Albuquerque Development

[BigTymeABQ]

 

City Council OKs new comprehensive plan for Duke City By Martin Salazar Albuquerque Journal staff writer Albuquerque city councilors voted late Monday to approve a rewrite of the city’s comprehensive plan, rejecting requests to delay approval for 14 to 16 months to allow for more public input into the process. The comprehensive plan and two associated measures were adopted by 6-2 votes, following an exhaustive discussion. Councilor Brad Winter was absent. Voting against the comprehensive plan were Councilors Ken Sanchez and Klarissa Peña. Both had asked for the comprehensive plan to be deferred for 90 days. “I believe this is a major change to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan,” Sanchez said. He made the motion for the deferral, saying he doesn’t think the community has had enough time to provide input.

 

[BigTymeABQ]

County agrees to buy Downtown property

 

Christopher Ortiz

Managing Editor

Albuquerque Business First

 

 

Bernalillo County commissioners voted Tuesday night to buy the Alvarado Square office building Downtown to house county offices. The county will purchase the former home of Public Service Co. of New Mexico for $2.7 million and could spend more than $36 million renovating the more than 282,478-square-foot vacant building, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

The decision came after county commissioners have spent years and more than $150,000 in studies weighing their options Downtown. Albuquerque Business First reported in May the county at one point was considering three options — Alvarado Square and First Plaza Galeria and a public-private partnership concept for a new facility. County offices are spread across several buildings.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Compromise reached for wider Nob Hill sidewalks By Martin Salazar Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — City Councilor Pat Davis has reached a compromise with Mayor Richard Berry’s administration on the widening of sidewalks for several Nob Hill businesses not slated to get them as part of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit construction. Davis has withdrawn a resolution he introduced previously that would have required the sidewalks to be expanded as part of the ART project. In its place, he substituted a measure that reserves $500,000 from his set-aside funding for design and construction of the sidewalks after ART has been completed. The revised resolution addresses a major concern that Michael Riordan, the city’s chief operations officer, had raised, namely that requiring the sidewalk widening at this point would delay the completion of ART by four to six months.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Local group buys Downtown office tower By Steve Sinovic Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A local ownership group has acquired a 10-story office building in downtown Albuquerque as well as a nearby surface parking lot, which it intends to develop into a mixed-use project with retailers, a brewpub and apartments. Scott Throckmorton, owner and president of Albuquerque-based ARGUS Investment Realty, said Thursday that an investment group called Roma Capital LLC, which includes ARGUS, purchased the former Bank of America building at 303 Roma Ave. NW and a 3/4-acre tract at Third and Lomas in a package deal from the seller, Dallas-based Hudson Capital. Tenants of the 230,000-square-foot building include DaVita Medical Group, which recently located its New Mexico corporate headquarters in the building after extensive tenant improvements and the Modrall Sperling law firm The two businesses lease about 75 percent of the total square footage.

[BigTymeABQ]

How this Nob Hill apartment project will rebuild after fire Shelby Perea Digital Producer Albuquerque Business First After The Carlisle apartment project was destroyed in a fire late last year, reconstruction is now set to begin. On Tuesday, community members, developers and city officials will break ground on the luxury condominium development. The re-groundbreaking comes after the Nob Hill apartments were destroyed by a fire in November. Located on the southeast corner of Carlisle and Central Avenue, it was nearly complete when it caught fire. Back in November, Albuquerque Fire Department said it was investigating the cause of the fire, including arson. The reconstruction will go forward with the same plans for The Carlisle before the fire, according to Jamie Dickerman with Griffin & Associates. The project includes 34 for-sale condominiums and commercial on the ground floor. Albuquerque Business First reported The Carlisle units range from $185,000 to $460,000, with a monthly homeowner's fee of $240.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Tallest Albuquerque Building Proposal Sparks Potential Opposition By Garry Boulard Construction Reporter A plan to build the tallest building in downtown Albuquerque will be opposed by a local neighborhood association if that structure goes up at a currently vacant lot in the 300 block of Second Street SW. A group called the Silver Platinum Downtown Neighborhood Association has said that the proposed 360-foot tall structure would block the sun from the rooftop of the nearby Imperial Building, which was completed last year. The Imperial Building is located across the street from the potential site of the new high-rise. A second site under consideration by city officials is located at the corner of Third Street and Marquette Avenue.

