The City of Española leadership is looking at how to utilize properties around the city, and are considering projects that could increase revenue for the city and increase housing numbers.
City Manager Lauren Reichelt focused on the city’s West Side during her city manager’s report at the Nov. 25 city council meeting.
The Española Fire Department inspected the Hunter Ford building, Reichelt said, and it is unsafe and contains asbestos. She, along with assistance from Community Development Director Michael Adams, are looking at possible uses for the property that could generate income for the city through Gross Receipts Taxes.
A heavy equipment manufacturing company is interested in it and would stay there for a few years until it could move to a more permanent location, Reichelt said.
“For the long term, we probably don’t want a heavy equipment manufacturing company across the street from the plaza in the middle of Main Street,” Reichelt said.
Adams has also spoken with a developer who is interested in doing a tax credit project at the property above the Plaza to build affordable housing, Reichelt said. The idea is to build something similar to Lena Street in Santa Fe, where people have a business on the first story of the building and live in the story above.
Mayor John Ramon Vigil cautioned against planning any projects on this property due to a resolution passed in May about its possible transfer to the state of New Mexico to build a lowrider museum.
“I think it would be irresponsible of us to start building on that parcel of property until they finalize where they’re gonna build because we had resolved for the construction of the low rider museum at that parcel,” he said.
District 41 Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Rio Arriba, Sandoval, Santa Fe and Taos counties, sponsored House Bill 239 at this year’s legislative session, to fund a feasibility study for the creation of a lowrider museum in Española. Although the bill failed, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs decided to support the project anyway.
Reichelt said the department has looked at several properties as possible sites for the museum, including the ones around the plaza.
Moving Arts Española is also looking for a new home, Reichelt said, and she has viewed several properties with Roger Montoya, the organization’s co-founder and creative director.
The property that looked the most promising, she said, is one currently used to store things like culverts and garbage cans above the baseball fields on Industrial Park Road.
“What I’m looking at is, how do we revitalize the West Side and what do we want on the West Side?” Reichelt said. “We want some businesses on the West Side, but it is a great place to attract young families and there’s plenty of room to do that. And we really want our plaza area to be vibrant and to jump-start our Main Street.”
District 4 City Councilor Samuel LeDoux said the city is required to create a comprehensive plan every 10 years, and that this is an opportunity for the city council to start working on it. Reichelt agreed, and said there are grants the city could easily obtain from the New Mexico Finance Authority to create comprehensive and housing plans.
District 2 Councilor Nanette Rodriguez said revitalizing the West Side is very important, but they had to discuss the elephant in the room: the Oñate Bridge.
Closure
The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) closed the bridge in June, ahead of the summer monsoon season, due to the risk of erosion when river flow is high. In October, the NMDOT completed a study of the bridge and announced it would complete a $500,000 project to slow down the erosion around the bridge’s pier and riverbed.
Reichelt said that she spoke with NMDOT Cabinet Secretary Ricky Serna, who told her that they were considering re-opening the bridge in May 2026.
There will be a townhall meeting from 5-8 p.m. Thursday (12/4) at the Beatrice Martinez Senior Center during which the NMDOT will discuss the bridge.