UNM purchases crime-ridden Motel 6, a step forward in revitalizing South Campus
Mar. 20—A local hotspot for crime is on its way to becoming part of the University of New Mexico's effort to revamp the South Campus area.
UNM regents last month acquired the Motel 6 on Avenida Cesar Chavez for $5 million following years of what officials described as criminal activity that posed a threat to the safety of students and the surrounding community. Demolishing the motel, university officials say, is a key step toward redeveloping the area into a vibrant hub for food, retail and housing.
"I can't understate the importance of removing that property from the area in terms of reduction in criminal activity," Tom Neale, UNM's director of real estate and interim executive director for Lobo Development Corp., told the Journal. "What we found after we acquired the property just reinforced all that we've heard about."
Among the university's discoveries were vandalized rooms and evidence of recent manufacturing of methamphetamine, Neale said. A report shared by Lobo Development Corp. officials, put together by the Albuquerque Police Department, shows nearly 300 police calls — 150 for violent crimes, 124 for property crimes — from 2019 through 2024.
Criminal activity at the property and potential solutions have been on the university's radar for years.
The property is now in the hands of the Lobo Development Corp., UNM's private development arm and master developer of its South Campus Tax Increment Development District, or TIDD. The TIDD incentivizes growth on land that UNM owns by giving developers a share of future tax revenue for their investment into the land's public infrastructure.
The corporation will handle demolishing the 22,224-square-foot motel and marketing the site to developers looking to bring projects to the area.
Neale said demolishing the motel should eliminate much of the crime threat, but that officials also have plans in place for future crime mitigation.
"I don't envision that we will sell any of those parcels," Neale said. "We will either develop those parcels along (Avenida) Cesar Chavez ourselves or build-to-suit agreements or potentially ground leases."
He added that UNM can restrict what uses are brought in and ensure "any use we put in that area will have a benefit and not bring any element or use ... that's adverse to our goals."
Neale, who has been with UNM for 19 years, said the site is designated for commercial development and will likely bring in restaurants, retail or a combination of both.
"This area of Albuquerque is really, really underserved with retail and restaurants, Neale said. "We're starting to see a lot of interest in our lands at South Campus."
He added, "Coming out of COVID and the COVID hangover, now retailers and restaurants are starting to focus on development opportunities again, and we're seeing that in South Campus."
Some of the university's land was sold to Raising Cane's and a site on Gibson is currently under contract with In-N-Out Burger, Neale said, adding he expects the In-N-Out transaction to close in May.
Neale said the corporation has many more developments in the works and that removing Motel 6 is an important piece in moving UNM's vision for development and creating a revitalized gateway into South Campus.
The timeline of the Motel 6 site's development will depend on the market. But UNM is "targeting a transformational development in that corridor over the next few years," Neale said.
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