect Mayrah Udvardi said.

The move would make the Growers’ Market a year-round affair. The project will add more space for community activities and local food businesses, and even build classrooms for community cooking classes.

Neighbors say they can’t wait.

“We love the growers’ market, first of all, ’cause it’s walking distance, and if they could expand that I think it would be really great,” Martinez said.

“I think that would be good,” Sandoval said. “I go to the farmers’ market and support the locals they have good chile and stuff but I’d love to see it expand.”

Organizers are hoping to break ground by the end of 2023.

[ABQalex]

The Bernalillo County Commission last night began consideration of a request by Jim Long for help in constructing his three new buildings in the Sawmill Area. In his presentation to the commission he revealed a site plan and renderings for the project. It will be an over $200 million investment and he is seeking industrial revenue bonds, tax rebate incentives and LEDA funding totaling nearly as much. He also plans to go before the city for part of the incentives. The commission will vote on the proposal in December.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2543383/s...ts-ex-cou.html

The businessman behind Sawmill Market and Hotel Chaco is rolling out plans for three new projects in the same area – two more hotels and an apartment building – and seeking big public incentives to make them a reality.

Jim Long told the Bernalillo County Commission on Tuesday that the second phase of his Sawmill District vision represents over $200 million in investment. Given the current economic climate, he said they are possible only with some public support, but that they could be transformational.

“We think these projects will make a huge difference for our city to attract employment here, to attract the type of investment the community will want to see and hopefully raise the bar for the rest of the state,” Long said.

According to county documents, the plan includes a 101-room extended-stay hotel, a 115-room contemporary boutique hotel with amenities “appealing to a Gen X and Millennial audience,” and a six-story, 138-unit apartment complex with street-level commercial space. Long told the commission that exact capacities are not set in stone.

Long – working under the Sawmill Bellamah Properties LLC entity – is pursuing about $38.6 million in grants through the Local Economic Development Act, according to county documents. County Economic Development Director Marcos Gonzales said in an interview the money would come from future gross receipts taxes created by the three newly proposed buildings, but also from taxes generated by a series of existing properties in the area, including Hotel Chaco, Hotel Albuquerque and Sawmill Market.

If approved, the county would give up half the GRT it would get from construction of the new buildings and on business activity at all of the associated developments for what is likely the next 30 years.

But Gonzales said the total incentive amount is still being negotiated and that the city of Albuquerque may also contribute to the LEDA tax increment. A city spokeswoman said the city has “had discussions” with the developer about the proposed projects, but made no decisions about incentives.

It’s a LEDA deal unlike any the county has ever done before, Gonzales said, in that the county has not previously offered a developer a share of the taxes on projects already built and operational.

In addition to the LEDA agreement, Long’s company is seeking a total of $146.4 million in county industrial revenue bonds, or IRBs for the second-phase projects. Those are bonds that the developer, not the county, must repay, though they do come with tax breaks. Gonzales said the county is still working through the terms of the IRBs, specifically the rate of exemption and, thus, the dollar value of the tax breaks. The deal will also include a payment in lieu of taxes that the developer would make.

The county commission voted unanimously Tuesday to introduce and publish the incentive legislation, something it must do at least 30 days before making a final decision.

Gonzales said he is aiming to solidify the incentive terms and have the package ready for a December commission vote.

https://www.mattophoto.net/sawmillmarket

It's really gonna be an incredible project. I hope our leaders don't mess it up and squander this great opportunity. Quality projects like this unfortunately don't come around often in Albuquerque. Below are the renderings and layout from Jim Long's presentation to the County Commission last night.

[ABQalex]

It looks like the Rail Yards will indeed be the home of the state's $40 million Next Generation Media Academy. Albuquerque Business First reported about the mayor's speech this morning to the Albuquerque Economic Forum. They quote him as saying that an official announcement of a film academy at the Rail Yards could happen as soon as next week. This is a state-led project, so that's probably why the mayor is being somewhat vague about it.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...a-academy.html

All signs point to the Next Generation Media Academy's flagship campus being housed at the Albuquerque Rail Yards.

Once built, the academy plans to admit 1,000 students per year who would learn necessary skills to enter the state's growing film industry, according to an Economic Development Department document outlining the project.

During today's Economic Forum of Albuquerque breakfast, Mayor Tim Keller said an announcement about a film academy at the Rail Yards could come as soon as next week. While he did not specifically refer to it as the Next Generation Media Academy, sources familiar with the project also confirmed that location to Albuquerque Business First.

The Albuquerque Rail Yards already hosts film and digital media students from Central New Mexico Community College.

The academy project was initially introduced by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in her 2022 legislative agenda as a way to shape the state's future through a 20-year economic report conducted by California-based SRI International on behalf of New Mexico's Economic Development Department.

The school will be a partnership between 15 higher education institutions, along with Netflix, NBCUniversal, IATSE Local 480 and the Department of Higher Education.

In March, Lujan Grisham allocated $20 million in capital outlay money and $20 million in general fund money to create the academy.

The plan calls for $20 million to go towards renovations which include office spaces for faculty and staff, a 20,000-square-foot sound stage, edit bays, computer labs, makeup and hair stations and a volumetric soundstage — essentially a cutting-edge green screen that allows for next-generation special effects. Another $10 million would come from the state's general fund and be used to pay faculty and staff for the first year.

The academy's curriculum would consist of three modules before students receive a certificate from the program, according to an EDD document.

Module one would focus on common core production classes, such as Film 101. Those classes would be taken at a student’s local university. But module two, however, would allow students to step foot on the Next Generation Media Academy’s Albuquerque campus or "satellite campuses" to take classes, according to EDD. Module three would allow NGMA students to enter the workforce with a paid apprenticeship opportunity.

Students enrolled in the academy would complete an apprenticeship on a qualifying production, which could fast-track them toward membership with IATSE Local 480.

Tuition would be split between the student's current university and the academy, depending on which module they're participating in.

In July, Lujan Grisham announced a satellite campus would be located at the New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center in Las Cruces.

This academy investment comes as film productions spent more than $855 million in the 2022 fiscal year. That represented a 36% increase over the 2021 fiscal year.

Cities like Las Cruces saw a huge bump in activity, according to state officials, due to a 5% tax credit for productions that film outside of the Albuquerque/Santa Fe area. As a result of that legislation, direct spending in rural communities reportedly increased from $6.5 million in 2021 to nearly $50 million in the 2022 fiscal year.

Here's a nice recent aerial pic of the Rail Yards and Downtown Albuquerque posted on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjEd8YZJUPE/

[ABQalex]

The mayor in his speech to the Economic Forum also talked about the housing supply deficit in Albuquerque. He characterized it as a crisis. I agree with that characterization, but I don't agree with other parts of his speech. He seems to imply that private developers aren't doing enough to address the shortage, when actually they've proposed and built thousands of units in the last few years.

