The long-time county manager Julie Morgas Baca will leave her position on June 28, the end of Bernalillo County’s fiscal year. Morgas Baca was appointed as county manager in 2015. Prior to that, she was president and CEO of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation from 2013 to 2015 and the deputy county manager for […]
Housing & Homelessness
How many stay in Albuquerque shelters every night?
Albuquerque’s efforts to end homelessness isn’t a one person or one department affair. The project involves those in city departments, outside agencies, nonprofits, emergency shelters, day shelters, street outreach, housing, volunteerism and public policy work. It’s a tree with multiple roots and branches that can be confusing for a public eager for straightforward information. The […]
North Valley senior housing to see $600K upgrade
The City of Albuquerque is serving up a $600,000 assist to the North Valley senior housing community known as 1212 Candelaria, located near Candelaria Road and 12th street. Officials said the affordable housing project is scheduled for an installation of new water main lines that will service all 50 households occupied by low-income elderly and […]
Route 66 Visitor Center gifted to City of Albuquerque
Albuquerque received a $13.7 million dollar gift from Bernalillo County in the form of the Route 66 Visitor Center. Bernalillo County Commissioners voted unanimously to transfer ownership and responsibility of the visitor center to the city at their meeting held Feb. 20. Commissioners also gave funding to Serenity Mesa to help teens who need detox […]
Youth detox, homelessness initiatives pick up new funds
Bernalillo County Commissioners have approved a three year, $3.5 million contract with Serenity Mesa Recovery Center as part of its Behavioral Health Initiative (BHI). The initiative passed at its regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 20. The city of Albuquerque contributed $930,000 of the funds. Serenity Mesa is a youth detoxification center on Albuquerque’s Southwest Mesa. The […]
Money flows from county coffers
Bernalillo County has millions of dollars waiting for commissioners to spread around when they meet up on Tuesday Feb. 20, for their regular meeting. Commissioners will also hear reports from the University of New Mexico Hospital and from UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research on the impact of the sprawling Santolina Development planned for […]
Downtown Albuquerque: Reboot
Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a series titled Downtown Albuquerque Reboot, about the city’s center, its challenges and the plans to address them. Read about vacant buildings here, peruse a photo essay about lowriders here, read about crime here and end with what the area has to offer here. Big front porches […]
City-owned Los Altos Lofts marks a housing first
The conversion of hotels and motels into housing is not a new concept in U.S. cities — Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Denver and Austin have done it — but Albuquerque’s latest project is a distinctive one. Los Altos Lofts, located at 10330 Hotel Ave. NE, is the first hotel-to-apartment conversion and renovation that’s owned and overseen […]
New police oversight board meets after year hiatus
After more than a year, the city’s Civilian Police Oversight Advisory Board met Feb. 8 to get organized on how to go about clearing a backlog of more than 82 civilian complaints against the Albuquerque Police Department. This was their first meeting in more than a year after city councilors did a major revamp of […]
Safe spaces equal safe schools
These days, creating safe spaces in our schools is becoming as important as creating safe schools. Not all on board Some parents at Double Eagle Elementary in Albuquerque are upset at the signage in the school designating where the Safe Zone space is. Specifically, the Pride flag signage. But APS doesn’t have any rules regarding […]