Is there progress being made on major housing developments in southeast Albuquerque?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The city has given some nice tax breaks to four big housing projects in southeast Albuquerque, but months down the line, some of those projects have yet to see much work. Almost all of these projects are located on Central Ave., many of which have funding to start but still have more permitting, hiring, and funding challenges to meet.
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'We've had a huge historic underinvestment in this area, and absolutely, before things get more expensive or the landscape gets more uncertain, it's time to act and do what we have to do now,' said Nichole Rodgers, Albuquerque City Councilor.
She is pushing to get more housing in her district, including four projects for which the city already approved redevelopment tax breaks that could collectively save millions. 'These all happen to be kind of off the Central corridor, which is really nice to see, too. That's very important for access to the art transit route and reinvigorating central a bit in preparation for the centennial,' said Terry Brunner, Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director, CABQ.
But each of those projects still has a long way to go, including the 'SOMOS' development, which will mix affordable apartments with commercial space at Central Ave. near Louisiana Blvd. The developer, Sol Housing, said their permits and contractor are set, but they need nearly $5 million to close the gap. 'Our target date is kind of early May, so hopefully within 30 days we should be breaking ground and going vertical,' said Felipe Rael, executive director of Sol Housing.
Another project, the Highlands Central Market and Residence Inn, would be across from Presbyterian Hospital with a food hall and long-stay hotel. Titan development is still working on permits. 'This one is really about local economy, business development, economic development,' said Rogers.
Near Nob Hill, the 16-unit Garfield townhomes have started utility work. Meanwhile, one of two towers on San Mateo near Central Ave. is looking for contractors before work begins to convert offices to apartments. 'These are out-of-state developers that are kind of new to the New Mexico market, so we want to get them in the game as soon as possible. And those towers are also something that the community is just really interested in seeing get done,' said Brunner.
Across the four projects, if they come to fruition as planned, the city says it will add around 313 new units of housing. None of the projects has solid dates so far for completion. A funding boost for the 70-unit SOMOS project is slated for city council review next week. Developers are looking for $6 million from federal grants.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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