• Gary Sandler
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    Published 8/15, 2016

    Economic development is flourishing in downtown Las Cruces. After many years of doubt, speculation, and in some cases outright disbelief that the revitalization of downtown would ever become a reality, a majority of the groundwork needed to support the next round of development is now in place. It is upon that groundwork that local developers and the city intend to invest millions of dollars in new public and private projects. The anchor for those ventures is the former Dona Ana County Courthouse, which will be transformed into the Dona Ana Hotel and Conference Center. The 4-Star property will also house restaurants, boutiques, and an adventure-tour operator.

    The concept is the brainchild of Bob Pofahl, local developer and managing partner of Las Cruces Community Partners (LCCP), LLC. Pofahl is also a partner in the development of the 110-acre Parkridge Urban Village on the site of the former Las Cruces Country Club. In addition, he and his LCCP partners, Doug Wright, Steve Newby and Eddie Martinez, are the developers of the new downtown plaza, which is scheduled to be dedicated by the City on September 17th.

    According to Pofahl, “The vision for the hotel is to create something similar to the Inn at Loretto in Santa Fe or the Hotel Parq Central in Albuquerque, where the building’s history is preserved throughout the redevelopment process”. The property, built in 1937, will retain its designation on the state’s historic registry.

    While details of the plan have yet to be finalized, proposed modifications include adding 10,000 to 20,000 square feet to the building’s existing 40,000 square foot footprint, and the creation of 120 guest rooms and suites. Each room will utilize art, fabrics and unique doors to reflect the history of an early Las Cruces area pioneer family, according to Pofahl. Also on tap are a rooftop bar overlooking the City and Organ Mountains, a swimming pool, conference center, retail space, and a spa and fitness center.

    The property will be operated by La Tour Hotels and Resorts, operator of luxury boutique hotels. According to their website, www.latourhotelsandresorts.com, the company currently operates nine properties in the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, South America, the Caribbean and Canada. “The hotel will be, if not the best in New Mexico, certainly in the top three or four”, said John Small, vice chairman of the board. Small went on to say that “it will be a superb experience for guests and residents, as well as for corporate and business travelers”. Small estimates that it will take 18 to 24-months to complete the project at a cost of between $20 and $22 million.

    In case you were wondering what will become of the unfinished eyesore on the corner of Amador and Main, plans are in the works to redevelop the property along with the hotel project. “It could be utilized as office space, repurposed, or torn down altogether”, according to LCCP.

    In addition to the hotel, many other projects are slated for downtown development. The site of the former My Brother’s Place restaurant will be home to “a multi-tiered complex that will house four full-service restaurants, including fine dining; a rooftop lounge, the offices of the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau, and an event courtyard that can accommodate up to 700 or 800 people”, explained Max Bower of Red Mesa Development & Design, LLC, the project’s developer. The value of the undertaking is approximately $6.5 million. Demolition is scheduled to begin in two weeks, with completion anticipated in the fall of 2017, according to Bower. The working name of the build is the Amador Project.

    A companion to the Amador Project is the restoration of the historic Amador Hotel. The Amador Foundation is the steward of the property, which is owned by the city and listed on the state’s historic register. To date, the foundation has raised $500,000 in private donations and $500,000 in legislative funding. An additional $1 million of the city’s hold-harmless funds have been earmarked for asbestos abatement. “The additional $1 million will go a long way to completing the project”, said Heather Pollard, the foundation’s president. City of Las Cruces Downtown Coordinator, Andy Hume, added “There is also NM Capital Outlay of $195,000 to repair and stabilize the interior columns”. The hotel will utilize the adjacent project’s courtyard for outdoor functions and events.

    Also in the works is the expansion of the Bank of the West building on the corner of Main Street and Las Cruces Avenue. The bank will continue to occupy a portion of the northern end of the ground floor, with a three-story addition to be added to the south side of the building overlooking the plaza. The new construction will accommodate additional office space, with restaurant and retail spaces occupying the ground floor. The cost of the project is approximately $1.5 million, according to Bob Pofahl, one of the building’s owners.

    In the early planning stage is a multi-use development adjacent to the plaza. The $12.6 million project will provide for ground floor restaurant and retail space, with residential units on the upper floors. The time required for planning and building is approximately two years, according to the developer, LCCP. Las Cruces Community Partners also has a plan in the works to repurpose the space one door south of the Rio Grande Theatre, known as the Camunez building. The building, whose last occupant was the state juvenile probation office, will house a brewery and restaurant. LCCP is the driving force behind the transition, which is estimated to be completed within 18-months at a cost $1.5 million.

    Restoration of the historic Armijo House, which is listed on the state’s historic register and located adjacent to the Loretto Town Center, has been underway for more than two years. A total of $800,000 in gifts and donations have already been invested to date, with more work slated. When completed, the building will be home to the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. “We hope to be in the facility 1st quarter of 2017”, said Debbi Moore, president of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce. Moore went on to say, “We are committed to the project and look forward to the Chamber offices being housed in such an integral part of Las Cruces history”.

    Arriving at this turning point didn’t happen overnight. The city and scores of forward-thinking citizens have been exploring how to create downtown development opportunities for the better part of the past two decades. The latest round began in earnest in 2006, when the middle two blocks of Main Street were opened to vehicular traffic. In 2009, the state’s first Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) was established to fund the downtown infrastructure needs that are in place today and planned for the future.

    It was around that time downtown stakeholders, along with city, county and state officials, banded together with intrepid restauranteurs, retailers, nonprofit organizations and redevelopment experts to put into place the mechanisms that make today’s projects possible. Elected officials, state legislators and citizen volunteers, as well as Downtown Las Cruces Partnership and New Mexico Main Street contributors donated thousands of hours and countless resources in support of the projects, which at the time could only be imagined. And there’s more to come.

    The city will soon reconfigure the Water & Church Street “racetrack” to accommodate two-way traffic, extend Water Street south to Lohman Avenue, and complete the creation of two new streets bordering the plaza. In addition, Las Cruces, Griggs, and Bowman Avenues will receive facelifts. Plans to accommodate the parking needs of employees, visitors and residents continue to evolve as traffic patterns created by the new developments begin to crystalize.

    And then there are the jobs. Construction of the projects will create scores of jobs over the next few years, followed by hundreds of more permanent positions as restaurant and retail projects come online.

    By all accounts, the jewel that is the heart of Las Cruces is on its way to shining brighter than ever.

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      Gary Sandler