Developers seek key to the ‘heart of Las Cruces’
By Alta LeCompte
Las Cruces Bulletin
Architect Steve Newby, Eddie Martinez of Zia Engineering, and developers Bob Pofahl and Doug Wright spread architectural drawings across a conference table.
The men, who make up the core team of the Las Cruces Community Partners (LCCP) talked square feet, completion dates and project timelines — until Martinez looked up and smiled.
“Mi Corizon,” he said softly.
Downtown, the heart of Las Cruces, is personal to Martinez, who has moved his office to the neighborhood.
It’s Mi Corizon — not any corizon.
“We’re all so extremely excited seeing what’s happening Downtown,” Martinez said. “I worked Downtown in the ‘80s — to see it coming back to life and the synergy occurring now…” Martinez’s firm, Zia Engineering, is now headquartered in the Bank of the West building, which the LCCP is renovating.
Bank of the West offices have moved into a renovated section of the first floor and the developers
are talking with potential restaurant and retail businesses about setting up operations in the remaining first floor space.
Zia and other professional firms lease second and third floor office space.
Heart of the city
Like many cities fractured by the well-intentioned urban renewal of previous decades, Las Cruces’ heart had been broken. But healing has begun with the restoration of two-way traffic on Main Street and construction by LCCP of the Las Cruces Civic Plaza on Main Street that will be dedicated 2 p.m. Sept. 17.
The plaza, Martinez said, has been a “huge catalyst” for the revitalization of Downtown Las Cruces.
The hearts of many cities remain broken, Wright commented. Downtown neighborhoods are caught in a seemingly endless chicken and egg cycle in which retailers won’t move downtown unless people live there and people won’t move downtown if no services are available.
The partners of LCCP believe they have found a way to interrupt that cycle: simultaneously building apartments and bringing in eateries and other services to attract millennial residents.
“We’re trying to make these things happen simultaneously,” Wright said, “to make it work.”
LCCP currently has 16 Downtown projects in the pipeline, Pofahl said.
LCCP forms a special entity for each project and investors are recruited for each.
Focus on Downtown living
The partners have leased with the option to purchase from the City of Las Cruces the El Paso Electric parking lot property at the intersection of Water Street and Griggs Avenue.
Newby said the partners plan to build multi-family community of studio, oneand two-bedroom units — mostly studio and one bedroom — designed to appeal to millenials and young professionals.
Andy Hume, City of Las Cruces Downtown coordinator who serves as a liaison with City departments, said the project will be the first to be undertaken in compliance with the city’s new Downtown zoning code that encourages multi-use development.
The first floor of the proposed 80-unit apartment complex will likely be small retail establishments, Newby said.
The top floor will be a 3,000 square foot club house — a gathering place with a view of the Organ Mountains.
The aim is to start construction early in spring of 2017.
LCCP plans to build some 50 or 60 additional units each year for the next five years on sites currently under option agreements, Pofahl said. The sites are scattered throughout Downtown.
Each apartment complex would house a unique amenity, such as the club house, a fitness center or a pool. Residents of all the buildings would have access to the unique amenity of all the other buildings.
“You need to have an apartment community with quality amenities,” Pofahl said. “Millenials look to sleep in their apartments and live in the community.”
Brewery, café to open Downtown
The community LCCP envisions will begin with the renovation 201 N. Main St., the former Camunez building as a hub of activity.
“One of the things research identified was the need for additional restaurant and café space Downtown,” Martinez said.
Roadrunner Brew House and the Plaza Café and Deli will occupy the space. The café will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Martinez said 201 N. Main St. will open to the placita with seating for 75 indoors and 72 outside.
He said design plans are currently being finalized.
Pofahl said the hope is to begin renovations in October.
“We hope to open by the end of the year or the first of next year,” Pofahl said. “Part of the goal is to get millenials to live Downtown and bring life to Downtown.”
Hume said the majority of previous Downtown revitalization work was carried by the City, which worked on infrastructure.
“It is not the role of City to do projects,” he said. “There is a good separation of roles. While the city does public infrastructure, private investment is coming on board now and we will start to see the vision City Council had 12 years ago really take shape.”
Alta LeCompte can be reached at lecompte. alta@gmail.com or 575-343-7478.