Residents near Tiguex Park want the city to address the state of disarray the once-popular park has fallen into recently.
“It changes the environment. It changes it from a space for kids to something else,” Albuquerque resident, Julia Herndon, told KRQE.
The park is located near Old Town, an area frequented by tourists, who might leave with a bad impression based on the park’s lack of upkeep. It’s also less attractive to children, who could benefit from an open space.
“It’s a little bit disheartening,” Herndon said. “When I was a kid, everything was totally operational. Obviously, the water fountains were working. Everything was really lush, and people were coming here a lot.”
The playground, according to KRQE, is especially horrid. It's coned off, boarded up, and covered in graffiti, per KRQE. Visitors said they have contacted the city about the bad state of the playground, saying it has been attracting mischief for at least four months.
“This is supposed to be a spot that drives our economy, and then you see the park, which is a real symbol of the city, and not a money maker,” Herndon said. “(The playground) being so neglected shows skewed priorities.”
The water fountain stopped working about six months ago and is inoperable during these hot summer months. “Getting a drink of water is important for all children and for city leaders to ignore that is disgraceful,” resident Dave Schmidt told KRQE. “The maintenance people such as the fountain behind you and trying to fix the fountain have been less than diligent.”
A city Parks and Recreation spokesperson during the spring employees found the fountain needed a large hole repaired. The Parks and Rec Department said parts have been ordered to fix the playground and drinking fountain, but supply chain issues have caused repeated delays.“It’s a hazard,” Schmidt said.
The city said the repairs would be made over the next few weeks.