The city of Albuquerque is planning to use new legislation to redevelop property along Menaul Boulevard and revitalize an area that has seen better days.
The area is now dominated by boarded-up buildings, many with holes and trash. There is also evidence of heavy drug use and crime in the area.
“We went up to the state Legislature and passed a law that sort of triples down on the amount of financial incentives that people can get,” Mayor Tim Keller said at a recent press conference, according to KOB 4 News. “It allows them to draw more tax revenue to use for development.”
The long-range plan for the area includes redeveloping hotels and motels into housing, adding electric vehicle charging stations and constructing a visitors center.
For current business owners in the area, the redevelopment plan can’t come soon enough. Not only is the area an eyesore, but crime has also become a huge problem, as it has for many business owners throughout the city.
Michael Kitt, an employee at 88 Keys -- one of only two piano stores in New Mexico -- said his business has been broken into three times in just the past couple of years, forcing him to see potential customers by appointment only. Otherwise, the doors are closed and locked most of the day.
“One hundred percent of the reason is criminality,” Kitt told KOB 4 News. “Then the No. 2 problem around here is drug use.”
Kitt said the 88 Keys parking lot was once covered with needles. Now it’s littered with foil.
“That is from the fentanyl,” Kitt said, according to KOB 4 News. “That’s the drug of choice nowadays, and that makes the people absolutely crazy.”
The Range Cafe endured 10 burglaries in recent years before its owners closed the Menaul location after 17 years in business. Ramifications from the COVID-19 pandemic, the building’s condition and crime in the area led to the decision to close. The abandoned restaurant served as the backdrop at Keller's press conference.
“This is the most powerful tool the city of Albuquerque has for development,” the mayor said, citing legislative funding.