Albuquerque Development News

[PhillyintheDuke]

@ABQist:
Word is that Paul Kreb's, the UNM A.D., is very interested in developing the South Campus. Including the land around the PIT, and stadiums.

With Schmidley at the helm (UNM President), we are going to see alot of money generated at UNM, with alot of projects go up!

It's amazing that there is not ONE resteraunt around the University, and Avenida de Cesar Chavez area.

To me if I had money, I would either start my own grocery store DT, and setup shop for anything food related in the UNM arena area.

Cha Ching!

[ABQist]

Philly,

That's great news. I heard about a reno of the pit, but that'd be great to see the entire S campus built out -- it's about time! How about a food court/plaza w/ starbucks, dion's, a steakhouse, el pinto, olive garden, rudy's bbq, elephant bar, etc?!!! It'd be a goldmine.

For you architecture buffs, I found this real cool document -- including a rendering of the new Paseo Nuevo office bldg and lot's of others. Enjoy.

http://www.abq.org/pdfs/NAIOP%20Presentation.pdf

[PhillyintheDuke]

Originally Posted by ABQist

Philly,

That's great news. I heard about a reno of the pit, but that'd be great to see the entire S campus built out -- it's about time! How about a food court/plaza w/ starbucks, dion's, a steakhouse, el pinto, olive garden, rudy's bbq, elephant bar, etc?!!! It'd be a goldmine.

For you architecture buffs, I found this real cool document -- including a rendering of the new Paseo Nuevo office bldg and lot's of others. Enjoy.

http://www.abq.org/pdfs/NAIOP%20Presentation.pdf

if I remember correctly, awhile back I read soething to the effect that the owner of the land surrounding the PIT wanted way TOO MUCH money for the land. Eminant domain was brought up, but i don't remember reasding or hearing anything elsse ont he matter.

You're right! It is a gold mine. With it's proximity to the Airport, UNM's NCAA regionals for basketball, University Stadium that hosts Bowl games, Isotopes Stadium that is bringing in All-Star games, envisioning a great mix use project that would include 4-5 restaraunts, and hotels would not be too far fethced.

It's a untapped part of the City that has really been overlooked! Just minutes from DT, and UNM!

[NickABQ]

South Albuquerque needs more retail and restaraunts anyway.....

I would love to see a "dining destination", especially since Rio Rancho has plans for a BIG one but i'd like to see it incorporated into a hotel/office/retail and residential project....

maybe have a 250 (ish) room hotel at the edge closer to the freeway....an office components at the side closest to Isotopes Park...with retaiil/restaraunt and housing units in between. LOL...maybe two landmark towers with 15 floors each and have the retail and residential components be like 4 or 5 floors around a plaza facing Cesar Chavez and the PIT.

[NickABQ]

The residential components of ABQ Uptown in Phase 2 went to the commision on Feb 13. Passed by the commision May 16. Construction to start in late summer of this year.....I'm thinking first of August.

[ABQist]

Originally Posted by NickABQ

The residential components of ABQ Uptown in Phase 2 went to the commision on Feb 13. Passed by the commision May 16. Construction to start in late summer of this year.....I'm thinking first of August.

I'll have to say I'm very dissapointed and I'm sure you are too. Their website says this is to be 2 & 3 story apartments. They were originally supoosed to be 7 & 8 story condos. The Hunt group is the same people chosen to develop our arena and hotel, lol... I'm finding this Hunt group to be a letdown. We'll be lucky to get a 8,000 seat arena and 10 story low-rise hotel. I'd rather pass, wait and save the site for something better.

PS I was very optomistic about ABQUp phase 3 -- I was hoping for a 20 story hotel -- but hunt is developing that too. I'd guess 6 stories at most...

[NickABQ]

I'm disappointed about the condos at Uptown also!

However some good news.

A spokesperson for Garfield Traub said that they are shooting for an 18,000 seat arena, and definately a 23 floor hotel.

Luckily for us...Hunt is only developing the retail component of the arena development!! Garfield Traub is taking care of the hotel for sure...and more than likely, the arena as well. Garfiled Traub is known for making beautiful high-rise hotels.

As far as the hotel at Uptown goes....Im guessing 7 floors also.

[ABQist]

The arena & hotel is great news! let's hope those numbers hold. I was thinking minimum of 18-25,000/20 stories to make it worthwhile. Actually I was hoping a little bigger on the arena; we already have an 18K seater and I doubt we could ever get an NBA team or NCAA Finals with less than 25,000.

Uptown seems like a dead end on any new towers as the land is all but gone. That Phase III parcel would be perfect for a 20 story tower. I think the only hope know for some real highrises there is if Winrock converts to a biz park. Any word on what''s up w/ Winrock?

