Albuquerque Development Thread

[ABQalex]

The city this past week announced a program to issue grants to business owners who open or expand businesses and revive empty storefronts in Downtown Albuquerque. The program uses funds from the federal economic recovery programs. There's $500,000 in funding available, and businesses are eligible for up to $30,000 each.

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

Nearly $3 million has been set aside as the city of Albuquerque explores ways to boost revitalization efforts in the Downtown area.

About $500,000 in American Rescue Plant Act grant money is available for businesses that occupy vacant, street-level property. The grants can also apply to businesses that expand upon a Downtown storefront footprint by at least 50% and for those that can demonstrate their business will attract customers between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. at least four days a week.

Requirements state that a business must have fewer than 250 employees and execute a lease or lease amendment after Oct. 1 with a two-year term for eligible storefronts.

Businesses can receive up to $30,000 in grant money, the city said. The money can be used for furniture and equipment, employee recruiting, rent and utilities and other relevant business expenses.

Albuquerque has also set aside about $2.2 million to provide “gap financing” to support a residential project that meets the goals and objectives of either the Downtown or Railroad Redevelopment Areas.

Those who apply for project funding can propose new projects, as well as the revitalization or repurposing of existing buildings.

Here's a map with an outline of the area the city is defining as being downtown and eligible for the grants. It's from the New Mexico Main Street organization on Twitter.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NMMainStr...63754903883779



As stated in the Albuquerque Business First article above, and as part of this same federal funding, the city is offering $2.2 million in help for a residential project within the Downtown and Railroad Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas. The city on Thursday issued a request for proposals for this endeavor. Respondents can propose a project involving new construction or utilizing an existing structure such as an outdated office building. The deadline for proposals is December 10th.

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

https://www.cabq.gov/mra/documents/d...09-23-2021.pdf

Here's a couple of nice recent pics of Downtown Albuquerque. The first is an aerial pic posted yesterday on Instagram by Shirley Aerial, a local drone photography company. The second is a nice night-time pic that VisitABQ reposted this past week on its Instagram account.


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


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

The VisitABQ pic was originally posted on Instagram by another user on September 1st as part of a full panorama in multiple sections. I've spliced the pics together for the full panorama. Below is the link to his original post. Check out his entire Instagram, it has awesome drone pics of other cities!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTTqOTur8iE/

Also be sure to click the link below the preview pic below for the full-size panorama. It's quite cool! It goes from the edge of the new dual-branded hotel at Broadway and Central to the Marquette overpass near its intersection with Broadway.


https://images2.imgbox.com/01/da/FMmRw6Tx_o.jpeg

Here also is a cool aerial drone video of Downtown Albuquerque recently posted on YouTube.

• Video Link

The Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites hotel has been completed and recently opened for guests. I haven't been able to find any pictures of it now that it's completed, but below is one from a poster to Google showing it as of August 27th when it was pretty much completed.



Damacio's Bar + Tapas had its grand opening this weekend in the historic Skinner Building at 8th and Central. It's been open since earlier this month when it had its soft opening.

• Video Link

Curious Toast Cafe also recently opened next door to Damacio's in the historic John Pearce House. Below are pics of it posted to Google.





Katrina Ice Cream Shop on 6th Street near Central Avenue is another fairly new business that has opened downtown. It's been open since early July. Below are pics posted on Google of the shop, including its clever "selfie room"









https://www.instagram.com/p/CR4HThbt_LM/

Yummy's Mini Donuts & Ice Cream has also recently opened in the One Central building at 1st and Central. It's been open since late July. Below are a few pics of it, also posted on Google.

[bleuler]

Thanks for summaries. Regarding the stadium- the planning has almost been childlike in its approach really, regarding location. Kinda nuts. It would take them years of litigation, space and traffic issues etc to cram the stadium downtown. Rail yards or the UNM parcel at Lomas and I25 is just sitting there?

[ABQalex]

Originally Posted by bleuler

Thanks for summaries. Regarding the stadium- the planning has almost been childlike in its approach really, regarding location. Kinda nuts. It would take them years of litigation, space and traffic issues etc to cram the stadium downtown. Rail yards or the UNM parcel at Lomas and I25 is just sitting there?

Building the stadium within the Rail Yards itself involves the issue of destroying the historic Turntable. I personally would be willing to sacrifice it for a stadium but it would be a much steeper climb in terms of outcry from preservationists, etc. Building a stadium within the Rail Yards is an option, it just isn't the preffered option like the other two sites. Below are the two visualizations for developing a stadium within the Rail Yards from the consultant's study.





Something to note is that the city does not own the piece of land immediately south of the Turntable and extending to the Guadalupe Overpass. The BNSF Railway still owns that land. City representatives have said that the cost to acquire it would be about $20 million. That's apparently too steep and why it's never been part of the conversation or options regarding a stadium in that area.

