Latest news with #TerryBrunner
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Construction starts at problematic Central Ave. bridge underpass
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It's been on pause for around a year, but the city is finally restarting work, fixing one of the most notorious stretches of sidewalk in Albuquerque. Story continues below Crime: Parent speaks out after gun found on Albuquerque Public Schools campus Don't Miss: Which ABQ restaurants has Guy Fieri visited on 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives'? National: Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass, calls his election both a cross and a blessing It's been around for almost 100 years, but these days, not a lot of people dare to walk under the railroad tracks on Central Ave. because of problems with campers, drug use, and vandalism. The revamp to fix that is now kicking into high gear. The first step in fixing the downtown portion of the ongoing 'Rail Trail' project is to replace the Central Ave. underpass with a new pedestrian bridge and crossing ramps. 'People for years have crossed at an underpass there, or maybe you've ridden your car under the bridge. We'll now have two ramps that take you up and over that bridge area,' said Terry Brunner, Director of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. On Friday, crews started removing unused railroad tracks at the Central Ave. crossing, where eventually people will be able to walk over. In the coming weeks, they'll pour concrete to form a new 18 to 22-foot-wide ramp up to the bridge, alongside the Alvarado bus station. The updates also include an interactive 'Neon Tumbleweed' art piece that lights up at night.'It's going to provide a lot of very interesting shadowing images, and like I said, we would have images on the pavement that people can ride their bike over, they'll be able to ride and walk through the middle of the sculpture,' said Brunner. Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquín Baca said the project is a big deal. 'Whether you know it's people walking between businesses, between hotels, whether it's people biking across connected to the rail trails or other bike trails. Just general business being able to walk back and forth, it's going to have a huge, huge impact,' said Baca. Some people at the station on Friday said they're also excited for the change, saying the old underpass was not ideal. 'Because it's really hard right now to get to it, you only have one area to get here. If they open up the bridge over here, it's going to give us more access,' said Danny Hardage, train rider. 'Very dangerous down there because there was homeless people staying under there, and at night you didn't know who you were going to run into,' said Matthew Cordova, train rider. The city said the project is estimated to cost between $16 and $18 million. That money is a combination of city and state funding. ABQ Ride said the construction work will also impact at least three of their routes along Central and First Street, starting the week of May 19. To see what routes will be impacted, you can visit their website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Albuquerque unveils redevelopment plan for downtown
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – There's a new plan the city hopes can breathe new life into downtown, and KRQE News 13 is getting a look at what big projects could take top priority over the next few decades. Story continues below Trending: In-N-Out Burger eyes property in northwest Albuquerque Sports: ECHL announces plans for professional hockey team in Rio Rancho Crime: Deming mother accused of abusing kids enters plea After months of gathering opinions, the city's finalized its new 'Downtown 2050″ plan, which says better parking and new shade are some of the biggest priorities. Some business owners say they would be a welcome change. 'This is our home, this is our neighborhood. And everybody down here is really optimistic that the city of Albuquerque is reinvesting into Downtown,' said Mark Baker, owner of 505 Central Food Hall. Some consider it the heart of Albuquerque, and in 2025, downtown is still a hub for workers, restaurants, and events. A new roadmap called the 'Downtown 2050 Redevelopment Plan' is now outlining what the city should focus on changing, including adding more trees for shade, widening sidewalks, and installing more art. Albuquerque Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director Terry Brunner said the plan is important for a critical part of the city. 'It does contribute a lot to our gross receipts and our tax revenue. It's the place usually tourists go first to figure out what's happening in your town, and it's also a site where people work, live, and play these days,' says Terry Brunner, Director for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. Other priorities include adding more wayfinding kiosks and finally helping people figure out where to park. 'Well, we would love to see an app being used so that if people are coming downtown,n they know where the available spaces are, or how many spaces are in the parking garage, or what's the current rate,' says Brunner. The plan also outlines filling vacant buildings with pop-up shops and temporary retail stores. Baker said that while the area has grown in some ways, there's more work to be done to make it better. 'And this is a unique neighborhood, that's very important for keeping our young people in Albuquerque and attracting new people to our state,' says Baker. MRA Director Brunner said the city is aiming to tackle these improvements over decades. They estimate the collection of initiatives could cost millions, and that money, which will most likely come from Albuquerque City Council. The city has already launched wayfinding improvements, and they're asking for people's opinions on how best to do it. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Story continues below Education: 'Distraction-Free Bill' to curb cell phone use in schools set to go into effect Crime: Santa Fe man accused of killing wife during an argument Resources: How New Mexico families can get money for groceries this summer '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.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City leaders seek compromise for Rail Trail, Westside Indoor Sports Complex funding