[BigTymeABQ]

Innovate ABQ moves forward, lands CNM ‘FUSE Makerspace’ By Madeline Schmitt KRQE 13 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Work chugs along at the Innovate ABQ project on the northwest corner of Central and Broadway near Downtown Albuquerque. Tenants are starting to move into the seven-acre lot, including Central New Mexico Community College. The idea is to create a complex for researchers and innovators, with everything from UNM student housing, to a cafe, bank and now CNM’s “FUSE Makerspace.” The “FUSE Makerspace” will soon move into the former location of NoonDay, into a 13,000 square-foot building. The makerspace will house workshops, like 3-D printing, welding and electronic fabrication, available for students, entrepreneurs and even hobbyists to use.

Edited April 20, 2017 by BigTymeABQ

[BigTymeABQ]

 

L.A. businessman bringing new convenient store to EDo Shelby Perea Digital Producer Albuquerque Business First A new convenient store coming to East Downtown was born from a pair of scissors and a glass of water. Los Angeles businessman Brian Gage had just moved into an Albuquerque loft when the idea for Qbrik's convenient store was born. Gage had the realization most new movers get: all his essentials were packed in moving boxes, and all he wanted was a drink after a long day but there was no store close enough for him to grab a soda or a water. That's when Gage said he saw an opportunity to bring Qbrik's to the EDo. "When I realized there were available retail spaces downstairs and no walkable store of this type in my neighborhood, I spoke with Rob Dickson of ABQ High lofts and he was very receptive to the idea," said Gage. The 756-square-foot store located on 300 Broadway Blvd. NE is expected to open in mid-May and no later than June 1. He expects to hire 15 to 20 people in the next year to 18 months.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Federal budget plan includes $50 million for ART By Martin Salazar Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The $1 trillion-plus budget deal unveiled by federal lawmakers this morning contains $50 million for the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project. The budget deal is for the current fiscal year, and would fund most government operations through September. Albuquerque city officials were breathing a sigh of relief at the news, particularly given that President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint for next fiscal year calls for significant cuts to domestic programs. Among the programs Trump has targeted for cuts is the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Program, the same New Starts grants that Albuquerque has been banking on to provide $69 million for the ART project. Specifically, Trump’s blueprint calls for limiting New Starts grants “to projects with existing full funding grant agreements only.”

[BigTymeABQ]

 

UNMH a step closer to new, 120- bed hospital By Jessica Dyer Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico continues to inch closer to a new hospital, with a key committee on Tuesday voting to begin more intensive planning for the new facility. UNM’s Health Sciences Center Committee unanimously approved a request by UNM Hospitals’ administrators to pay for full architectural renderings and construction documents for the first phase of the project – a 120-bed, 372,000-square-foot facility on UNM-owned land northeast of the Lomas/University Boulevard intersection. Officials say it would cost between $230 million and $250 million and could be completed by 2021. The architectural services would go out to bid, and UNM Health System’s Executive Physician-in-Chief Mike Richards said the design process would likely cost around $12 million and take about a year.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Tractor Brewing serving up new East Side taproom By Charlie Moore Albuquerque Journal Business Editor The Four Hills Village will be getting its very own taproom soon. Tractor Brewing, the Los Lunas born, Albuquerque-based brewery has signed a lease with Daskalos Development and Investments to occupy one of the open pads in the shopping center on the Southeast corner of Central and Tramway. Other tenants include Sprout’s Farmers Market and the locally-owned and operated Icon Cinema. The new location will feature a large patio area and 24 Tractor beer and cider selections. David Hargis, master brewer and co-owner of Tractor Brewing sees the expansion as a way to keep up with trends. In a news release he explained that Tractor has noticed people are wanting to stay at bar and brewery locations close to home. “It’s a very responsible practice and we want to encourage it,” said Hargis. “A taproom in Four Hills is a step in that direction.”

