By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – After serving Albuquerque for decades as a gathering place for community events, fundraisers and professional wrestling shows, the former New Mexico Shriners property in Albuquerque’s International District is entering a new chapter.
The City of Albuquerque has purchased the property at 6600 Zuni Rd. SE and has already issued a request for proposals seeking nonprofit developers to build between 40 and 100 affordable rental units on the site. City leaders also hope to repurpose the existing building into a community resource center while preserving the structure.
The sale also marks a major transition for the New Mexico Shriners and organizations like Phase 1 Pro Wrestling, which recently announced it would cancel its Aug. 28 show after losing its venue.
For the Shriners, however, Recorder P.P. Blair Kaufman explains that the decision to sell came down to changing membership and the rising cost of maintaining a large facility. “We’ve been in this location since about 1964,” says Kaufman. “Organizations such as ours are not growing like they had at one time.”
Kaufman emphasizes that New Mexico’s Shriners membership has dropped from roughly 1,500 members years ago to just over 450 today, making it increasingly difficult to justify operating the property. “The need to move really comes from the fact that we have far fewer members than we have ever had,” says Kaufman.
Although the organization is leaving its longtime headquarters, Kaufman emphasizes that its mission will remain unchanged.
The New Mexico Shriners are part of Shriners International, a Masonic fraternity that supports a network of children’s hospitals across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The organization helps cover medical care, transportation and lodging for children needing specialized treatment.
“We have a separate hospital fund, and we will continue to be able to send our children,” says Kaufman. “We are looking to have a new home here somewhere in Albuquerque.”
While the organization is still searching for a new location, Kaufman explains that members are currently packing the building and moving materials into storage before the sale is finalized.
Rather than expressing disappointment over the property’s future, Kaufman welcomed the city’s plans. “That’s wonderful,” says Kaufman when asked about the affordable housing development. “I’m pleased that it’s going to be used to support the International District.”
For District 6 City Councilor Nichole Rogers, whose district includes the property, the purchase represents an opportunity to tackle one of Albuquerque’s most pressing needs.
Rogers explains that the city had been searching for available land in District 6 but found few options. “When the Shriners decided they were going to sell, I thought that was a perfect space,” says Rogers. “It actually helped me accomplish two things at once, or maybe three at once.”
According to Rogers, the property provides enough vacant land for housing while the existing building can serve future community programs.
Rogers says the city moved unusually quickly, securing state funding, acquiring the property and releasing the request for proposals within just a few months. “We did it in record time,” says Rogers. “I’m really proud of the work that I did leading the mayor’s team on how to get this done quickly.”
Developers have until Sept. 30 to submit proposals. Rogers hopes the project can become a model for speeding up affordable housing development in Albuquerque. “My goal is to show that government can move quickly when we normally don’t,” says Rogers.
Beyond housing, Rogers explains that she envisions keeping the existing building and transforming it into a community hub that could include financial empowerment services, a commercial community kitchen and space for neighborhood events. “It has great bones,” says Rogers. “It’s a great building.”
Not everyone affected by the sale, however, is looking toward redevelopment.
For Kevin Keeffe, co-founder and booker of Phase 1 Pro Wrestling, the Shriners building had become an ideal home for the independent wrestling promotion.
Keeffe emphasizes the company first heard rumors of the sale before learning more concrete details shortly after one of its June shows. “It was sort of out of left field,” says Keeffe. “I sort of felt like we were going to be okay for finishing out our events through 2026.”
Instead, the promotion was forced to cancel its Aug. 28 event and begin searching for another venue. In a statement posted to Facebook, Phase 1 Pro told fans it had “lost our current venue” and announced the cancellation while promising to continue searching for a new home.
Keeffe explains that the building offered several advantages that are difficult to replace. “It had such a cool aesthetic to it,” says Keeffee, noting the church-turned-Shriners hall featured a distinctive roofline, high ceilings, backstage space and an existing liquor license that made it especially well suited for wrestling events.
Finding another venue with similar features has proven difficult. “The biggest things, are the two logistical questions of finding a place that has a ceiling height,” says Keeffe. “And then is there the ability to sell alcohol here?”
Keeffe adds that Albuquerque already has relatively few venues capable of hosting independent wrestling. “It’s just another venue that is no longer open to the general public,” says Keeffe.
Although disappointed, Keeffe says he supports the broader goal of providing affordable housing. “I hope the folks that benefit from the affordable housing. It’s awesome and it’s a great leg up,” says Keeffe. “But it is sad just in the sense of Albuquerque being limited in their venue space.”
As one chapter closes at the former Shriners property, each group is preparing for a different future. The Shriners are searching for a new headquarters while continuing their charitable mission. Phase 1 Pro is looking for a venue where it can once again bring wrestling fans together. And the city is moving ahead with plans it hopes will provide affordable housing and expanded community services for generations to come.