The other of the 4 options identified and studied further and conceptualized is 12th and I-40, which I think is best in terms of avoiding all these issues of displacement, condemnation, bulldozing existing homes, etc. At the same time it has opportunities and potential to piggy back off of and accelerate all the redevelopment activity of the Sawmill Area. It seems like a win-win and easy choice to me for those reasons, especially if none of the sites closer to Downtown proper can overcome their various issues.



As for the UNM property at Lomas and I-25, it's an interesting idea and possibility. I just don't know that UNM would agree to sell it to the city. That's despite the fact that they've now abandoned the plans to move UNM Hospital to the site. I just think they want to hold onto it for their own purposes and potential use. As we saw, they definitely didn't want to sell it to the city for the Gateway Center. However, that had particular reasoning and issues behind the refusal to sell to the city. But I'd definitely support looking into it as a location if all else fails. It could potentially spark and piggyback off of UNM's and the city's long range development plans for the Lomas corridor.



Another option I think the city should look into is the area around Coronado Park/4th Street and I-40, even including the park itself. The park is historic and beautiful and could be made great, but it has the horrible homeless issue it's dealing with that makes it a no-go for most people. I have great memories of playing in the grass there when I was little, so it does pain me to even think of getting rid of it, but it's a possibility I think the city should explore. Placing the stadium in that area could accelerate the revitalization and development along 4th Street and serve as a bridge between downtown and the North Valley. Plus, the city was already considering building upon the park for the Gateway Center, so i don't know why a soccer stadium would be any worse of a use or reason for destroying the park.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a story about the concurrent expansions of UNM and Presbyterian hospitals. The story includes a pic of the new Presbyterian tower, which is beginning construction of its 8th floor.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2433150/h...king-room.html

A pair of New Mexico’s largest hospitals are making headway on massive construction projects, which are expected to add a total of around 250 new hospital rooms in central Albuquerque.

The cement frame of Presbyterian’s new $170 million, 11-story tower is mostly in place, and the tower remains on track to open by next winter, according to Dionne Cruz Miller, hospital chief executive for Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Once the tower and subsequent remodels to existing rooms are complete, Cruz Miller said the hospital will have more than 600 rooms, an uptick of around 25% over its current available space.

“When we see the growth in demand for health care, this provides that capacity,” Cruz Miller said.

About a mile northeast, University of New Mexico Hospital is preparing to break ground on a tower of its own. Mike Chicarelli, chief operating officer at UNMH, said the new building will add 96 inpatient beds and 18 operating rooms, allowing the hospital to consolidate and streamline its critical care operations in one building.
...

Both hospital projects also include expanded parking capacity. A new parking garage on Presbyterian’s campus is slated to open next month, and will result in a net increase of around 800 spaces. The first phase of UNMH’s expansion – a power station and parking garage with around 1,400 spots – is underway and slated to be complete by the third quarter of 2022. The new parking replaces the hospital’s existing structure, which sat where the new tower will be built and needed to be replaced, Chicarelli said.

[ABQalex]

The Markana Uptown project has begun construction in Uptown Albuquerque. Albuquerque Business First has a story with a pic of the construction site where preliminary work is underway. The rendering in the story is of the project before the additional floor was added. The story also incorrectly states that it has six levels when it's actually seven. The project will have five floors of apartments above a two-story parking podium. There will be 243 units and there will be an outdoor courtyard at the 3rd level with a swimming pool.

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

Preliminary work has begun on Uptown's newest apartments.

Legacy Development & Management's Todd Walters previously told Business First the 243-unit Markana Uptown luxury apartments would be the model to chase in Albuquerque upon completion. Legacy, the development company of the apartments, started moving toward that vision late last month.

Before building vertically on the six-story project, Legacy will start construction on a two-level parking structure for residents underneath the living units, Business First reported in April. In total, the project will total nearly 400,000 square feet, according to the main building permit that was issued in May. In total, 13 building permits have been issued for the Markana Uptown, including nine on Sept. 20 — around the time construction began.

With a future address of 6500 Americas Pkwy NE, Markana Uptown is slated to be near the Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant and the Hilton Garden Inn, across the street from the One Park Square and Two Park Square office towers.

Here's the rendering of the project after the additional floor was added. I haven't been able to find an updated 3-D rendering of it thus far.



The Markana Uptown story also mentions the 120-unit Peaks by Markana project in the Far Northeast Heights that is slated to begin construction soon as well. It has building permits currently under review by the city.

Earlier this year, Legacy filed a building permit application for multiple family buildings at 6700 Modesto Ave. NE. That building permit is in review by the city as of Monday. The project will include 120 units across seven buildings, including a clubhouse. The complex will spread across 29,757 square feet, according to the building permit.

