Downtown Albuquerque reboot: Pockets of hope, a field of potential

Beyond the crime, shuttered businesses, vacant buildings and an all-too-common sense of unease is a Downtown Albuquerque that has the pieces to thrive: robust historic neighborhoods, an increase in affordable housing, resilient businesses, new development, and a Rail Trail on the horizon with transformative potential.

City leaders are focusing hard on Downtown this year. The Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA) said it will make the first significant updates to its Downtown redevelopment plan in decades and held its first public open house on March 20. The goal is to put the pieces in place for a vigorous post-pandemic recovery by supporting what makes the city and its Route 66 core unique — the blend of people, arts, culture, history, and business.

Albuquerque’s ‘beachfront property’

One example of the force of Downtown’s creative economy is the 23-years-running FUSION — a theater company, and music, dance and visual art campus at 700-708 First Street NW. The 35,000-square-foot complex, which also includes Novel Point Coffee and a future Safe House Distilling Co. location, is a growing slice of Downtown that’s become a destination all its own. The Martineztown-Wells Park corridor features Marble Brewery and a slew of Garcia family (of the Garcia Honda car dealership enterprise) investments: Villa Myriam Coffee, Glorieta Station-Neon Park, the soon-to-open Cantina Real restaurant and more.

“I feel extremely fortunate to be neighbors with such committed property stewards,” Dennis Gromelski, FUSION’s executive director, said.

Gromelski, the Garcias, and others in the Downtown area are well-positioned to capitalize on the Rail Trail, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027.

“The Rail Trail is a game-changer for Downtown, the city, and the state,” Gromelski said. “It will provide much-needed ground-level connectivity to multiple neighborhoods.”

He said the Rail Trail could accurately be described as Albuquerque’s “beachfront property.”

“It will provide access for community members, create a destination for tourists, add an important attraction for potential Convention Center bookings, and spur major railside development,” Gromelski said. “This walkable route will also help to attract new residents.”

He also agrees that arts and culture is the backbone of the corridor.

“Other parts of the city are wonderful, but none have or can have, the impact of a burgeoning Downtown,” Gromelski said.

‘It perks up Downtown’

The mix of food, art and community in Downtown isn’t new to the thousands who flock to the Downtown Growers’ Market at Robinson Park each season. Those who visit the farmers, artists and musicians at the market spill over onto Downtown’s streets on Saturdays from April to November. 

“The market has outgrown its space,” Danielle Schlobohm, the two-year director of DowntownABQ MainStreet, said. “It’s a snapshot of Albuquerque with every walk of life. It perks up Downtown.”

Schlobohm said the market is looking at expansion options, which include an indoor market hall for vendors — a space that isn’t limited to a season or dictated by the weather. About 100 vendors are turned away each year due to space constraints at the park, she said.

“This market is starting its 28th year and it has a reputation,” Schlobohm said. “It’s something that’s become ingrained in the culture of Downtown and vendors make money at our market.”

About a mile away, the Rail Yards Market is located in Downtown’s Barelas neighborhood. The popular market, which runs from May through October, began in 2016 and has a greater focus on art vendors. The historic Albuquerque Rail Yards is also the site where construction has begun on a world-class film production training center — a multimillion-dollar training hub for future filmmakers and a sure boost for Downtown revitalization.

However, stakeholders say it’s also the little things that make a big difference. 

DowntownABQ MainStreet spearheads a project that adds more trees Downtown — a way to beautify the corridor and counter the urban heat island effect. It’s working with the MRA to help develop more artist housing and studio spaces. And the seemingly modest touches don’t always carry a large price tag either. 

Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquín Baca, whose District 2 covers Downtown, unveiled plans for basic Downtown beautification and maintenance earlier this year: cleaner sidewalks, more parklets and better lighting. He told Downtown Albuquerque News in February that the goal is to counter the “intangible discomfort” felt in the core.

“It is uncomfortable and we can fix that,” he said. “It’ll be community-driven.”

‘A creative community’

Gabriel Gallegos, the founder and program director of ABQ Artwalk, which launched in 2018, said Downtown is the ideal spot for both artists and business owners to leverage the state’s widely regarded arts and culture reputation.

“Downtown is a creative community and it’s a reflection of our city and New Mexico,” he said. “We need to keep our creatives here. It’s our biggest export as a state.”

Artwalk showcases artists at Downtown-area galleries, restaurants, bars, and other venues on the first or second Friday of the month.

“That’s what makes Downtown special, the local businesses,” Gallegos said. “It’s home for us and it’s walkable. Part of our mission is to give people an incentive to rediscover Downtown.”

The mix of community, creativity and entrepreneurism is also the thrust of DowntownABQ MainStreet’s new Artists Blend event that launched on March 17. Artists, crafters, playwrights and musicians are invited to mix and mingle with fellow creatives at Downtown hotspots like Curious Toast Cafe, Zendo Coffee and Novel Point Coffee. 

“The great thing about arts and culture Downtown is that there’s so many people working on it,” Sherri Brueggemann said. “It’s not just the city doing one thing, or one particular organization holding the anchor, it’s a lot of entities. Everyone is doing their own thing.”

Brueggemann is head of the city’s Public Art Urban Enhancement Division. Many public art pieces are located within the Downtown Arts & Cultural District — a 30-block area designated by New Mexico MainStreet in 2016. The city’s presence in the district includes the KiMo Theatre, Main Public Library and a variety of arts and entertainment programming on Civic Plaza. 

Downtown features a significant number of murals, temporary art and digital media. Brueggemann said the Albuquerque Convention Center has more than 150 art pieces and City Hall has more than 230.

The division also supports budding artists through the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund’s artists resiliency residency. Many of the artist’s final projects are presented in and around the Downtown core in outdoor and indoor spaces. In addition, Brueggemann has sent 10 artists to Central New Mexico Community College’s 10-week “Internet of Things” boot camp with the goal of producing art-and-technology infused pieces that can be used along the Rail Trail.

“We’re building a really strong network and investing in artists,” she said. “In my 25 years, the city and county governments have continued to support public art. The programs have been fully funded. It’s a testimony to the quality.”

Schlobohm agrees Downtown is a creative destination.

“Downtown is the best spot for arts and culture – the music venues, theater spaces, the comedy scene is popping off. Creatives want to be Downtown,” Schlobohm said. “As an Arts & Culture District, you have everything here; there is a multitude of riches.”