The Apartment Association of New Mexico says that there are over 8,300 units in the pipeline right now. I think it's even more than that. It's well over ten thousand, I think. I really need to update and compile all the projects that I know about and come up with a total. Homebuilding is also continuing to be at levels not seen since before the Great Recession, when Albuquerque was growing like gangbusters.

The mayor also says that the IDO is out of date. That's despite the fact that it's only about 4 years old and is updated every year.

The real problem is that the updates to the IDO have been used to downzone and rollback what's allowed to be built across the city, especially in the designated corridors where higher intensity, dense and tall uses were supposed to be allowed and desired to be built. It was hoped that most of our growth would be captured in these higher intensity areas, the designated centers and corridors, instead of at the edges of our city in low-density sprawl.

At the same time, over the last several years, private developers have faced automatic and extreme opposition to every project they propose. Neighborhoods don't even care whether a project meets all criteria in the zoning code. Every project is bad, according to these NIMBYs. They fight tooth and nail against every project and either cause it to be downsized drastically or be canceled altogether. They tie things up for years in the appeals process or even file lawsuits to stop projects.

This is what really needs to be addressed by our leaders. They need to grow a backbone and stand up to the loudmouth busybodies.

Below is the Albuquerque Journal's story about the mayor's remarks today concerning the housing crisis in Albuquerque.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2543570/k...-a-crisis.html

The Albuquerque area needs between 13,000 and 33,000 units to address the housing supply. And private businesses, namely developers, need to work hand-in-hand with the City of Albuquerque to address that crisis.

Those were the words of Mayor Tim Keller Wednesday mkorning at the Economic Forum of Albuquerque as he made his pitch to business leaders and developers on his new housing initiative, Housing Forward ABQ, aimed at bringing 5,000 new units to the city by 2025 — mostly through the redevelopment of hotels, and changing zoning codes to allow for the development of casitas.

The mayor, in a speech that spanned nearly 45 minutes, also touched on crime, homelessness and the Albuquerque Rail Trail.

“We are small enough where theoretically you can find a nice place to live. … But the challenge is running out of houses,” Keller said. “… Because of our growth, (housing) is a crisis.”

That growth, Keller told business leaders, has come in the form of about 40 new people moving into the Albuquerque area every day. He said the city was a “net winner” coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic — with millennials now working jobs that are remote, but wanting to live in an affordable city that has the outdoor experience comparable to places such as Denver.

Keller said the city’s Integrated Development Ordinance, which lays out zoning and subdivision regulations, is outdated and needs reworking to allow for the expansion of housing supply in Albuquerque.

He called the redevelopment of hotels to housing units vital to increasing supply but said it is “low-hanging fruit” for the city, adding that private-public partnerships are key to the initiative going forward. Keller said the IDO has pushed developers away from addressing supply in years past.

“The City of Albuquerque is terrible about this,” Keller said. “We add $100,000 to every unit — every unit — to convert with additional building code regulations compared to other cities. That’s why the private sector is not doing this already.”

Here's a pic that the mayor posted on his Twitter account of his speech at the event.

https://mobile.twitter.com/MayorKell...50814746353664

[ABQalex]

The old abandoned fraternity house on the UNM campus that was slated to be demolished for a new apartment building ended up burning down this evening. It may have already been under demolition and the fire related to that process. Below are various posts on Twitter with pics and videos of the fire.

https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...77265071886337



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...76445198729216



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...78777210773504



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...86228693807104









https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...95214360997889



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...91643095674880



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...78529960734723



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...84308075868160



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...77423062958080



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...78014921187328



https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...81881004134402

[ABQalex]

The terminal renovation at the Sunport is scheduled to begin in January. Areas of the terminal are beginning to be closed off to get ready for the impending project that will last a couple of years.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...-construction/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Renovations at the Sunport are getting underway. Airport officials say temporary walls will start going up this week around the old Tia Juanita’s Restaurant on the third floor.

The plans include moving the TSA checkpoint and adding a food court in that old space. A bulk of the work on the $85 million project is set to begin early next year.

This is the largest renovation at the Sunport in 30 years.

https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...51978593894401







The Amazon air cargo facility at the Sunport also opened last week.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...op-at-sunport/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A large company is trying out something new in Albuquerque. Amazon began operations at its newest facility at the Sunport Thursday.

The company’s “Amazon Air” transportation hub is a 30,000 sq. ft. cargo facility on five acres southwest of the terminal next to FedEx and UPS.It’s part of a development agreement with the City of Albuquerque.

“We take great pride in officially welcoming the world’s largest retailer to the Sunport,” said Albuquerque Aviation Director Richard McCurley, “Amazon’s transportation hub is a tremendous addition to our cargo operations and a sign of continued growth. We look forward to partnering with them for many years to come.”

Per the lease agreement, Amazon will operate at the Sunport for 10 years with the option to extend that agreement five years at a time up to 25 years.

Mayor Tim Keller said the partnership is great for the city, and they want to keep exploring other ways to strengthen the bond between Albuquerque and Amazon.

Here's a short video of the first Amazon plane arriving at the new air cargo center. The Albuquerque Sunport posted it last week on its Twitter account.

https://mobile.twitter.com/i/web/sta...97264104259588



Here's a report by Albuquerque Business First's New Mexico Inno about the new air cargo facility, where they also quote the Amazon spokesperson as saying that the Amazon facility in Los Lunas remains on track. They also say that the air cargo facility will employ 70 people.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...ity-opens.html

Amazon's latest Albuquerque project got off the ground last week as the online retailer launched daily operations out of its air cargo facility at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

Zoe Richmond, the field communications manager for Amazon in Arizona and New Mexico, said the cargo facility will allow the company to get products to its customers faster, whether here in Albuquerque or elsewhere.

The facility is staffed with about 70 people who are employed through Unifi, Richmond said, referring to the third-party contractor headquartered in Atlanta that provides aviation services through the U.S.

Currently, the facility will offload and load one cargo plane per day, Richmond said.

While Richmond couldn't give specifics on the amount of cargo expected to move through Albuquerque via the facility, the 737 that Amazon uses can carry 23 tons of freight.

...

The lease and development agreement between the Sunport and Amazon allows the online retailer to operate for 10 years. It carries an option to extend the lease in five-year renewals for up to 25 years, according to the release.

Amazon's presence in Albuquerque has grown since early 2020, when the company began work on ABQ1, the 24-hour fulfillment center on the city's Westside. It has also added a delivery station and sortation center to its campus on the Westside. Meanwhile, in February, Amazon announced it is building a fulfillment center in Los Lunas, which will employ more than 600 people upon completion sometime in 2023. Richmond said the Los Lunas project remains on track as of Monday.