Walters previously said that the Modesto Avenue project would start sometime after construction kicked off with Markana Uptown.

Additionally, Legacy Development is planning a second phase of the Peaks by Markana project with another 120 units. It will have the same overall design with a tweaked layout and go on a plot of land catty-corner to the first phase. The project is currently before the Environmental Planning Commission for a zoning change to allow it to go forth. Unfortunately, it is facing opposition from neighborhood groups and an EPC staff recommendation not to approve the zone change. They say it's an inappropriate use of the land despite being literally adjacent to the first phase. It just shows how ridiculous this neighborhood opposition can be and how city staff caves to opposition no matter how flimsy the case is against a project.

https://documents.cabq.gov/planning/...dale%20ZMA.pdf





Like the approved first phase, it sits adjacent to the city's Eagle Rock Convenience Center, and that is much of what the opposition and zone change denial justification is being based upon. However, the neighborhood groups in their comments reveal their true opposition as being to having more apartments in the area. They basically say that these luxury apartments renting for thousands of dollars will cause the area to turn into a slum. They also say that they are too tall at mostly two stories, and that they will lose their God-given right to privacy by having neighbors peering down at them from two stories, even with a considerable buffer between their back yards and the apartment buildings.



Something to note is that this is an empty dirt lot of an eyesore next to a cemetery and garbage facility that we're talking about here. The neighborhoods are apparently happy to keep it like that, over having 120 additional luxury apartments in the area bringing it down. Utter madness!

The EPC at its meeting last month voted to defer the vote on the zoning change until its meeting this month. Hopefully this is a sign they will come to their senses and allow the zone change and project to go forward.


Albuquerque Business First recently also reported about another apartment project in the area, Titan Development's 111-unit Allaso Vineyards at Paseo and Ventura. The story includes a nicer (3-D) rendering of the project than the ones I previously posted in this thread.

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

Titan Development expects to kick off its third "Allaso"-branded project later this year.

As a nod to its name, the 111-unit Allaso Vineyards will include a wine-tasting lounge and grapevines in the community. Inside, each of the apartments will feature quartz countertops, 42-inch cabinets, stainless-steel appliances.

It will be located on the corner of Holly Avenue NE and Ventura Street NE off Paseo del Norte Boulevard.

“Allaso Vineyards will be unlike any other community in the Northeast Heights neighborhood and even throughout the entire city of Albuquerque,” Titan VP of development Josh Rogers said in a statement. “The look and feel of the property will be like stepping into one of New Mexico’s famous wineries, yet residents will still reap the benefits of living in a vibrant urban setting, where you have walkable access to retail centers, shops, restaurants and much more.”

Titan said the Allaso Vineyards will break ground in the fourth quarter and expects construction to last around 14 months. The floor plans that will be offered will be similar to Titan and Maestas Development Group's Broadstone Highlands North. The floor plans there include a studio; one-bedroom and one-bathroom; and two-bedrooms and two-bathrooms between 652 and 1,204 square feet.

Titan said it is working with Albuquerque-based Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, which will be the project's architect. A general contractor had not officially been selected as of Tuesday.

[ABQalex]

The Balloon Fiesta has returned this year after having to be canceled because of the pandemic last year. It's been off to a great start so far, with great weather to boot! The Albuquerque Journal has a story about the weather the rest of this week which shows more great weather in store for the Balloon Fiesta, with highs in the upper 70s and just a slight chance of rain tomorrow night into Wednesday morning. It includes a nice pic of the balloons as they made their way south towards Downtown Albuquerque today (Monday).

https://www.abqjournal.com/2435230/q...buquerque.html



Here are a few more pics from posters on Instagram showing the awesome sight as the balloons floated south over the city and downtown Monday morning.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CUn8xfoL66w/


https://www.instagram.com/p/CUnBjDpL5NM/










https://www.instagram.com/p/CUnCJ0rlvfh/


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

[ABQalex]

A new poll of about 800 people by Councilor Pat Davis' publication "The Paper" shows 59 percent of respondents against the soccer stadium bond proposal and only 23 percent in favor. I believe it, all I see is people against the stadium commenting online. I think the bond will be defeated and Albuquerque will let yet another transformative project go down the drain. This city is cursed with this kind of thinking, it holds us back from progressing at great speed and becoming the truly remarkable place that we could be. We're just gonna have to keep plodding along slowly making improvements and hoping that things happen.

https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-g...rding-to-poll/

A new poll shows the city’s plan to build a soccer stadium is in serious trouble. That poll, commissioned by local publication The Paper, comes just as early voting starts, with the $50 million stadium question as one of the driving issues on the ballot Nov. 2. “Fifty-nine percent of people who responded to our poll said they were against issuing bonds for this use,” Adrian Carver with The Paper explained.

