Latest news with #NicholeRogers
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New resolution looks to add more properties to Nob Hill redevelopment project
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There's a new push to give property owners more help fixing up empty lots and rundown buildings on one of the city's busiest boulevards, off of Central Ave. The city councilor for the area said a revamp is long overdue on San Mateo Blvd. between Lomas Blvd. and Copper Ave. She's pushing to rope it into a special redevelopment zone that could speed up a potential overhaul. Story continues below News: The National Guard Is Deploying In Albuquerque New Mexico Strange: A dive into the Painted Lady's violent past, haunted present Trending: Albuquerque community helps band recover stolen trailer Crime: APS teacher arrested after accusations of sexual relationships with students It's a major Albuquerque roadway, but if you've gone through San Mateo, from Copper to Lomas, you've more than likely seen the old and empty strip malls that have seen better days. But Albuquerque City Councilor Nichole Rogers wants to change that, introducing a plan targeting the area for improvements that could draw in new businesses. Her resolution looks to add the half-mile stretch of San Mateo to the nearby 'Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Plan,' giving new benefits to 58 properties in the area. 'The MRA zone, because it is on Central, we're able to use those incentives for the San Mateo Towers, so why can't we do the same thing for smaller business owners and not just big developers?' said Councilor Nichole Rogers. If it passes, one of the benefits could allow area businesses to get a seven-year property tax freeze, which could help avoid costs associated with upgrades. 'Any business owner who is wanting to expand, either renovate their area, expand their businesses, they're adding jobs, people want to add housing to this area. These tax abatements can help,' said Rogers. Some residents have expressed concerns about the change, which comes with designating properties as 'blighted,' something that could also affect property values. But Councilor Rogers says this won't be an issue for long. 'It might feel funny to say 'yes, it's blighted but it won't be when we're done' and that's the purpose of using these tools, it's to take a blighted area and change that,' said Rogers. The potential 'MRA' expansion goes to city council's Land Use and Zoning Committee next week. If it passes, city council could vote for final approval, potentially by June 16. Councilor Rogers is hosting a 'Community Conversation' about the potential MRA on Thursday. We also reached out to the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency who provided a statement on the project. 'The MRA has been working with Councilor Rogers on legislation to extend the Central/Highland/Upper Nob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area up San Mateo Blvd. to Lomas Blvd. MRA staff conducted an analysis in the area which merits inclusion in an MRA. Expanding this MRA will help unlock incentives to help spur economic investments in a highly traveled commercial corridor in the heart of the city. The expansion of the MRA will support small businesses located near MRA-supported housing projects already in the works along Central Ave. and San Mateo Blvd.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What Will Voters Do With $1.5 Million?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – If you had $1.5 million to build something for your community, what would you spend it on? Voters in Albuquerque will decide just that with the 'set aside' fund from Council District 6, thanks to the idea of 'Participatory Budgeting.' What does that mean exactly? City Councilor Nichole Rogers is spearheading the movement in her district for the first time. She joins Chris and Gabby this week to explain why she's doing it, how people are getting involved with plans, and the projects currently on the table. Could this set a trend? Listen to the full interview above to learn why Councilor Rogers is already excited to do the same thing again next year. Anyone 11 years old and older can vote, as long as you live, work, or study in Albuququerque's District 6. Voting is open through April 19th and can be done through this link. 'I felt strongly that if these middle-schoolers can put in this project for the Five Blocks for Life, they should be able to vote on these projects as well,' said Councilor Rogers. More about that project and others on the table can be found here. Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to the New Mexico News Insiders Podcast wherever you listen. Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Insiders every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean, among others. You can also watch our podcasts in video form, both on-air and online. Tune in to an abbreviated version of the New Mexico News Insiders podcast on broadcast television every Wednesday at 10:35 p.m. on Fox New Mexico. Full video episodes are posted on KRQE's YouTube page at Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term 'KRQE' or 'New Mexico News Insiders' (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post. If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email your hosts at or Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City Council approved a marijuana equity tax. Here's how the money will be used.