There has been another video update posted on Vimeo of the Amazon fulfillment center construction in Los Lunas. Below is a screenshot and link to the video.

https://vimeopro.com/dronebros/const...ideo/765595727

[ABQalex]

KRQE has a story about a new apartment building that is planned for Nob Hill at Wellesley and Silver SE. It will go where a few historic but abandoned and deteriorated houses stand. The story says that the city Landmarks Commission voted last week to allow the demolition of the existing structures. That will pave the way for the new 3-story structure with 40 apartments.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...d-in-nob-hill/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – One of the most recognizable pieces of property in the heart of Albuquerque will be demolished. The walled grounds, which include four old homes, take up half a block in Nob Hill just off Central. The homes in the lot were built around the 1930s. The new owner wants to tear it all down to put in apartments.

“You know, it’s mostly an abandoned property. It does attract a lot of critters. We get a lot of raccoons on the property a lot of birds. And also, that stretch of the block because it’s just kind of not populated…attracts RV’s and sometimes abandoned cars,” said Paul Dickson, a neighbor of the property.

“It’s been there for generations. And so, we were all very skeptical about what was going to happen,” said Pamela Weese Powell, a neighbor of the property. This corner lot on Wellesley and Silver occupies an acre of Nob Hill and is a piece of Albuquerque history.

“It’s a lot that’s a block wide and so you rarely get to see those anymore,” said Powell. “We’re getting architectural walks all the time that are coming to see that specific property.” The Mediterranean-style homes were built in the 1930s by the Bachechi Family—the patriarch of whom built KiMo Theatre downtown in the mid-1920s.

When the estate was built in Nob Hill, it was on the outer edges of Albuquerque. However, it’s not registered as a historic landmark or cultural property. The compound consists of a two-story main house and three one-story rental units enclosed by a wall, but neighbors say it’s seen better days.

“I did attend the demolition meeting and some of the photos were kind of terrible. The outbuildings are all a big mess and falling down. The main house I’ve heard is not in good shape. You can’t tell from the outside, but I’d heard that before,” Dickson says.

“We’ve all watched that property go down in value for many years. So, we’re glad that it’s getting a facelift,” Powell says.

The new owner plans to turn the property into a three-story complex with around 40 pueblo-style apartments. The plan says adding more homes here will help the local economy and help alleviate the housing crunch in Albuquerque.

“It looks good! I hope that it ends up looking like the designs are. You know I’m a big fan of infill and I’m not going to be a nimby and say, ‘can’t do it on my block!’ So, I think it’s a much better use. I think it’s good for the neighborhood,” said Dickson.

The demolition plan had to go through the city’s Landmarks Commission because the homes here were all more than 50 years old. The plan was approved last week; no word yet on when the demolition will actually take place or when the apartment buildings could go up.

[ABQalex]

Another apartment project is planned for Journal Center in North I-25. The Environmental Planning Commission this week will consider a zoning change request for a plot just west of the Marriott Pyramid hotel. The plot is currently occupied by a parking lot. Details of the planned apartment project haven't been revealed yet.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...erson%20NE.pdf



Earlier this year the EPC approved a zoning change for another plot just south of this one. It is occupied by a former bank branch with drive-through. The developer there is also proposing to build an apartment building. They submitted a preliminary massing that indicates it may have 72 units in a three and four-story building.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...e%20Change.pdf

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...0Jefferson.pdf







The Allasso JC6 apartment project recently applied for its building permits. The final plan has 209 units in three 4-story buildings and carriage house structures. It will go just west of these two new proposals on an empty plot of land.

https://posse.cabq.gov/posse/pub/lms...ctId=168571304



In the aerial pic below the Allaso JC6 project site is the dirt lot in the upper center-right of the view.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcJ6_PXupLj/



The Allaso Journal Center project is expected to be completed in the second quarter next year. Below are the most recent pics I can find from users on Google.





Here are a couple more pics from an Albuquerque Journal story in September that was about Journal Center's transformation into a live-work-play environment with these new apartments. Titan Development's Josh Rogers says in the story that between his company's projects and others there are about 1,000 residential units coming to Journal Center.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2532700/live-work-play.html

Every weekday, thousands of workers in Journal Center leave the area after they clock out.

“Everything shuts down after five o’clock, and then on the weekends, it’s a ghost town,” said Josh Rogers, senior vice president at Titan Development.

But that may change in the coming months. In the decades since Journal Center opened in the 1980s, the office park has been a home to the business community. In December of this year, it will become a home in a more literal sense, as the center’s first apartment building, Allaso Journal Center, starts accepting residents.

Titan Development is wrapping up construction on the first of two planned housing developments in the area. A 158-unit apartment building should be open by the end of this year, Rogers said, and the company will break ground on a second residential building this year.

“My goal for the last 10 years was to bring residential buildings to Journal Center,” said Lowell Hare, president and CEO of the Journal Center Corp. “… I am thrilled and excited about it.”

Journal Center is central in Albuquerque, off two major freeways: PanAmerican and Paseo Del Norte. Hare estimates that about 10,000 people work in the park, which houses major employers like the New Mexico Cancer Center and U.S. Bank.

Journal Center Corp. and Journal Publishing Co. are both subsidiaries of Journal Enterprises Inc.

Evolving needs

Rogers said that Titan expects about 200 people to move into the first building starting in December. Between Titan’s two housing projects and other companies’ proposed developments, he said, there could be 1,000 apartment units in Journal Center in the next five years.

“You have the suburban office park that was really prevalent in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s,” Rogers said. “That was really great for what we used to think of the office park, right? Where everyone went to their single-family home and drove to their job, and then drove back.”

But many workers want something different now, Rogers said.“I think over the last 20 years, that has fundamentally shifted to where people want to live closer to their workplace,” Rogers said. “And for Journal Center, you know, this being the catalytic project for turning over the Journal Center as a mixed-use destination where people can live, work and play.”

Hare said he thinks besides bringing in residents, employers will want to bring their businesses to Journal Center so their employees can have the option of living nearby.

“Employers, I think, are going to want to be here attracting employees,” Hare said.

Mixed-use developments have grown increasingly popular in the city, with Journal Center joining projects like El Vado Place and One Central. The developments mix retail and residential with an emphasis on walkability – Journal Center is close to several bike trails, including the North Diversion Channel Trail.