Of the nearly 800 likely voters polled, 23-percent said they’ll vote “yes” on a bond for the 10,000 to 12,000-seat stadium proposed for New Mexico’s professional soccer team, and 17-percent were “undecided.” The poll found that age, gender and political party were not factors.

“A lot of people believe, I think, younger people were going to carry this proposal over the line and that’s just not the case,” Carver stated.

Specifically, the stadium is getting support from only 25-percent of younger voters, ages 18 to 45, and just slightly more support from voters ages 46-65.

More than three-quarters of Republicans don’t want it, and neither do 47-percent of Democrats and 67-percent of Independent voters, according to the poll.

As an aside, can I just say yuck to seeing that Adrian Carver, the former head of the Nob Hill NA, and thus former Albuquerque NIMBY-in-chief, is now with Councilor Davis' journalistic endeavor and covering stuff like this, presumably with the same anti-development stance. Stuff like this just smells bad and comes off as sleazy and corrupt to me. I suppose people can work and be hired anywhere, but the appearance of impropriety seems too great to me to take a job like this or work for a city official.

Going on The Paper's site I see that they have also conducted a poll in the mayor's race. Mayor Keller is showing just 47 percent of voter support. That means there will be a runoff, likely between him and the sheriff.

https://abq.news/2021/10/exclusive-p...win-again-yet/

I'm hopeful that the mayor will win another term, not because I like the job he's done or support him so much, but because the other candidates are absolutely horrible and would be nightmares in terms of urban development and Downtown Albuquerque's progression.

Downtown Albuquerque News recently had interviews and Q&A's with all three candidates and the sheriff's non-answers were absolutely shameful and worrying to say the least. His answer to everything was to bring up the crime problem in the city. Tackling crime is certainly important to the city's and Downtown's progress and future, but it's not an answer to specific questions like how would you increase affordable housing.

The other candidate is batsh*t crazy IMO and like the sheriff he brought up crime in every non-answer but also added a hefty amount of the word "liberal" to rail against and blame everything that's wrong in the city.

Despite the horrid amount of murders we've seen this year and ongoing issues like other crime and homelessness, I think there's no denying the mayor has done a lot this year for economic development in the city. Just like he'll be blamed and has ultimate responsibility for crime, etc. he also deserves credit for the economic development and building boom we are seeing in the city of late. I hope if he does get another term we will see the Civic North proposals revived and all the other downtown RFPs bear fruit. That would change my opinion of the mayor immensely!

[AbqManiac]

I’m with you. I’m a “Settle for Keller” and “Yes to the stadium” kinda person. It seems like the smear campaign against the stadium bond worked well, but I’d like to see who benefits from the loss. Every time Albuquerque starts to make progress it’s own elected officials seem to get in the way. Other cities are growing and getting things passed but this city seems content on not actually leading. Am I off base?

[ABQalex]

Originally Posted by AbqManiac

I’m with you. I’m a “Settle for Keller” and “Yes to the stadium” kinda person. It seems like the smear campaign against the stadium bond worked well, but I’d like to see who benefits from the loss. Every time Albuquerque starts to make progress it’s own elected officials seem to get in the way. Other cities are growing and getting things passed but this city seems content on not actually leading. Am I off base?

No, I completely agree! Other cities often have these same big debates and controversies with a lot of noise coming from those opposed to big and transformative projects. The difference is absolutely in leadership and good local officials with vision and the determination and drive to get things done in their city. Albuquerque certainly isn't alone in having weak leadership, but plenty of cities get things like this done despite loud opposition.

Literally every major project proposed for Downtown Albuquerque in the last 25 years has fallen by the wayside because our city councilors and mayors have lacked the fortitude to see them through against any amount of opposition or other obstacle. From the baseball stadium in the late 1990s to the arena and convention center hotel in the late 2000s to the streetcar in the early 2010s to the Skyline Competition RFP in the late 2010s to now the soccer stadium. I'd even throw in the Civic North RFP, despite my hope that it will be revived if the mayor gets a second term.

I just hope Albuquerque can get back the great momentum it had Downtown before the pandemic and riot damage last year. Lots of things are still getting proposed and happening downtown and indeed across the city, but it could be so much more! All signs are pointing to us having a major economic boom with Intel, Netflix, Orion Center, etc. I hope that will in turn help power a great boom in Downtown Albuquerque in the absence of a spark like a new soccer stadium.

[ABQalex]

The Albuquerque Journal has a story about the downtown soccer stadium entitled "Boon or Boondoggle" (how clever, not a clichéd title at all ). The story currently isn't available to read for some reason, so I won't be able to quote it here. I first saw and read it last night when it was first posted.

However, it was the usual hit piece just like they did last week, they explore almost no ways that it could be a boost for the city and downtown specifically. And they give plenty of credence to and lengthy quotes from all the people they could possibly find who say it won't be a benefit at all to the community.

