Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department will turn more than 20 acres of property along The Bosque into a low-impact recreation area with a trail corridor, making it more publicly accessible, while protecting the ecology of the site.

Mary Sanchez, who lives in Albuquerque and walks by the open space every day, is among those applauding the decision. 

“Everybody wanted it as a space, and we have a lot of houses already,” she told KRQE News. “I know that everybody hangs around over there where The Bosque is. You’d be surprised how many people and animals are there.”

The city of Albuquerque purchased the 23-acre Poole property for almost $7 million in March 2021. The property borders The Bosque at the city’s San Antonio Oxbow wetlands, south of Montano. It was originally slated to become a subdivision, but after conducting walking tours, surveys and listening to community input, the city opted for an open-space project.

The tentative design includes adding picnic tables, trail connections and addressing some of the drainage issues off Namaste Road.

Albuquerque’s Open Space Superintendent Collen McRoberts told KRQE, “The other thing we’ve talked about is having facilities like restrooms, having a lot of educational, interpretive signage and having an outdoor gathering area where people can gather in shade with the beautiful views to learn about this important place.”

The project continues to be revised to utilize the Oxbow Bluffs property and ultimately needs approval from the Open Space Advisory Board and the Environmental Planning Commission.

“The Oxbow Bluffs property is still fenced off,” McRoberts said, according to KRQE News. “In the future, when we have that open, people will be able to park there, access a new trail system, see these beautiful views, go to the gathering areas, and just really enjoy this beautiful new open space that was supported by everyone in our community.”

No word yet on the cost of the San Antonio Oxbow Bluffs project. The city is hoping to get started on it next year.