From blight to bling

The Nob Hill neighborhood will see a marked improvement in the streetscape after Bernalillo County Commissioners voted to approve financial incentives that will mean the replacement of an abandoned motel with a new boutique hotel.

A 112-room Tribute by Marriott Hotel is planned for the property at Central Avenue and Bryn Mawr Drive.

Commissioners approved $34 million in industrial revenue bonds for the project, along with property tax exemptions for a term of 25 years.

Construction is expected to start in early 2026 and take a little over a year.

Marcos Gonzales, the county’s executive development officer, said the hotel will provide 84 new jobs, including 16 full-time positions (another 168 construction jobs are attached to the project). He told commissioners the business and neighborhood associations, along with Nob Hill Main Street, have been consulted and supported the project.

“(They’re) happy to see that the area is going to be revitalized, and that new people will be attracted to the Nob Hill area and spend money,” Gonzales said.

Commission Chair Eric Olivas compared the development favorably with the Hiway House Motel it replaces.

“If you think about what was there before, it was a building that had caught on fire multiple times,” he said. “It was really an eyesore in one of the most popular and vibrant districts of the city, and now you have a brand new boutique hotel there.”

Commission vice chair Adriann Barboa said the project is needed for an area that has seen several businesses close and needs an infusion of new guests, despite its reputation as a “fun” area.

Olivas said the project has the potential to boost the economy in Nob Hill by drawing tourists who will visit the nearby small business district. He said the Hotel Zazz, a few blocks down Central, has shown that a boutique hotel can work in Nob Hill and is one of the most popular places in the city.

“Now, Oregon’s not the only state that has cute, fancy things,” Barboa added.

County staff say the new hotel will draw tens of thousands of guests each year, with thousands of people also patronizing the property’s restaurant and bar.

Commissioners also approved a pair of project revenue bond awards related to increasing local affordable housing supply.

Chelsea Investment Corp. was cleared for $28.9 to build West Mesa Ridge A at 707 Coors Blvd. NW. Construction on the 128-unit complex starts in July, according to the meeting agenda.

Also authorized was the issuance of $4.8 million in bonds for the renovation of Encino Senior Gardens, 412 Alvarado Drive SE. Encino Development & Management Inc. plans interior and exterior upgrades to the 165-unit senior affordable housing complex, which was built in 1978.