New Plaza at the Rail Yard Builds Momentum for Revitalizing Historic Space
October 21, 2019
Today, Mayor Tim Keller announced that the Albuquerque Rail Yards has activated a new, redeveloped outdoor plaza to serve as a community gathering space. Landscape construction crews transformed an area between the Flue Shop, Tender Repair Shop and Boiler Shop at the Rail Yards into beautiful plaza, continuing the momentum of redeveloping the historic site.
“The Rail Yard redevelopment is on track, bringing our community together and gearing up to help invigorate our local economy,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The new Plaza at the Rail Yards will serve as a gathering space for many of Albuquerque’s future events. We’re partnering with the State on environmental remediation, working with CNM to bring a film school here, and creating more spaces like these to support events like the Rail Yards Market. One step at a time, we’re gaining steam to meet the community’s needs and bring this one-of-a-kind site back to life.”
The new plaza lies where the former North Wash Room and Sheet Metal Shop once stood. Those buildings were marked dilapidated and unsafe by the City in 2014 and were demolished, while materials that could be salvaged were preserved. The new plaza features new concrete pads for food trucks fully wired to provide power to users, new lighting, grass areas with irrigation and landscaped planters. Additionally, a new lighted parking lot was paved to accommodate up to 200 vehicles to park on site easing the burden on neighborhood streets.
Paying homage to the site’s former use as a rail facility, designers worked to integrate existing rail tracks into the plaza. The City contracted with local landscape architecture firm MRWM to design the project and local landscape construction company Lee Landscapes to complete the construction work.
Mayor Keller will join City Councilors, state legislators, representatives from the State of New Mexico and CNM, as well as local neighborhood leaders to celebrate the grand opening of the new plaza on November 2, 2019 from 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm with remarks beginning at 1:00 pm.The public is invited to join the opening which will feature food trucks, local music, and more.
The State of New Mexico has invested in the environmental remediation and redevelopment of the Rail Yard, an important historic center of economic activity that has the potential to once again become a prominent public space.
The plaza project was funded by General Obligation (G.O.) Bonds. This fall, voters will have the opportunity to further support efforts at the Rail Yards as the City is asking voters to approve $5.5 million to continue work at the site.