D’Val Westphal, Executive Vice President of Policy and Programs for the Chamber of Commerce, said that SB 169 aims to accelerate the preparation of sites for business development to enhance New Mexico’s competitiveness. The statement was made during the Legislative RoundUp on February 18.
"Reducing the amount of time businesses must wait for their site to be ready for building," said Westphal. "Right now we have very little inventory for medium- to large-scale commercial, industrial or other uses. And these sites can take anywhere from two to four years or longer to prepare utilities."
SB 169, known as the Strategic Economic Development Site Readiness Bill, was introduced in the New Mexico Senate in 2025. It seeks to address the state's shortage of prepared commercial and industrial development sites by creating a proactive inventory of sites with utilities and infrastructure in place. This initiative is intended to reduce preparation times, which currently range from two to four years. The bill passed a Senate committee with unanimous support, indicating strong initial backing for efforts to boost the state's economic competitiveness.
According to a 2024 report by Site Selection Group, New Mexico faces a significant shortage of shovel-ready sites for medium- to large-scale projects. Preparation times often extend beyond two years, putting the state at a disadvantage compared to others like Texas and Arizona that have more streamlined site development processes. States with readily available industrial sites reportedly attract 40% more corporate investment than those without.
Greater Albuquerque's industrial vacancy rate stood at 2.7% in Q2 2024, significantly below the national average of 6.5%, highlighting a scarcity of industrial space. In 2023, approximately 80% of active opportunities were industrial projects requiring substantial space; however, the region trails behind its peers in inventory availability. SB 169 aims to remedy this by establishing certified sites akin to Tennessee's program, which generated $3.78 billion in investment according to an AREA report.
Westphal has been serving as Executive Vice President of Policy and Programs at the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce since August 2023. Prior to this role, she spent 34 years as Editorial Page Editor at the Albuquerque Journal until August 2023. She holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of New Mexico and a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Arizona.