And here are some neat aerial pics of the project taken last December. Even though they are old, I thought I'd post them since they show how the project fits into Journal Center. They are from the architect on Facebook.

https://m.facebook.com/ORBArchitecture

[ABQalex]

The Space Valley initiative is still alive. The Albuquerque Journal recently had a story which says that the organizers and entities behind the project will pursue other federal grants and sources of funding totaling $160 million to bring it to fruition. The story doesn't say whether the specific plans for the $70 million Space Valley Center in Downtown Albuquerque have changed or will change. Though it looks like it will remain a central part of the initiative. I just hope that if it goes forward it gets refined and they come up with a better plan and maximize the use of the Civic North lot. I've always thought that it's a worthwhile initiative overall. The other Albuquerque-based initiative from the Build Back Better Challenge plans to go forward and seek other funding and grants as well.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2548133/n...ng-to-win.html

Two New Mexico coalitions failed to win federal grant funding in a competitive bid for up to $200 million that would have financed projects to expand industry growth in the state’s space and creative sectors.

But both alliances are still moving forward with their work.

The Space Valley Coalition – led by Central New Mexico Community College – and Create New Mexico, led by the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, were among 60 finalists in the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Twenty-one awardees were announced in early September, including West Virginia-based The Appalachian Climate Technology coalition which was awarded $62.8 million.

The Space Valley Coalition’s proposal focused on creating a “Space Valley Center” in Albuquerque to centralize space-related industry development, as well as new space-related workforce development programs. If they had received funding, the coalition also would have created a space-focused venture fund of up to $25 million to invest in up to 30 companies in the state over the next decade.

The Create New Mexico coalition proposal focused on workforce development in different creative technology fields – including the creation of a statewide network of training in fields such as coding and film, said Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce CIO Jessica Gentry.

The Space Valley Coalition – which includes CNM, the New Mexico Trade Alliance, NewSpace New Mexico, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and the City of Albuquerque – is now in the process of applying for another federal grant of up to $160 million, said New Mexico Trade Alliance President Randy Trask.

Create New Mexico is looking at applying for three other federal grants – including one supporting science, technology engineering and math from the U.S. Department of Labor, Gentry said.

“When groups go after these opportunities, it’s rare to get funded the first go round,” Trask said. “But we are absolutely going to make this work for New Mexico.”

[ABQalex]

The final negotiated development agreement between the city and Rembe Urban Design & Development for the Downtowner project will go before the Albuquerque Development Commission tomorrow (Wednesday). Some good news is that the original six-story proposal is still in play. It has also been increased to 219 residential units.

The negotiated agreement states that the developer will pursue the six-story project but is only obligated to produce the smaller 5-story redesign with a minimum of 150 residential units. The total residential units include the 12 live-work spaces on the ground-floor of both versions. Co-working spaces and a 1,000 sq ft commercial space/coffee shop are part of the basic and minimum commitment by the developer as well.

The agreement states that the ability of the developer to secure financing for the larger design and things such as labor and material costs are acceptable reasons for not pursuing the original design. The developer has a little less than three years to get the building completed after the agreement is signed.

Below are a few images and updated renderings and a link to the project agreement and tax rebate abatement agreement from the ADC agenda and files. They present three possible color schemes for the design. I like all three but prefer the "Streetscape" design. I feel like it would go well with the new Palladium Townhomes nearby and also tie into the "Zona de Colores" theme for that area of Downtown with its murals.

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/3...-agreement.pdf

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/4...-abatement.pdf

[ABQalex]

The city this past week held public meetings for the mayor's proposed zoning changes to allow for more housing to be built in the city. The changes are more massive and meaningful than I imagined they would be. I was glad to find out that the proposed changes do include getting rid of or reducing parking minimums. That's among other changes, like getting rid of requirements for full kitchens in building/hotel conversions, and instead allowing things like hot plates and microwaves to be used. Building height limits would also be done away with in certain areas and for certain projects, which is just incredible if it comes to fruition! I tip my hat to the mayor for proposing these changes, I just hope he has the strength and willingness to see them through and continue advocating for them until they are implemented. It looks like the changes have a lot of support, but there is some opposition. We'll see how many NIMBYs ultimately crawl out of their holes to oppose these changes and throw a hissy fit.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2556236/p...-proposal.html

Real estate professionals, academics, people who work with low-income and homeless populations, and even residents just interested in keeping elderly relatives close to family voiced support for Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller's proposal to dramatically change the city's zoning code.

But the ideas also drew backlash during a public meeting Thursday. Some homeowners argued the changes deserved far more scrutiny and expressed fears they would alter neighborhood character, block views and increase the number of cars parked on the street.

The legislation – created by Keller's administration and co-sponsored by City Councilors Isaac Benton and Trudy Jones at the mayor's request – aims to grow the city's housing stock with Integrated Development Ordinance amendments enabling greater density. It would impact areas zoned for single-family homes by allowing duplexes and accessory dwelling units – also known as “casitas” – on lots with sufficient available space. The bill also relaxes rules for apartment development by removing the height limit in certain areas and reducing parking requirements. It also would allow developers to replace the standard kitchen oven or stove with a microwave or hot plate when turning hotels or other commercial buildings into permanent housing, thus extending an exemption that currently applies only to city-funded projects.

“This is the biggest zoning package we've put forward since the IDO itself,” Mikaela Renz-Whitmore of the city's Planning Department told the Environmental Planning Commission on Thursday.

The EPC, an appointed citizen committee, is tasked with making a recommendation to the City Council. After five hours of discussion and public testimony Thursday, the EPC voted to delay any action until its Jan. 19 meeting. The panel discussed several tweaks it would like to see – most of them somehow limiting the changes or focusing them in more specific areas – but made no final decision.

Only councilors can change the bill itself, which will eventually go through the council's Land Use Planning and Zoning Committee and then up to the full council for a final vote.

Dozens of people spoke on the bill during Thursday's public comment session – the majority in favor of the proposal as a way to reduce barriers to new housing. That included a local real estate broker who said recent housing cost increases due to limited supply had completely priced some of her clients out of the market. Others who testified in support included the head of the nonprofit Albuquerque Housing Authority – who said it now often takes clients over 120 days to find a place to use a rental-assistance voucher when it used to take one or two months – and an alternative transportation advocate who said that increased density could decrease Albuquerque's reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.

Many people specifically addressed casitas, which are currently only allowed in certain areas, as a way to foster multigenerational living, more diversity in established neighborhoods and extra income for residents who may otherwise struggle to afford home ownership.

“It's important for us to create more of this housing stock so more diverse populations in the city of Albuquerque have access to good schools and supportive neighborhoods and not just be pushed into high-density housing in other parts of the city,” said Johanna Stein, who said her neighbors already have “grandfathered” casitas and she would like to build one on her property, too.

But several people affiliated with neighborhood associations and coalitions raised concerns, saying they did not know about the significant proposal until reading it in the newspaper last month and that the public has had little opportunity for comment thus far. They said it could detrimentally impact existing homeowners, who needed to be considered.

