By Rodd Cayton, City Desk ABQ
Several local and state officials set out Tuesday evening to convince community members that their voices will be heard as a possible redevelopment of Expo New Mexico moves forward.
The sometimes-raucus assembly of stakeholders expressed skepticism of those assurances and fear of what they thought might be the fate of the 236-acre site, which boasts the New Mexico State Fair.
The public informational meeting hosted by Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa and the county’s economic development department comes as commissioners consider creating a special tax district centered on the fairgrounds. That action would be the first step toward an eventual redevelopment.
The State of New Mexico owns the property and would have to approve companion legislation for the project to move forward.
A tax increment development district (TIDD) is a special zone in which new development would be financed in part by bonds against future tax revenue collected within its boundaries. Marcos Gonzales, the county’s executive development officer, said any revenue above the 2024 base would be used to pay off the bond debt.
The Downs Racetrack & Casino would not be included in the TIDD, and would not receive any public infrastructure improvements.
County commissioners will vote March 11 on approving formation of the TIDD. State agencies including the New Mexico Finance Authority, the New Mexico State Board of Finance and the Legislative Finance Committee would also need to sign off.
Martin Chávez, a former mayor of Albuquerque and a current senior advisor for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, said no decision has been made regarding the disposition of the site. He said moving the fair is on the table, as is keeping it in place and attempting to revitalize the property.
Many of those in the African American Pavilion, which was filled to standing room only, were vocal in their opposition to moving the fair, jeering as Chávez explained what the governor wanted him to do — find a suitable future for the fairgrounds.
“Look, what’s going on in the southeast part of Albuquerque is not sustainable,” he said, citing unfavorable crime statistics. “We have to do something to rescue our community now.”
Derek Matthews, founder of the Gathering of Nations, said the annual tribal powwow brings $1 million or more into the fairgrounds each year, emphasizing that it’s not just money that’s recycled through the community.
“We bring the world to your neighborhood, and that needs to stay,” Matthews said.
Paul Chavez, founder and executive director of State of the Heart Recovery Inc., said the tangible frustration of many in the audience stemmed from a lack of trust in political entities. He was among several speakers who urged state and local officials to turn their attention toward substance use, mental health and homelessness, which are problems along a nearby stretch of Central Avenue and spill over into neighborhoods near the fairgrounds.
Gov. Lujan Grisham had previously announced a request for proposals (RFP), which had drawn some responses. That request was canceled earlier Wednesday at the request of Expo New Mexico, according to Anna Silva, acting cabinet secretary for the General Services Department.
Silva said her department next week will issue another RFP seeking a contractor to create a master plan for the site. She said that process would take six to eight months and that stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to provide input.
Barboa said a decision not to move the fair could still lead to beneficial investment in the area.
“When we say we want preservation of a flea market, let’s put some of that money into making a really awesome flea market,” she said.
Area resident Zia Martinez, challenged her neighbors to come up with solutions that will lead to greater investment.
“How are we going to create sustainable situations for us? Because they’re here to give us a voice,” she said. It’s probably going to happen. What do we need, right? And how can we make it happen?”
Barboa after the meeting called the evening a success, as her goals were to share information with a lot of people and get feedback.
“It doesn’t bother me that people have a whole range of opinions,” she said. “I relate to many of them. I expected people to be passionate, and at times angry.”