City Councilor Joaquin Baca says he’s pleased to see the former Century 14 movie theater going into a new life as a basketball hub.
ABC Prep, a hoops-focused school designed to train athletes to compete at higher levels, could open its newest branch, at First Street and Central Avenue, by August.
ABC Prep was founded by Brandon Mason who played for the New Mexico State Aggies from 1999-2003. He also is a former University of New Mexico basketball assistant coach. Last summer ABC Prep was approved to be an online academy as an affiliate of Premier Prep Online Academy so student athletes can get schooling at the ABC facility.
Baca said he recently met with school officials and was impressed by their plans, which include multiple courts, dorms and training and dining spaces.
He said that having the basketball academy will be good for the neighborhood, attracting visitors to downtown, and provide engagement for local youths.
The school’s existing location near Rio Grande Boulevard and Mountain Road will remain open, according to Downtown Albuquerque News ABC Prep has 28 students, from New Mexico and elsewhere. The school plans on building five courts, dorms, classrooms and a specialized food service operation to feed all those hungry student athletes.
The building has been empty since October of 2021, when operator Cinemark Holdings Inc. shut it down, as many theaters were bruised during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mason has said they plan on bringing events downtown.
Baca said he’s glad to see the end of the building’s vacancy and is wishing the academy success. He said Albuquerque is a basketball town, which bodes well for a basketball venture downtown.