“I live in an R-1 (single-family home zone). We chose this area for that reason. People choose their largest investment of their lifetime for a reason, and have an implied contract with the city,” Julie Dreike said. “This is a complex, diverse change that's being proposed very, very quickly.”

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/city-...s-zoning-laws/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque city leaders know their latest plan to address the housing crisis is massive, but they also know they’re running out of time.

“We might as well pick our path, or our path will be picked for us because our housing shortage is so big,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said.

The mayor’s Housing Forward Initiative and city councilors are proposing six major changes to Albuquerque’s zoning laws.

The first two would allow more, limited developments in areas currently zoned for single-family homes – think of a typical neighborhood. City leaders want to open up those areas to multi-family units like duplexes, but also make it easier for homeowners to build casitas, or guest houses, if there’s room for one.

The third proposal wants to simplify plans to convert hotels into affordable housing. It would loosen restrictions that require each unit to have a stove or oven inside, and city planners said there’s a market for that.

“There is a market for these converted units for folks who really don’t want or shouldn’t have an oven, that includes our Gen X and multi-millennial friends who are increasingly not cooking at home and shopping every few days for groceries, and seniors or others suffering from mental illnesses or dementia for whom an oven is actually a safety risk,” said Mikaela Renz-Whitmore with the city’s Planning Department.

The fourth proposal would get rid of building height restrictions for multi-family developments. However, there would still be limits in protected neighborhoods, like ones near the Petroglyphs.

The final two proposals would reduce or eliminate street parking requirements for multi-family and affordable housing developments.

“We’re not trying to create solutions for everybody,” Renz-Whitmore said. “We’re trying to solve housing limits, limits in the housing available for people who need particular housing options.”

City leaders believe the new zoning changes could add several thousand rental units to the market much faster than new construction.

Some Albuquerque residents have concerns with such sweeping changes. The city’s Environmental Planning Commission listened to public comments for nearly three hours Thursday.

The proposals still have many hurdles to clear. The Environmental Planning Commission decided to delay its decision until January, and then it will go to the city council’s Land Use and Development Committee for approval, before finally going to the full council for a vote.

[ABQalex]

Yet another of the mayor's RFP projects has failed. The Springer Square Sky Link project has been canceled, purportedly due to rising costs. The KRQE story below says that the city is hoping to salvage the housing portion of the project on the empty lots at Broadway and Tijeras.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...-in-the-water/

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A high-profile piece of the city’s plan to bring downtown back to life is dead in the water. The developer behind the project, which included a sky bridge over the tracks, has pulled out.

The Rail Trail Project is going to look different than originally planned. A key piece, the $6 million Springer Square Skylink Bridge, was going to give people an easy way to cross the tracks by the convention center. The city, which promised to pitch in $1 million, said current market conditions and rising construction costs have undermined the project.

The news is disappointing to downtown business owners. Alex Espinosa owns Novel Point Coffee. “It’s a misplanning. It definitely happens but I think it’s truly tragic to see something so big and grand get shut down like that. I think it really brings people’s hopes up and then really comes down to a big crash,” he said.

The project also called for the developer to spend upwards of $20 million more for up to 140 apartments or hotel rooms on the neighboring parking lot along with space for shops and restaurants. Now, the city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency is working with developer Zydeco 66 to explore other options to add needed housing downtown.

The KRQE story also has this bit about the Elevate @ 3rd + Lomas project, where they tried to get an update from the developer.

Just a few blocks away, across the tracks in the heart of downtown, we’re still waiting to see if another big project the city backs will get off the ground. It’s a seven-story building called ‘Elevate’ which developers pitched to the city almost five years ago and got the green light for millions in tax breaks.

That project also included a makeover of the Bank of the West Center. News 13 called the developer to see if this is ever going to happen but has not heard back.

Downtown Albuquerque News reported this morning about a new mixed-use proposal from Chad Rennaker in Barelas. It would have a tap room and additional commercial space and more than 60 units of affordable housing in two 3-story buildings on Santa Fe Avenue between 2nd and 3rd streets across from the Rail Yards. The developer unveiled the plans at the Barelas NA meeting in December. If all goes smoothly, construction would start at the end of next year.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

El Vado developer unveils early plans for taproom and housing at Rail Yards-adjacent property

More than sixty units of affordable rental housing plus small retail shops, including a taproom, are part of an early plan for a largely-vacant square block just a stone's throw away from the Rail Yards. Developer Chad Rennaker, who is most famous for his rejuvenation of El Vado, ran the idea by the Barelas Neighborhood Association at its December meeting, initiating a process of "dialogue and discussion" that he said he'd like to continue over the next six months.

Rennaker's company, Palindrome Communities LLC, owns the L-shaped parcel on the block bounded by Second, Santa Fe, Third, and Pacific - once home to the A & P Bar. The Second Avenue side of the project, however, would be the "natural face" of its commercial operations, he said.

"We really like to accommodate destination-oriented retail," Rennaker said, envisioning each business on the block drawing potential customers that might also be interested in the neighboring shops. Taproom outdoor seating, perhaps located behind the building, could be shared with small food purveyors he'd like to see operating in other retail spaces along Second.

The taproom itself would be a satellite of Sawmill's Ponderosa Brewery, he said, adding that he'd like the vibe to somewhat resemble El Vado Taproom.

The Second Street food purveyors would be located just south of the taproom, but he imagines "less intensive" retail, such as clothing shops, on Santa Fe to the west.

Currently, the view across Second from the future project mostly features acres of vacant land, largely-empty Rail Yards buildings, and a short stretch of the newly-completed Rail Trail. But that, of course, could all change in the coming years, particularly if the state legislature decides to spend heavily on the Rail Yards in its upcoming session and/or if the state ultimately decides to locate a film academy there. Any Rail Yards development is likely to enhance the commercial potential of Rennaker's development.

Most of the project's housing would consist of some 60 units of affordable one, two, and three-bedroom apartments to be located in two, three-story buildings on Third between Santa Fe and Pacific, Rennaker said. Palindrome would apply for federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program financing to help pay for the project.

It's not yet clear what variances and/or conditional use permits Palindrome would have to obtain to execute its plans. If any organized opposition to the project emerges, it would most likely pop up in public hearings that the city would hold before granting any such permissions. Objections to development of this sort typically center around traffic congestion, the blocking of views, noise, alcohol establishments, and especially in Barelas, gentrification.

Rennaker and the Barelas Neighborhood Association board scheduled a joint walk-through of the project site that will be open to the public. It is planned for Saturday, February 4, from 2 - 4 p.m. The formal process for nailing down funding for the project should begin next summer, Rennaker said, and should be completed early in 2024. Construction, he said, should begin in the fall of 2024.

