Mayor Keller and Community Leaders Announce Installation of New Street Lights in Wells Park, Release Report on Additional Investments

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, Mayor Tim Keller and Wells Park community leaders announced major improvements to street lighting and sidewalk accessibility in the Wells Park Neighborhood. The Keller Administration introduced a report to City Council yesterday on the City’s ongoing work with the community to address a range of priorities including safety and health improvements to Coronado Park and additional APD bike patrol units for the neighborhood.

The Department of Municipal Development (DMD) recently completed a survey of the Wells Park Neighborhood and identified significant deficiencies in street lighting and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) sidewalk compliance. Now, a $4 million investment will add 52 new streetlights, installed by Dalkia Energy Solutions, and bring thousands of feet of sidewalk and curb ramps into ADA compliance.

“This is about hearing the needs in the community and working together to address them,” said Mayor Keller. “Today, we’re taking a big step forward in Wells Park with a $4 million investment in well-lit streets that are accessible for all and our work continues from there. The Wells Park Neighborhood Report is an excellent model for the collaborative process of identifying and addressing community priorities.”

These lighting and ADA improvements are included in Wells Park Neighborhood report that outlines completed and ongoing projects that the City and neighborhood are undertaking alongside the creation of the new Hope Village supportive housing units.

The report details projects in the neighborhood including:

• The acquisition of the 2.2-acre Walker Property, and earmarking $4 million in the 2021 GO Bond to create a new park in the neighborhood. Planning and design in collaboration with residents is underway.
• At Coronado Park; the installation of a portable restroom and hand wash station, new lights, fencing, and sidewalk. A program to regularly clean the park, pick up debris left by encampments, and conduct outreach to unhoused individuals living in the park.
• Providing a prompt and coordinated response to encampments on public property, led by FCS.
• New APD bike patrol units for the Wells Park neighborhood.
• An APD Crime Prevention review of Coronado Park with a corrective action plan being implemented.
• Providing portable public restrooms at four locations in the neighborhood in addition to Coronado Park.
• Addition of a sharps container at the Wells Park Community center, and training for staff on safe needle pick-up and disposal.
• Continuing support for HopeWorks’ “Street Sweeper” program, which employs individuals to conduct regular clean up on neighborhood streets, sidewalks, and public rights-of-way.

These infrastructure, safety, and environmental health priorities were identified by community members through neighborhood meetings and meetings of the Neighborhood Impacts Working Group and Homelessness Services System Committee. They were included in Council Resolution R-18-59 and in the Good Neighbor Agreement that the City facilitated between the Wells Park community and HopeWorks, who will be operating Hope Village.

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