[PhillyintheDuke]

Originally Posted by ABQist

The arena & hotel is great news! let's hope those numbers hold. I was thinking minimum of 18-25,000/20 stories to make it worthwhile. Actually I was hoping a little bigger on the arena; we already have an 18K seater and I doubt we could ever get an NBA team or NCAA Finals with less than 25,000.

Uptown seems like a dead end on any new towers as the land is all but gone. That Phase III parcel would be perfect for a 20 story tower. I think the only hope know for some real highrises there is if Winrock converts to a biz park. Any word on what''s up w/ Winrock?

I totally agree with ABQist, I would like to see a great multi-purpose arena top out at 20-25k. It opens the door to host bigger events, and frankly a smaller arena would be outdated in a few years with ABQ growing. The hotel that needs to be built needs to have a good number of rooms, as to accomodate demands for more rooms in DT for conventions and such.

The only thing that has me worried is the land available for the deal, and my wishlist for the development. And could be a big reason why the council is thinking smaller. IMO, I don't want anything on the level of Rio Rancho's or slightly higher. I want something that competes on a higher level. Let's face it, most of the Western United States is growing at a high rate, ABQ can't be left behind, and must compete.

Add me to the list of dissappointment with the building height of the ABQuptwon development. I still have the Outlook form the Journal that ran the story and first showed the renderings of ABQuptown. It looked so promising, but like everything else here in teh city, it was scaled down.

Too bad, it looked like something the big cities have. Now it's just another development in ABQ.

[PhillyintheDuke]

Fransiscan hotel, it's a shame its no longer around.

Construction of the Central under pass from the railroad


Aerial of the NE hieghts with streets labled, zoom in to read. ca. 1950

Cool old postcard, ca. 1966


cool picture of ABQ skyline off of Flickr.

[PhillyintheDuke]

Bernalillo Courthouse, ca. 1926, before reonvation of the present in DT ABQ.


2nd and gold, year unknown
1950 central
I love this, it's at the I-40 overpass at Rio Grande.

[PhillyintheDuke]

Coolest parking structure I have ever seen






I love this pic. I love the idea of a courthouse district. It would be great to put some high priced condo work/live spaces on the spot of Lomas where that jewelry store is. Those would sell out fast!

[NickABQ]

I dunno about you guys....but an 18,000 arena doesnt sound small to me.

As far as the NBA goes..the largest NBA home court is the Palace At Auburn Hills in Detroit...with 22,076

and the smallest is KeyArena at Seattle Center in Seattle...with a capacity of 17,072 for NBA games......

similar sizes are the average for NHL games too.....

and we can blame the NIMBY's in the neighborhood east of Phase 2 for the scale back. The developers had a meeting with the neighborhood association and they said that the original heights were too tall.....

[PhillyintheDuke]

Coal, ca. 1971

Alvarado courtyard looking NE, year unknown

Cool post card of UNM, Johnson Gym looked so different then.
Great lighting catch off of Flickr

I love maps, and this one is from some archives from UT-Austin.ca. aorund 1920

[ABQist]

Almost makes me cry. Look at that original rendering of the residential component of AbqUT and look what their doing from their website. ANOTHER blown opportunity. Letting Hunt handle our last remaining land in Uptown was a HUGE mistake -- or maybe the city wanted it that way (more of the "keep it wimpy" mentality.) I think if we would have known that Hunt was going to build an aprtment complex, there would have been public outcry. When will the madness go away?

This is proof -- there are still people here who hate our city and are trying to sabotage it. What can we do Philly?

PS sorry for whining -- love the pics. So the NIMBY's are to blame, huh Nick? Maybe they'd love the small town feel in Saudi Arabia...

[NickABQ]

As for uptown scrapers...I have done an ambitious rendering on Sketchup of Uptown 2025....

I sunk the parking lots of Coronado....and built it over 2 -25 floor towers and parkland, and bulldozed the apartments off of Indian School and Americas Parkway and built a huge mixed use high-rise district.

I also rendered a 35 story on the small lot directly behind Park Square

[PhillyintheDuke]

[NickABQ]

I agree ABQist.....off to Saudi Arabia with the NIMBYs!!!!

[PhillyintheDuke]

Old YMCA, ca. 1943. I love this old Missionary style bldg. ANother bldg I wished was around. Somewhere aournd 1st and Central.

Old Indian school, too bad it's not around. destroyed by fire, evenually demolished.


Original Bernalillo Courthouse, burned down. Somewhere in OldTown

Alvarado Hotel, and depot

[PhillyintheDuke]

UNM Dorms, postcard.
UNM ca. 1943

Metro Court
old firestation on the railroad yards

Was called the telecom building, I''m not sure what it is now, but it's a hidden peice of ABQ nestled on the 4th street mall beteween the Hyatt, and Maloneys.

UNM aerial, ca. 1940's

Central bridge over railraod tracks.
VA hospital