I expect we'll see a barrage of these sorts of stories and editorials against the stadium from the Journal in the coming weeks. The most interesting thing about the story are the two aerial photos of the two preferred sites identified for the stadium and those are still available to view. Be sure to click the links below the images to see them in full size!

https://www.abqjournal.com/2436720/b...oondoggle.html


https://d21yqjvcoayho7.cloudfront.ne...t_6stadium.jpg


https://d21yqjvcoayho7.cloudfront.ne...1oct_cover.jpg

As you can see in the second pic above, there's also a nice view of the Presbyterian Hospital expansion construction. I've cropped that part of the image and posted it below.



Today the Journal's Business Outlook section also has a spotlight talking to the head of Bridgers and Paxton Engineers. The piece includes a couple of nice pics of the Presbyterian expansion which they are working on. It looks like they were taken at the same time as the previous pic that the Journal posted showing the construction of the hospital's expansion.

https://www.abqjournal.com/2436715/i...mp-paxton.html







Finally, a new poster over at SSC brought our attention on Friday to what is possibly the beginnings of a tower crane for the UNM Hospital expansion. In the pic below, by the roofline at the bottom left of the pic, you can see what looks like the beginnings of the crane. If so, this will be the first tower crane in Albuquerque in quite a few years. I believe the last time we saw one was for the Presbyterian Rust Medical Center expansion in Rio Rancho about 6 years ago.

Below are two saved pics from the UNM Hospital construction cam from October 6th and Saturday showing the site, as well as the most current pic from this morning. I've also directly embedded the current pic as that will change as the cam gets updated.

[ABQalex]

The city is finally constructing the Albuquerque Rapid Transit station in the International District at San Pedro and Central. It looks like it will also finally begin construction on the new canopies at the three stations in historic districts east and west of Downtown Albuquerque. That's after about a year-long delay for the canopies at those stations. The combined cost for the new station and new canopies is $3.3 million.

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerqu...-art-stations/



• Video Link

[ABQalex]

The Century 14 theaters in Downtown Albuquerque will close down permanently on Sunday night. Downtown Albuquerque News reported this morning that its 20-year lease was up and apparently Cinemark didn't want to renew it. It's understandable with the slowdown and uncertainty of the movie business with the pandemic.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/

The Century 14, a movie theater once heralded as the vanguard of a Downtown rebirth, appears to be days away from closing for good.

Julia McCartha, a spokeswoman for parent company Cinemark, did not return a message seeking official confirmation, but one theater staffer was more forthcoming earlier this week when Downtown Neighborhoods resident Rowan Wymark went to see a movie.

"The gentleman at the box office said, 'make sure you see something by Sunday because it's closing,'" Wymark said.

Yesterday evening, the Century 14 general manager said he couldn't comment on the matter but referred DAN to the theater's online schedule, which has no showtimes listed after Sunday. The Century 24 (I-25 and Jefferson), by contrast, has showtimes listed well into 2022.
...

The theater's 20-year lease was, in any event, slated to expire next month, according to Rick Rennie, who oversees the Historic District Improvement Company, the entity that owned the theater's building until March of this year.
...

The building's current owner, Jerry Mosher, did not return messages seeking comment last night.

When it opened in 2001, the theater was hailed as a "centerpiece" of a broader revitalization effort - a "rebirth," as one Journal article that year put it.

It is 44,000 square feet, Rennie said.

Here's the Century 14 page on Cinemark's website. There indeed are no more dates after Sunday night.

https://www.cinemark.com/theatres/nm...wn-albuquerque


https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkys_pics/5397914951

Downtown Albuquerque always seems cursed with stuff like this. We take a bunch of small steps forward and then one big step backward with a loss like this. The movie theater was part of what helped usher in the present revitalization effort in Downtown Albuquerque 20 years ago. It was a big project that was envisioned as part of an even bigger redevelopment of the empty lots and acres of surface parking that littered that part of Downtown Albuquerque after the destruction of so many historic buildings in the 1970s.



The Alvarado Transportation Center, Gold Avenue Lofts and Imperial Building with the downtown grocery store were other big projects in this redevelopment area.



Only now are we perhaps going to have the last empty lot from the redevelopment effort filled with a new structure, the lot at 1st and Silver with the Downtowner proposal.



It's unfortunate that the businesses and establishments that have closed over the years like the movie theater couldn't hang on to all be operating in Downtown Albuquerque at the same time. We'd have an incredible downtown area if we had everything that has come and gone in the last 20 years of revitalization efforts still open.

I think that's why the downtown soccer stadium is so important, it's a huge spark and impetus to keep the revitalization effort going and accelerate it, like the movie theater was 20 years ago. You need to keep adding fuel to the fire. And how awesome it would've been to be able to go to a match and then walk just a couple of blocks to the movies afterward or vice-versa.