[richyb83]

On 4/19/2017 at 10:57 AM, BigTymeABQ said:

 

Tallest Albuquerque Building Proposal Sparks Potential Opposition By Garry Boulard Construction Reporter A plan to build the tallest building in downtown Albuquerque will be opposed by a local neighborhood association if that structure goes up at a currently vacant lot in the 300 block of Second Street SW. A group called the Silver Platinum Downtown Neighborhood Association has said that the proposed 360-foot tall structure would block the sun from the rooftop of the nearby Imperial Building, which was completed last year. The Imperial Building is located across the street from the potential site of the new high-rise. A second site under consideration by city officials is located at the corner of Third Street and Marquette Avenue.

Fantastic job Big Tyme ABQ! Keep up the great work!

What's your take on this ??  Would sure like to see a "New Tallest" high-rise building if it was my city; i try to understand others concerns...but it's very frustrating when there is opposition to something this special!

 

WHY is there such a HUGE gap on bottom of this page..what did i do wrong?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2017 by richyb83

[The ATX]

On 4/19/2017 at 10:57 AM, BigTymeABQ said:

 

Tallest Albuquerque Building Proposal Sparks Potential Opposition By Garry Boulard Construction Reporter A plan to build the tallest building in downtown Albuquerque will be opposed by a local neighborhood association if that structure goes up at a currently vacant lot in the 300 block of Second Street SW. A group called the Silver Platinum Downtown Neighborhood Association has said that the proposed 360-foot tall structure would block the sun from the rooftop of the nearby Imperial Building, which was completed last year. The Imperial Building is located across the street from the potential site of the new high-rise. A second site under consideration by city officials is located at the corner of Third Street and Marquette Avenue.

NIMBYs just plain suck, and they live in every city.  They have an illogical fear of tall buildings - even in downtown areas. 

[BigTymeABQ]

On 5/12/2017 at 9:41 PM, The ATX said:

NIMBYs just plain suck, and they live in every city.  They have an illogical fear of tall buildings - even in downtown areas. 

Yeah, NIMBYs are like cock roaches. They infest every city and no matter what we do we can't exterminate them all.

[BigTymeABQ]

On 5/12/2017 at 9:34 PM, richyb83 said:

Fantastic job Big Tyme ABQ! Keep up the great work!

What's your take on this ??  Would sure like to see a "New Tallest" high-rise building if it was my city; i try to understand others concerns...but it's very frustrating when there is opposition to something this special!

 

WHY is there such a HUGE gap on bottom of this page..what did i do wrong?

 

 

 

I really hope this project gets off the ground. I'm not sure if the market can support this at the moment, but it's meant to be a catalyst. Hopefully this will change things in ABQ. I'm tired of people being so myopic. ABQ needs to think big. There's so much potential here but it's like people are too afraid to fail so they don't even try to be better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BigTymeABQ]

Anticipated Downtown retail, residential development now leasing Shelby Perea Digital Producer Albuquerque Business First One of Albuquerque's newest residential and retail developments is ready to get tenants in the door. One Central announced it is ready to start leasing for the winter season. One of its targeted tenants is millennials, according to Jerry Mosher of Mosher Enterprise. The development will feature Uber pickup and drop-off spaces and an Amazon delivery station that allows safe and direct package delivery for tenants. There will also be bike lockers and restaurant options on site. Mosher said interest levels were high and he had been getting tenant inquiries last month and expects interest to continue to grow. One Central's announcement said the development is now leasing for winter of 2017 and into 2018. There are both one-bedroom and two-bedroom units that range in design and size with 66 units total. Mosher Enterprise was not available to say when people could expect to move in.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Bernalillo County finalizes purchase of Downtown ABQ building May Ortega Reporter Albuquerque Business First Bernalillo County has finalized paperwork to become the owner of the Alvarado Square office building in Downtown Albuquerque, the county announced Wednesday. The 282,478-square-foot office building, located at 415 Silver Avenue SW, was sold to the county by Albuquerque Plaza Associates for $2.7 million. The listed price was $11 million in 2012, according to a county release. The county used money from its savings to purchase Alvarado Square. That money will be returned to the county's savings via issuance of gross receipt tax bonds. Money from the sales of several other county office buildings over time will pay off the low-interest loan, according to the release. No day-to-day revenues will go towards the purchase of the building, said the county.