This is exciting news and I'm looking forward to this project coming to fruition! I'm especially happy to see the commercial activity planned for 2nd Street, restoring some of that old activity from when the Rail Yards was in its heyday.

I just hope the same morons who killed the soccer stadium project don't sink this project as well. Chad Rennaker and his company are getting things built and have a proven track record of greatly improving our city, yet they are rewarded in places like the Los Ranchos Village Center project with NIMBY protests and are smeared with ugly, untrue allegations. I hope that doesn't happen here.

[ABQalex]

Some great news for Downtown Albuquerque today. Ex Novo Brewing Company has announced that they will open a new location in the historic Firestone service station structure at 7th Street and Central Avenue NW. The new taproom will also have a restaurant and beer garden. They hope to have the project completed and opened by the end of the year.

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

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A local brewing company is planning a high-profile restaurant and beer garden project at a historic building on Central, right in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. A Corrales-based brewery, Ex Novo announced plans Thursday for a new taproom to be built inside the old Firestone building at 7th and Central.

The old Route 66-era building, which housed auto-care services for decades, has sat dormant since closing several years ago. Renderings of the future taproom show plans to retain the look of the vintage garage, while building a large patio seating area out front of the property.

Inside, the brewing company says it plans to build a full-service restaurant and a 21+ mezzanine “speakeasy” cocktail lounge, along with a café-deli concept. Ex Novo says the design plans are being completed by Albuquerque-based Modulus Design. The new business will be roughly 11,000 square feet and the whole project is expected to cost around $4 million.

“[We] hope to be able to finish this project in late 2023,” Ex Novo wrote in a message posted to Facebook. “We are so stoked to join others to bring activity and vibrancy to our downtown core – we feel this compliments our Corrales location so well.”

The brewery says it hopes to open for the 2023 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Roughly 40 people are expected to be hired to work at the facility.

Originally started in Portland, Oregon, Ex Novo is helmed by Joel Gregory of Corrales. Today, the company maintains a presence in both Oregon and New Mexico.

“I grew up in New Mexico, and always hoped to be able to come back,” Gregory said in a poste online, Ex Novo Brewing Founder. “I love the history, the story and the character of this building and am 100% committed to seeing downtown thrive. This is such a cool property, and after two years of dreaming and planning, it’s finally coming to fruition.”

Here's a link to their official Announcement on their Facebook page this afternoon, which includes several renderings of the new project.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...00028848025296















Firestone left the building in early 2020 after operating there since it was built in the late 1920s. It's a historic Art Deco structure, so it's awesome to see it reused in such a great way.

This is absolutely exciting and such good news for that site and Downtown Albuquerque! I've always imagined something similar to this being redeveloped there. I imagined it with outdoor seating similar to the old Jones Motor Company building in Nob Hill, which is now Bar Roma. The modern pavilion structure is just an awesome and exciting addition to what I envisioned. I love how its aligned with the angled portion of the structure. Kudos to them for having this vision!

Even before Firestone left the building I always had hope that it would find a vibrant reuse such as this, one which would weave it into the fabric of Downtown in a more vital way than its historic use. Below is a historic picture of the old Firestone structure. You can see a canopy structure over the former gas pumps. I wonder if the idea for this new structure was conceived of that or is just a coincidental homage to the historic structure? Either way, I absolutely love it!

[ABQalex]

Here's the Albuquerque Journal's coverage of the new Ex Novo project in Downtown Albuquerque. It includes a few new details and a couple of renderings of the project, one of which is new. It's revealed that the project is a partnership between Ex Novo, Geltmore LLC and a group of investors. Geltmore, LLC built the Imperial Building project that brought the Downtown grocery store to fruition over six years ago. They also were behind the Symphony Tower proposal from the Skyline Competition RFP in 2017.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2566090/e...-location.html

Downtown will soon get a new taproom and restaurant.

Albuquerque-based Geltmore LLC, Ex Novo Brewing Co. and a group of local investors on Thursday finalized the purchase of the former Firestone location on Seventh Street and Central Avenue and will turn the 11,000-square-foot building into Ex Novo Brewing’s second New Mexico location.

The group purchased the former tire shop from Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, and between the building cost and renovations, they expect the project to cost $4 million. They expect to have the taproom opened by the 51st Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta this October.

“I grew up in New Mexico and always hoped to be able to come back,” said Joel Gregory, founder of Ex Novo Brewing. “I love the history, the story and the character of this building and am 100% committed to seeing downtown thrive. This is such a cool property, and after two years of dreaming and planning, it’s finally coming to fruition.”

Geltmore LLC, who is heading the development team, said it hopes the new Ex Novo Brewing location will become an “anchor tenant” as part of Albuquerque’s ongoing revitalization efforts Downtown.

In a statement, Geltmore LLC Vice President Adam Silverman thanked the seller, Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation, for their aligned vision for a revitalized Downtown corridor.

“They share our vision for a vibrant downtown and we are thrilled to bring this first of its kind concept to Albuquerque’s core,” he said.

The renovation of the building will include the taproom and restaurant on the bottom floor, with the top floor serving as a mezzanine lounge bar area. A café is also included in the project.

A spokeswoman for the group, Jamie Dickerman, said the menu for the restaurant is still being determined and that the project itself has been in the works for two years. She said construction permitting for the project will begin later this month. A general contractor has yet to be selected, though there is an architect – Albuquerque-based Modulus Design.

For Ex Novo Brewing, the Downtown taproom will be its second location in New Mexico. The brewing company – founded in Portland, Oregon nearly a decade ago – first came to New Mexico in 2019 when it opened a taproom in Corrales.

Since entering New Mexico, the brewing company has become a favorite of locals in the Albuquerque area. That popularity eventually led to a partnership with New Mexico United in 2021 for a United-themed beer, “Stay Goalden.”

Here's another rendering of the project from Ex Novo's Facebook post announcing the project. This image and the one above show the second-level speakeasy portion of the project.