I just hope some other company may step in and take it over. Perhaps Icon Cinemas might be willing to renovate it and reopen it as well.


https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/Albu...lock/20045856/

[bleuler]

Originally Posted by ABQalex

The Century 14 theaters in Downtown Albuquerque will close down permanently on Sunday night. Downtown Albuquerque News reported this morning that its 20-year lease was up and apparently Cinemark didn't want to renew it. It's understandable with the slowdown and uncertainty of the movie business with the pandemic.

https://downtownalbuquerquenews.com/





Here's the Century 14 page on Cinemark's website. There indeed are no more dates after Sunday night.


https://www.cinemark.com/theatres/nm...wn-albuquerque


https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkys_pics/5397914951

Downtown Albuquerque always seems cursed with stuff like this. We take a bunch of small steps forward and then one big step backward with a loss like this. The movie theater was part of what helped usher in the present revitalization effort in Downtown Albuquerque 20 years ago. It was a big project that was envisioned as part of an even bigger redevelopment of the empty lots and acres of surface parking that littered that part of Downtown Albuquerque after the destruction of so many historic buildings in the 1970s.



The Alvarado Transportation Center, Gold Avenue Lofts and Imperial Building with the downtown grocery store were other big projects in this redevelopment area.



Only now are we perhaps going to have the last empty lot from the redevelopment effort filled with a new structure, the lot at 1st and Silver with the Downtowner proposal.



It's unfortunate that the businesses and establishments that have closed over the years like the movie theater couldn't hang on to all be operating in Downtown Albuquerque at the same time. We'd have an incredible downtown area if we had everything that has come and gone in the last 20 years of revitalization efforts still open.

I think that's why the downtown soccer stadium is so important, it's a huge spark and impetus to keep the revitalization effort going and accelerate it, like the movie theater was 20 years ago. You need to keep adding fuel to the fire. And how awesome it would've been to be able to go to a match and then walk just a couple of blocks to the movies afterward or vice-versa.

I just hope some other company may step in and take it over. Perhaps Icon Cinemas might be willing to renovate it and reopen it as well.


https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/Albu...lock/20045856/

Sad to hear but not completely surprised given how bad theatres had it during lockdown. Im hoping for an art house theater plus the usual blockbusters

[ZonaRealtor2021]

Originally Posted by AbqManiac

I’m with you. I’m a “Settle for Keller” and “Yes to the stadium” kinda person. It seems like the smear campaign against the stadium bond worked well, but I’d like to see who benefits from the loss. Every time Albuquerque starts to make progress it’s own elected officials seem to get in the way. Other cities are growing and getting things passed but this city seems content on not actually leading. Am I off base?

Just like Tucson!!! we are our own worst enemies always willing to think small and do things half ass

[ABQalex]

The Century 14 theaters in Downtown Albuquerque closed tonight after 20 years in operation. On Friday KOB-TV reported that the Theater Block's new owner is planning to turn the 44,000 sq ft theater space into film studios.

https://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news...ekend/6271232/

"It really is a nice facility inside,” Mosher said. “It's a shame to see something like that go, and then I know a lot of people enjoyed the theater cause they could walk to it. So there's a lot of people that are going to miss it."

Even though the movie theater is closing, Mosher said the building will remain in show business. The ‘Theatre Block, LLC’ partnership officially bought the building in March of this year, with plans to remodel it and convert it into multiple movie production studios.

"We have a lot of interest in it, and I have three or four suitors, and we have three or four different people that are wanting to manage it," Mosher said.

Understandably, these big changes are going to take some time.

"It's going to take us at least six months,” he said. “It's a lot of work. There's a lot of remodel work and Century won't be completely out of there until the end of December, and we're still in the design stage."

Mosher said he is sad to see the theater go, but is excited for what these studios will bring to the area.

Let's see how this goes. I would've preferred it stay a movie theater and entertainment space, but perhaps the studios will bring a big economic boost to Downtown Albuquerque. We certainly need the studio space with the boom in film and television production in the state.

Either way, the movie theater closing was a sad thing to see. I saw so many people commenting online that it was their favorite theater and recollecting fond memories of it through the years. It's also sad to lose such a great amenity in Downtown Albuquerque. It will be missed!

[ABQalex]

A Maryland company is going to move to Albuquerque and set up shop at the Sunport in a former FAA facility that it will renovate and expand for its purposes. The move will create 20 jobs initially and possibly up to 120 total in the coming years. The company will be developing and testing more efficient ways for data centers to operate and use resources, such as water.

https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquer...on-friday.html

Lt. Gen. Jon Davis thinks his new-to-market technology company can help area data centers cut down on storage and water while upgrading efficiencies and securing information.