Mar. 5—The Albuquerque City Council narrowly approved a marijuana equity tax aimed at funding a guaranteed income program and treating addiction. The program is funded with $4 million in tax revenue generated from recreational cannabis sales. Some $2 million will go to the Tim Keller administration's guaranteed income program and will help send $750 a month to 100 low-income families over three years. The other $2 million goes toward substance use prevention, treatment and recovery programs run by the administration's Health, Housing and Homelessness Department. While the council is technically nonpartisan, the five councilors who lean Democratic — and make up its slim majority — voted in favor of the measure. The four votes against came from councilors with conservative voting records. "For me, this is extremely exciting to have worked on it before, and to be here to vote on it today," City Councilor Nichole Rogers said at Monday's meeting. Those eligible for the guaranteed income program must live in the International District or West Side, and have a child enrolled in third grade at Whittier or Carlos Rey elementary schools. When it comes to fighting addiction, the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department is hoping to use the funding to partner with six programs from five organizations. The policy was crafted by the Keller administration and sponsored by City Councilor Klarissa Peña. In October 2023, Peña herself sponsored an ordinance that passed to utilize the findings of the city's Cannabis Equity Working Group — formed in 2021 — to determine how to use the tax revenue. "This is an opportunity to create some movement, especially for communities that have been historically marginalized by the prohibition of cannabis and the war on drugs, specifically Black and brown folks," Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, told the Journal in an interview. He added that the suggestions for where the money should be allocated came from a "forward-thinking" working group over the course of a couple of years. "Municipalities and counties have virtually complete control over, and hopefully the state follows suit and starts spending some of their cut of the money soon," Lewinger said. New Mexico passed legislation to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2021 and consumption of it became legal in April 2022. Recreational cannabis sales to date have surpassed $1 billion statewide.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ABQ city councilor looking to rehab public housing in International District
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Trying to get more affordable housing in Albuquerque, the International District's city councilor is continuing the push to revamp three rundown properties; and, they could be on track to get a lot of help from the federal government to do it. 'It's really important to me, in this housing crisis. We haven't built any public housing in the city of Albuquerque I want to say, since the late 80s,' said Nichole Rogers, Albuquerque City Councilor for District 6, 'They're in desperate need of renovations. I'd like to see them all demolished and we can build more and better on these sites.' Story continues below Weather: Widespread snow & rain in northern New Mexico Crime: Video shows moments officers save baby in stolen truck in Rio Rancho National: Pause on federal grants sparks concern in NM Don't Miss: Santa Fe police, animal services rescue injured pelican That's what Rogers has in mind for three International District properties: 'We have Wainwright Manor that's on Gibson; we have Pennsylvania Apartments on Pennsylvania; and we have Grove Apartments, also on Grove,' Rogers says. Together, the properties have 98 units, and house hundreds of people. Rogers is backing a plan called the 'Choice Neighborhood Initiative,' in partnership with the city and the Albuquerque Housing Authority, which could rehabilitate the public housing through federal funds. 'Choice Neighborhood means taking a neighborhood folks don't want to live in and making it a neighborhood where people want and choose to live in,' Rogers said. Rogers said the city already has $150,000 in these federal grant funds to help build community gardens and cultivate a marketplace: 'Once we show success there and get that project done, then we can apply for the implementation grant. That's big money, that's $50 to $60 million dollars that then we can go and actually do the construction to reimagine, rebuild based on what the community planned and wanted, we can actually make that happen.' This week, they're inviting residents and neighbors to talk about what they'd like to see happen with the properties, 'Hoping that funding doesn't go away during this big transition that we're having in our country,' Rogers said, 'I've told myself I'm going to put my head down and focus on these neck of the woods but the bottom line is: these neck of the woods get a lot of funding from the federal government.' The community meeting happens Wednesday at Wainwright Manor on Gibson Boulevard near the Gateway Center at 5:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