[ABQalex]

Here are a few nice pics that mjinabq posted over at SSC showing a few of the projects under construction in Uptown Albuquerque:

Dual-branded hotel at Winrock Town Center



Element Hotel by Westin



Markana Uptown apartments



Here are a few more pics of the Markana Uptown construction posted on Google and Twitter over the last couple of months:



https://mobile.twitter.com/MDAnderso...23307428638720



https://mobile.twitter.com/MDAnderso...84503611437057



https://mobile.twitter.com/MDAnderso...90191828668417



https://mobile.twitter.com/MDAnderso...09150298787840

[ABQalex]

Here's some more neat pics of the Markana Uptown project that I came across last night. They were taken on January 19th and posted on an apartment listing website. In the last picture you can also catch a glimpse of the Element Hotel in the distance. Click the links below the images for the full-size versions.

https://www.apartmenthomeliving.com/...87110-17476221


https://images1.apartmenthomeliving..../116/image.jpg


https://images1.apartmenthomeliving..../116/image.jpg


https://images1.apartmenthomeliving..../116/image.jpg

That last picture also shows the small office/commercial structure that's under construction in front of the Uptown Tower office building. I had posted about it earlier in this thread. It's an almost 6,000 sq ft structure that is being built directly along Louisiana Boulevard. I still haven't been able to find out who the tenant will be. Below is a pic of the project site from when construction was just getting underway back in October. It's from a blog devoted to commercial real estate in Albuquerque that I recently discovered.

https://abqcre.wordpress.com/2022/10...-uptown-tower/



The blog post also has a picture showing the Element Hotel project from back then, which is being built behind the Uptown Tower office building.



The blog is written by an industry professional from the local Colliers office. I was very glad to find it and I look forward to seeing what else he may post in the future!

https://abqcre.wordpress.com/

The most recent blog post that was posted yesterday is about the new hotel in the Sawmill Area that's planned as part of the Sawmill District mixed-use project.

https://abqcre.wordpress.com/2023/01...l-development/





The Sawmill District Hotel was approved by the Development Review Board back in December.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...20Decision.pdf

KOB-TV had a story around that time where they said developer Jim Long hopes to begin construction on the project this spring. They erroneously reported that all three projects were already approved. I'll leave out all the NIMBY bullsh*t from their written report and just quote the last sentence pertaining to when it might start construction.

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/neigh...elopment-plan/

As of now, the plans for all three new buildings are approved, and construction is scheduled to start on the first one next spring.

Here's a clearer version of the hotel rendering from the DRB submission.



The extended-stay hotel portion of the project was submitted to the DRB back in November as well. The project's sketch plat was reviewed. There hasn't been any decision posted, so it may be following a different approvals process than the hotel. The hotel's submittal was a site plan.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...er_30_2022.pdf



I expect the apartment building portion of the project will be heard by the DRB as well, but it hasn't been placed on an agenda thus far. The DRB is actually going to be no more and the city is transitioning to the Development Hearing Officer and Development Facilitation Team to handle the work of the DRB going forward.

https://www.cabq.gov/planning/boards...t-review-board

It's a clunky, complicated and unnecessary change, IMO, but it's a done deal at this point. The DRB will continue to meet until all projects that were submitted for review by December 23rd are cleared. Projects that were submitted after that and going forward will be handled by the new entities.

Another thing about the Sawmill District project is that the county commission still hasn't officially heard or voted on the proposed financing and incentives for the project. It was supposed to be heard back in December but never was, and hasn't been placed on their meeting agendas since, including their most recent meeting this past week.

https://bernalillocountynm.iqm2.com/...s/Default.aspx

[ABQalex]

A national developer of affordable housing and mixed-use projects for artists is apparently planning a project in Downtown Albuquerque. The Downtown Albuquerque Arts & Cultural District in its monthly Crossroads newsletter for February announced a meeting for the project later this month. Information and ideas will be solicited from the public to help craft the project and a concept will apparently be presented by the nonprofit entity at the meeting.

https://www.downtownacd.org/

The Downtown Arts & Cultural District, in partnership with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency are excited to bring Artspace Consulting, Inc. to Downtown Albuquerque! Artspace is America’s leading nonprofit developer for affordable spaces for artists and creative workers. Artspace has been invited to conduct a feasibility study and community assessment with tours, focus groups, and a public meeting. The results from this study will help Artspace determine Downtown Albuquerque’s needs in terms of space, affordability, and locations for multi-use, sustainable facilities for artists.

Attendees will have the chance to hear a presentation by the Artspace group and share their thoughts and feedback about the proposed project and its impact on the creative community in Albuquerque. In turn, thoughts and ideas shared by the attendees at the public meeting will help Artspace gauge community support for the project. Artspace will deliver the findings of the feasibility study to Downtown Albuquerque Arts & Cultural District and the City of Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency to determine next steps.

The Downtown Albuquerque Arts & Cultural District is under the umbrella of the Downtown Albuquerque MainStreet organization. Remember that they are also developing the new indoor marketplace for the Downtown Growers Market.

It's apparently a joint initiative from the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency and the Downtown arts organization to solicit a proposal from this entity.

According to its website, Artspace has dozens of properties across the country and 9 under development right now. They also say they are "consulting" with 230 communities. Las Cruces is apparently one of them. Colorado Springs and Little Rock are among the cities with active developments right now. Most of the Artspace developments look to have less than 100 units and include commercial space, both of which are meant to be affordable for artists.

https://www.artspace.org/

Here are a few renderings of the locations under development in Colorado Springs and Little Rock, to give an idea of what we may see proposed in Albuquerque. I like the Little Rock location best, I hope we'll see something more like that proposed here.

Colorado Springs - 51 residential units, 7,500 sq ft commercial space





Little Rock - 60 residential units, 16,000 sq ft commercial space





As a bonus, here's their location under development in Northwest Arkansas, in Bentonville. I really like the design of this location but it's not mixed-use and only includes artist residences. It reminds me a bit of the hotel from the Sawmill District development here in Albuquerque.



I'd love to see something with a design like this added into the Sawmill Area. The undeveloped plot next to the Sawmill Lofts would be a perfect spot for it, I think.



The Sawmill Area already has the Artisan at Sawmill Village, which is a similar concept to provide affordable housing, live/work units and commercial spaces for artists and artisans to sell their art and wares.

[ABQalex]

The city and Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency back in November also issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for a new housing development in Downtown Albuquerque. There is $3 million in funding available to developers. Proposals are due by next month. The RFEI states that any proposal must have at least 50 units of housing. Developers can include more than one site in their proposal, so long as they are within one of the designated Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas that lay within the boundaries created by the Rio Grande/I-40/I-25/Avenida Cesar Chavez/Avenida Dolores Huerta.

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/request-for-proposals

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





There was a pre-proposal conference held at the end of November. Below is the list of attendees. It includes people and companies/organizations such as Mark Baker, Jay Rembe, Homewise, Geltmore, Palindrome and Titan Development. It will be interesting to see if this RFEI attracts many proposals and if the mayor can turn around his abysmal record with these Downtown RFPs and RFEIs.