ADACEN LLC — which fittingly is an abbreviation of "advanced data center" — will officially begin operations in Albuquerque on Friday. The company will take over a space formerly occupied by the Federal Aviation Administration at 3500 Access Rd C. SE near the Albuquerque International Sunport.

Upon moving into the space, ADACEN will renovate to meet the latest ADA regulations and codes.
...

ADACEN was attracted to the Albuquerque market because of the possibilities of working with clients like Sandia National Laboratories, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense along with private businesses, Davis said. Previously located in Silver Springs, Maryland, Davis said he'd considered launching ADACEN for the past five to six years before deciding to make Albuquerque its headquarters.

Down the line, Davis looks for ADACEN to develop a solar field at a location that is to be determined.

Business First reported the company will employ about 20 people within the first year. Davis said the ADACEN team could grow its team to between 100 and 120 employees in the coming years.

Amazon is looking to build an air cargo facility at the airport. Joshy0414 over at SSC first told us about the possibility three weeks ago. Last week he shared a screenshot of the building permit that was created for the project on October 1st. It originally didn't mention Amazon, then did mention the company, and now describes the project only with a code name: "Project Bronco"

https://posse.cabq.gov/posse/pub/lms...ctId=145968333



This past weekend KRQE reported about the project and that Amazon is looking to sign a ground lease and development agreement with the city for the project. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the agreement at its meeting this evening.

https://www.cabq.gov/mayor/news/grou...o-city-council

https://www.krqe.com/news/business/a...-to-more-jobs/

• Video Link

Here's the Albuquerque Journal's coverage of the project and proposed agreement.

Amazon is looking to expand its presence in New Mexico by building a 30,000-square-foot air cargo facility at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

A ground lease and development agreement between the technology giant and Albuquerque’s Aviation Department was formally introduced to City Council Monday evening. If approved, the agreement would allow Amazon to build an air cargo facility to house its operations at the Sunport, according to the city.

“This is the latest in a string of exciting wins for the Sunport, bringing new forms of economic development to our community,” said Nyika Allen, director of aviation for the city, in a prepared statement.

Amazon has made a series of investments in Albuquerque over the last year and a half. Last May, the Seattle-based company announced it would develop its first fulfillment center in New Mexico on Albuquerque’s West Side. Amazon officials said previously that the five-story, $2.5 million fulfillment center would open its doors by the end of 2021. This March, Amazon announced that it is building a separate 270,000-square-foot sorting center on the same campus, near Atrisco Vista Boulevard and Interstate 40.

Earlier this month, a permit for a 30,750-square-foot facility at 3724 Spirit Drive SE was filed with the city’s planning department. The Sunport has confirmed that the permit, with the owner listed as “Project Bronco,” was for the cargo facility.

Of course the great journalists over at the Albuquerque Journal make a mistake in their story. I'm sure they meant 2.5 million square feet for the Amazon fulfillment center, not $2.5 million.

KOAT has a story about Amazon's nationwide hiring push, including 1,800 jobs in Albuquerque.

• Video Link

Both Amazon facilities on the far Westside look to be completed and up and running. Below are the most recent pics I can find of the fulfillment center and sortation center from about 1 1/2 months ago at the end of August. They're from an article about the projects on a business website.

https://bootheglobalperspectives.com...in-albuquerque

[ABQalex]

It looks like Amazon is building a facility in Los Lunas. A poster on Instagram shared an aerial drone pic today of a construction site and mentioned that it was a mapping job for Amazon. He also tagged it with Amazon, Los Lunas and construction. If so, this would be at least the 5th Amazon facility in the Albuquerque metro area.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CVYmUCTrSN5/

I tried to find more information about the project on the Los Lunas and Valencia County websites, but they unfortunately don't seem to offer ways to look up building permits online.

https://www.loslunasnm.gov/995/Building-Permits

https://www.co.valencia.nm.us/202/Planning-Zoning

From the pic the project looks to be located just west of the Facebook data center site. You can see New Mexico Highway 6 in the bottom left side of the pic and a railroad bridge and volcanic outcroppings in the upper third of the pic. You can also see the arroyo/wash that eventually goes under the railroad bridge in the middle right portion of the pic. Below are screenshots from Google Maps showing the general area west of the Facebook data center site with those same features. The construction site would be right above the words saying "El Cerro de Los Lunas" Hopefully we'll get more information and confirmation of the project soon!





BTW, no action was taken by the City Council this past week for the Amazon air cargo facility at the Sunport. Apparently the proposed agreement was just introduced at the meeting and it will be voted on next month. Below is a report and quote from KRQE which says the agreement will be voted on at the council's meeting on November 3rd.

https://www.krqe.com/news/business/a...ty-at-sunport/

Amazon is looking to expand in the Albuquerque metro once more. As the massive fulfillment center prepares to fully open on the westside with hiring almost complete, they’re also looking to build an air cargo facility at the Albuquerque International Sunport. The area southwest of the main terminal is already home to cargo and shipping operations for FedEx, but if a lease is approved, Amazon could be its new neighbor.
...

