The city of Albuquerque is considering purchasing the Franklin Plaza at Central Avenue and Juan Tabo Boulevard if a suitable price can be worked out.
The shopping center has been abandoned for nearly two decades. While being boarded up, the building has become rundown, an eyesore and a hotbed for criminal activity.
Albuquerque City Councilor Renée Grout is urging the city to purchase the plaza and redevelop it into something that can benefit the area.
“Right now we are waiting to hear about the results from the environmental study that was done on the property,” she told KRQE. “There was a dry cleaners back in the day. We got to see what that’s like.”
Potential plans for redevelopment include urgent care, restaurants, stores and affordable housing.
“We would like to have the new fire station, Fire Station 12, to be built on the north three acres, and then the remaining seven acres would be redeveloped,” Grout said.
The city is hoping that redeveloping the area will help lower criminal activity and fires in the area.
“I know that the property has had its share of nonsense,” Grout said. “And I think that we need to bring back businesses and bring back development and run out the nonsense.”
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has made revitalizing rundown buildings along Central Avenue a talking point since 2018. Redeveloping a rundown, boarded-up Franklin Plaza would be a major accomplishment in that agenda, which has been a slow-moving process.
The East Central property has seen much better times. It was the site for films such as “Army of the Dead,” and the Tom Hanks movie “Finch.”
Grout said her office is accepting suggestions from anyone who has ideas about developing the property. The city will consider those suggestions as it negotiates with the owner on a price.