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/p...12-02-2022.pdf



The presence of so many of these people and companies/organizations on the list gives me hope that they aren't turned off by the city's adverse actions and dismal track record in the last few years. It also gives me great hope that our local development community hasn't given up on Downtown Albuquerque.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci3rUrppjUv/

[ABQalex]

Downtown Albuquerque News had an update this morning on Chad Rennaker and Palindrome Communities' projects and plans along the Central Avenue corridor in Albuquerque. It was revealed that he and his company intend to submit the Motel 21 site redevelopment project as part of the Greater Downtown Housing RFEI. No details were given on what they will propose, but remember that any proposal must have at least 50 units of housing. It was also said that Monterey Place is scheduled to be completed in April and the Imperial Inn project in August. The story also mentions the recent meeting that was held for the new project in Barelas that was revealed back in December.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

Updates on Motel 21, Monterey Place, Imperial Inn projects

Chad Rennaker, the developer behind El Vado and many of the buildings around Sawmill's Ponderosa Brewing, was in Barelas on January 28 to meet with neighbors about a forthcoming project there (DAN, 1/5/22). It will be a long-term effort indeed: The next year or so will be devoted to zoning hurdles and finding financing, with construction wrapping up toward the end of 2025 at the earliest.

In the meantime, however, Rennaker has three other active projects in Greater Downtown. We asked him about those after the meeting, and here's what he said:

Monterey Place, the apartment complex just east of El Vado (DAN, 4/27/21), should finish up around April and begin leasing by September.

The property just north of Monterey Place, which was formerly home to Motel 21 (DAN, 6/7/22), looks set to finally exit its dormant period this year. Rennaker said he will be sending a proposal for what to do with it to the city's Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency as part of its recent call for ideas backed by $3 million in potential subsidies. Details of what that would look like are not yet public, but the city has specified that the projects must add at least 50 housing units to the market. 

The Imperial Inn project, a renovation of the notorious East Downtown motel into a boutique operation, should be done by August.

Below are a few pics of the Monterey Place and Imperial Inn projects. They were taken over the last few months. The first pic is a snap taken this afternoon from the Monterey Place construction cam. Scaffolding on the west side of the building was recently taken down, revealing the final look of the structure.



https://www.apartmenthomeliving.com/...87104-19138364



https://www.instagram.com/p/Cifk0o_OvL4/







DAN last year also posted before and after pictures of the demolished house and cleared site for Jay Rembe's The Clyde apartment project on the north side of Central Avenue, opposite his existing Country Club Plaza development. Jay Rembe was one of the attendees at the pre-proposal conference for the RFEI. I wonder if he might also submit The Clyde as a proposal. Although, he would have to add about 14 units to qualify for the threshold. He could also combine it with another project on a different site. But perhaps he has another project in mind altogether.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/





Another project that was announced last year and is underway at Country Club Plaza is restaurateur Erin Wade's 6 new eateries and concepts. They will replace her Modern General and The Feel Good as tenants at CCP. Her Vinaigrette restaurant will return and get a new, relocated space as part of the project. Below are renderings and descriptions of the project from the West Downtown Facebook page, which was based upon a report at the beginning of the year in The Paper. I'll also quote and link to that report.

https://www.facebook.com/WestDownABQ

Big changes in store for West Downtown! Restaurateur Erin Wade and local developer, Jay Rembe, are looking toward the future of Central Avenue in #WestDowntown with the announcement of development plans between the 1700 and 1900 block. The pair are teaming up under Wade’s direction to open six new dining concepts over the next 24 months, with the goal of revitalizing the corridor on historic Route 66 through a portfolio of restaurants and concepts fit for any occasion.

First of all, @Vinaigrette will be relocating a couple of hundred yards east to the @Modern General space.

Other new concepts include:

• Schweinhund, a German meets New Mexican brewhaus with a killer bread and beer program and community designed approach slated to open in late 2023.
• La Planta, a private membership club where members have access to co-working experiences, food
& beverage concepts and private events slated to open in early 2024.
• Krolicki’s Fine Foods, a Polish-inflected deli oriented towards breakfast, lunch, to-go options and takeaway prepared dinners slated to open in late spring 2023.
• A to be named nostalgic pizza concept that embodies the feel of your favorite pizza joint slated to open in spring of 2023.
• A commissary kitchen, a commercial kitchen space that allows the individual concepts to provide the amazing breads, cured meats and more coming winter 2023.
• Tiny’s, an outdoor on-the-go stand located within the Country Club Plaza, slated to open in summer of 2023.

We'll keep you posted as things develop.

https://abq.news/2023/01/restaurateu...edo-expansion/

Erin Wade, the owner of the successful Old Town area eatery Vinaigrette, has teamed with local real estate developer Jay Rembe to deliver a major shot of adrenaline to Albuquerque’s restaurant trade in the up-and-coming strip along Central Ave. between Old Town and Downtown. Vinaigrette, Wade’s farm-to-table salad restaurant, started in Santa Fe in 2008, expanding to Albuquerque in 2012. In the years since, she broke ground on Modern General Feed and Seed (one in Santa Fe and one in Albuquerque), as well as opening the popular comfort food restaurant The Feel Good. Now, with the proposed addition of three new restaurant concepts (plus a commissary kitchen, a food stand and a private club), she and Rembe are planning on a six-restaurant empire in the area known as West Downtown.

...

“I’ve always thought the neighborhood is great—it’s historic Route 66, between Old Town and Downtown. The Central corridor is incredibly important to Albuquerque and has always been ‘Restaurant Row,’ a key ‘there there’ in ABQ,” says Wade. “At this point, I care about the neighborhood, I care about the trees we’ve planted, the buildings we have remodeled, the relationships we have with our customers and community. I have a stake in the neighborhood and I want to see it thrive.”

“There’s already a revitalization focus happening within Downtown thanks not only to projects and people like Arrive Hotel, Jim Long and Chad Rennaker [who renovated the El Vado Motel and the nearby Monterey Motel], but also the Integrated Development Ordinance that more people are utilizing to build density growth,” explains Rembe. His Rembe Urban Design + Development has been responsible for a number of recent projects in the area, including the Country Club Plaza where Vinaigrette, Modern General and The Feel Good were housed. “West Down’s growth has always been part of my vision for the future of ABQ. Country Club Plaza started with five buildings and renovations to a few of those, and then we added three others.” The “last phase” of Rembe’s Country Club Plaza will take place across the street from the current location, and will boast 36 units of “urban apartments” and retail space “to really try and activate Central Ave and bring in the needed population density. And while the neighborhood really struggled after the completion of the ART project, I think long term we’re going to see more of the sophistication of cities with public transportation, and eventually we’ll see more benefits of ART.”

As a bonus, here are a few pics that show the original Horn Oil Company and Motor Lodge and its progression into Country Club Plaza since Jay Rembe has been redeveloping it over the last 15 or so years. They are also from the West Downtown Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/WestDownABQ