The City council is set to consider a lease between the city and Amazon for five acres of land at the Sunport to build and operate a 31,000-square foot air cargo facility. Council President Borrego says the air cargo operations would work hand-in-hand with the westside warehouse.
...

In a long line of big companies like Netflix and NBCUniversal moving to the metro, the city believes it’s also a big reason Amazon has followed suit. At this time, there is no timeline or total cost for the proposed air cargo facility.

The city says they recently received around $6.6 million in federal funds to expand the airport’s cargo apron, which would be needed for Amazon to move in. According to the lease proposal, the total cost would be more than $11 million, however, the city would not be responsible for the facility, itself. City councilors are expected to consider the lease during the next meeting on Nov. 3.

Since my last post about Amazon and its facilities that it is building here, I was able to find pics of the grand opening ceremony for the ABQ1 Amazon fulfillment center in Albuquerque posted on Instagram. It apparently took place back in September but the various posts are from then until just recently. The last and most recent set of pics are from the official Instagram account for Amazon workers, called "The Amazon Vest Life"






https://www.instagram.com/p/CUjHIu3tadG/






https://www.instagram.com/p/CUBrEjTlsN7/










https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBjQRzB8bO/

Here also is a pic taken this past summer in early August of the Amazon Hub facility in the Meridian Business Park on the West Mesa. It shows the construction of the large canopy/awning that is being added onto the building. I haven't been able to find any more recent pics of this Amazon facility online.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CSK2IFULo5L/

[ABQalex]

Here's a pic of the UNM Hospital expansion construction taken from a different angle than the construction cam shows. It was posted recently on the Albuquerque Memories Facebook page. The post included a screenshot with a rendering of the completed project from a similar perspective for comparison. I've posted a better version of the rendering below.

https://m.facebook.com/shafferabq/po...0474604031483/





From this pic and the construction cam, it appears work on the footings and foundation for the new tower itself is already occurring, despite UNM Hospital's statements about the construction timeline, and despite the existing parking structure not yet being demolished. The upper portions of the tower crane have also yet to appear, but it still seems likely that there will be one at that spot, which is at the crux of the angled wings of the new structure that will rise.


KOAT late last month had a story about Presbyterian Hospital redesigning elements of its expansion with Covid in mind. The story includes a couple of renderings I've never seen before of the expansion from different angles, as well as neat drone footage of the construction site from Jaynes, the general contractor. I've tried finding the original footage on Jaynes' website, YouTube channel and various social media accounts but to no avail.

https://www.koat.com/article/presbyt...id-19/37781398

• Video Link



Here's a pic of the Presbyterian Hospital construction posted on Instagram about a week ago by a worker. Work is starting on the ninth floor of the expansion.


https://www.instagram.com/p/CVEK9nqrVQU/

Chavez Concrete also posted video stories on its Instagram account today (Saturday) showing the Presbyterian construction. Unfortunately, Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, so the link below won't work for long. However, I've also posted a couple of screenshots to show the essence of the videos.

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ch...2453397351357/

[ABQalex]

Here are renderings and a site plan for the apartments on Transport Street SE near the airport. They were submitted to the Development Review Board last month. The DRB approved the plans at its meeting this past week. The project will have 256 units, and as you can see in the renderings and site plan, will feature an urban-style apartment building with 5 levels, containing 136 of the units. The structure will have 4 floors of apartments above a partially underground parking level on the northern edge of the property.

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









Here are the most recent construction pics of the Luminaria Senior Community posted on their Facebook page. The top pic is from August and the bottom pic is from September.

https://m.facebook.com/LuminariaSenior/





Here's a pic of the Allaso Journal Center project taken during the Balloon Fiesta and posted earlier this month on Pavilion Construction's Facebook page.


https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...63603933694493

Here are a couple of pics of the construction progress on the Overture Andalucia project on the Westside. It includes a pic posted on Thursday by Pavilion Construction showing just how much the site was lowered to appease the neighborhood groups who complained that it would block their views. And they continued fighting against it until it finally got the last go-ahead for actual construction of its buildings to begin this past summer. The second pic is by Chavez Concrete on Instagram earlier this month, showing the foundation being laid.


https://m.facebook.com/pavilionconst...6508400070671/


https://www.instagram.com/p/CUz1pwRl0qS/

[AbqManiac]

Thanks for the updates. Good to see both hospitals pivot and incorporate needed changes after the process has already started. Would love to see Presbyterian open Kaseman up as a real hospital again as well.

All the housing being built is great, would like to see more businesses open up on the Westside of Albuquerque.