Work Begins on Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway

ALBUQUERQUE – Today the City broke ground on the Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway, an innovative project that will transform a neglected arroyo corridor into a vibrant community greenway, expanding access to parks and open space while creating safer options for walking, biking, and enjoying the outdoors.

Located between University Boulevard and Buena Vista Drive, the greenway will connect the Clayton Heights neighborhood with nearby businesses, Central New Mexico Community College, the University of New Mexico, and surrounding destinations through a multiuse trail. Located adjacent to Lowell Elementary School, the greenway will also provide safer access for students, families, and nearby residents.

“Great neighborhoods are connected neighborhoods,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway turns an overlooked space into something beautiful and useful.”

“UNM is proud to partner with the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County to bring this new Linear Park to life. It’s a lasting example of what we can accomplish together through the South Campus Tax Increment Development District, creating welcoming public spaces that strengthen our community,” said Teresa Costantinidis, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration at UNM.

As an innovative linear park, the Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway supports the national 10-Minute Walk initiative, which promotes equitable access to parks, trails, and open space within a half-mile of every home. Today more than 90% of Albuquerque residents already live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and projects like the Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway build on that success by expanding access in neighborhoods where new connections can make the greatest impact.

Construction begins this month with phase 1, which includes site preparation, grading, fencing, drainage improvements, and construction of the paved east-west multiuse trail connecting University Boulevard SE to Buena Vista Drive SE. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in late summer. Immediately afterward, phase 2 will begin with irrigation, native seeding, landscaping, and the planting of approximately 200 trees, further expanding Albuquerque’s urban canopy and restoring the corridor as a greener, healthier public space.

In addition to the multiuse trail, future phases of the project will feature a bicycle pump track, traffic garden, shade shelters, and improvements to the neighborhood pocket park at the southwest corner of Ash and Vail Place SE, which will be enhanced in coordination with the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA). Construction will occur concurrently with the Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway using the same contractor and will include removing existing pavement and adding trees and shrubs, enhancements residents have identified as long-standing priorities.

“This project creates more opportunities for people to get outside and immerse in their community,” said Parks & Recreation Department Deputy Director David Flores. “It offers safer routes for walking and biking, expands access to parks, and will serve residents for generations.”

The Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway is made possible through a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources, including multiple state capital outlay appropriations championed by Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez and Representatives Andrés Romero, Eleanor Chávez Chasey, and Marianna Anaya to support improvements in the Clayton Heights neighborhood. Additional funding comes from a federal Urban and Community Forestry grant supporting large-scale tree planting and environmental restoration, as well as New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Trails+ funding for trail development and recreational infrastructure.

“I'm so excited to see these capital outlay funds create a beautiful green space in an area of the city that really needs it,” said State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez. “This space furthers the goal of creating more safe green spaces for youth!”

“For years, people have talked about the potential of this part of Albuquerque. Today, we’re putting that potential into action. Geneva Arroyo is more than a drainage project…it’s a critical piece of the walkable network connecting Clayton Heights to the exciting new South Campus and Lobo Crossing development,” said City Councilor Nichole Rogers. “The tide is turning in District 6, and we’re making sure our residents are connected every step of the way.”

Once complete, the Geneiva’s Arroyo Greenway will better connect neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and parks while creating new options for recreation, sustainable transportation, and community gathering. The project reflects the City’s continued commitment to investing in every part of Albuquerque and giving residents high-quality outdoor spaces close to home.