[BigTymeABQ]

One Central One Central crane.jpg-large by mgs11, on Flickr[/IMG]

[BigTymeABQ]

 

One Central One Central 5-23-17 by mgs11, on Flickr[/IMG]

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Utility ‘spaghetti’ delays Central Ave. development By Steve Sinovic Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Delays in removing old utilities are pushing back the construction timetable for the first phase of The Highlands, according to the development team behind the $90 million mixed-use community. Construction that was scheduled to start this summer on the 74-unit The Broadstone Highlands now will begin in September or October, said Josh Rogers, Titan Development’s director of the multi-family division. Rogers and Kurt Browning, Titan’s chief development officer, said building permits probably will be pulled with the city in early July, once removal crews work through the old infrastructure issues. “There are aging water lines and a spaghetti-like network of utilities that no one knew existed,” which are being decommissioned and replaced, Browning said.

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Sawmill Market aims to transform old warehouse in Albuquerque By Allison Martinez KRQE 13 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An area on the edge of Albuquerque’s Old Town is getting a major face-lift. It doesn’t look like much now, but by next year the once lumber warehouse will soon be home to what developers are calling Albuquerque’s premier urban market. Right across from Hotel Albuquerque are the sights and sounds of progress. “The construction hasn’t really been distracting for us. It hasn’t taken away from anything, so it’s nice to see that you’re investing in your own city,” said Susie Oliverez, Albuquerque visitor. Workers are transforming an old lumber warehouse into a hub for food, art and shopping, which will soon be known as the Sawmill Market. The 25,000 square foot building is rich in history. Once home to hundreds of sawmill employees in the early 1900’s, the plan includes bringing the best local food, craftsman and artists into a one-stop shop urban marketplace.

Edited June 2, 2017 by BigTymeABQ

[BigTymeABQ]

 

One Central One Central 6-8-17.jpg-large by mgs11, on Flickr[/IMG]

[BigTymeABQ]

 

Check out this unique perspective of the progress being made along the Central Avenue ART corridor.

[BigTymeABQ]

Lobo Rainforest wrap-up By Kevin Robinson-Avila Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The sights and sounds of hammers, cranes and construction crews are about to give way to the hustle and bustle of students, entrepreneurs, and technology professionals at the long-anticipated Innovate ABQ research and development hub in Downtown Albuquerque. The University of New Mexico’s new Lobo Rainforest building has entered the final stretch of construction on the northeast corner of the seven-acre site at Broadway and Central, said Lisa Kuuttila, UNM’s chief economic development officer and head of the Science and Technology Corp., UNM’s tech-transfer office. A grand opening is planned for Aug. 26. The six-story, 160,000-square-foot facility will become home to 300-plus students working with businesspeople, scientists and professionals from the state’s research universities and labs to build startups and take new technologies to market. It represents the heart and soul of Innovate ABQ, and the joint efforts of UNM, the city, the county and private developers to build an Innovation Corridor that cuts through the city’s inner core.

[BigTymeABQ]

Next phase for Innovate ABQ could begin this fall By Kevin Robinson-Avila Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The sound of hammers and construction boots could fill the old First Baptist Church building at Central and Broadway Downtown before year’s end. The 71,000-square-foot facility is next up in efforts to build out the Innovate ABQ research and development hub that public and private partners are working to establish in the city’s core. The Innovate ABQ board signed a new master development agreement in May with Goodman Realty Group to begin actively designing and marketing more sections of the old seven-acre church property. With construction now winding down on a new, six-story “Lobo Rainforest” building on the site’s northeast corner, Goodman is now focused on turning the existing church structure on the southeast corner into a center for startups and entrepreneurial programs.