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A recent Albuquerque City Council decision has put a portion of funding for the Rail Trail project in jeopardy. Now, city leaders are aiming to reach a compromise. 'One of the strong things we have is this bike community, and building up this infrastructure; I just think it's a positive thing,' said Cyndy Bowra, a local bicyclist. It's the latest shakeup in the progress toward building one of the biggest projects in Albuquerque, a 7-mile-long multi-use trail in the heart of the city called the Rail Trial. 'A $500,000 cut by the City Council really hurts,' said Terry Brunner, Director for Albuquerque's Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency. 2 high school students receive Navajo Nation Bilingual Seal of Proficiency The Rail Trail project is already under construction near the Sawmill District. However, earlier this week, councilors voted to move half a million dollars from the project to fund the Ken Sanchez Westside Indoor Sports Complex. Mayor Tim Keller vetoed that decision. 'I'm a cyclist here in Albuquerque and I strongly support all the trails that we are doing here,' Bowra explained. The city says they plan on introducing a new piece of legislation in hopes of reaching a compromise that would fund both projects. 'Hopefully, by the end of the summer, into the early fall of 2025, we'll have people traversing this trail from Tiguex Park over to Sawmill Market,' says Terry Brunner, Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency Director. Black History Month celebrated at Electric Playhouse According to the city's Government Affairs Office, councilors would first need to uphold Mayor Keller's veto with a majority vote, which would free up the $500,000 for use. The city could then reappropriate the $500,000 back toward the Rail Trail, and another $500,000 for the sports complex. 'The extra $500,000 would come from city council neighborhood set-asides,' said Government Affairs Official, Josh Anderson. While city leaders debate on how the funding should be used, the next part of the Rail Trail could soon come to life near the downtown Alvarado Station on Central. According to the city, they have 90% of the design for that portion of the trail complete and are waiting for the green light from the state to begin construction. 'We're starting construction any day now to remove one of those railroad tracks to give us a little bit wider berth,' Brunner added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UNM, City of Albuquerque working to expand university's presence downtown
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque's continued quest to bring more people downtown now has it partnering with the University of New Mexico in an idea to expand the university's presence on a parking lot that's long been eyed for redevelopment. Story continues below Local: Bryan Cranston makes surprise visit to Albuquerque 'Breaking Bad' store Crime: 12 horses at All American Futurity had illicit drug in their system DWI Scandal: Prominent ABQ attorney admits to running 'DWI Enterprise' scandal The city signed an agreement with UNM saying they'll work together to try to build a downtown presence for the university near Civic Plaza but there are still a lot of questions about what that could look like. 'I think Civic Plaza can serve as a really nice hub for university students,' said CABQ Metro Redevelopment Agency Director Terry Brunner. That vision is now one step closer to reality as the city and UNM look to partner on a downtown Lobo expansion. 'The idea is we will bring academic pursuits, offices, housing, and other university attributes and assets to the downtown area,' said David Campbell, Lobo Development Corporation. Those ideas are still in the planning process but the city is offering this parking lot across from Civic Plaza at 3rd and Marquette for the possible expansion. There are also mostly vacant buildings nearby like the Galeria building and the old Bernalillo County courthouse but this isn't the first time the university has built something downtown. 'This new initiative builds upon our existing downtown projects, like the Lobo Rainforest, and opens new avenues for education, research, and community engagement,' said Garnett Stokes, UNM president. As of now, they don't have a solid idea of what university majors or programs could go in the potential downtown campus but they say the idea has worked in other southwest cities like Phoenix. 'We're not concerned essentially about the details about what particular major comes down here or student or things like that or where they go. We just want UNM and downtown connected as a symbol of strength and a symbol of growth,' said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. Other developers with downtown properties say they're excited about what the future might look like. '505 Central Food Hall, we look forward to feeding all of those students and faculty and staff down there and serving delicious food. So thanks again for this commitment to downtown, and we really appreciate it,' said Mark Baker, developer. The terms of the city and UNM's new deal don't commit to any deadlines and also don't guarantee that UNM will build a downtown presence but UNM is expected to determine the feasibility of the idea. Previous failed ideas to redevelop that lot across from Civic Plaza have included building a skyscraper on it called the 'Symphony Tower' and building a space-focused technology hub there. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
