EDo News & Views

Michael Armijo
   Southwest Securities
John Chavez
   New Mexico Angels
Moises Gonzalez
   Huning Highlands
Lauren Greene
   The Grove Café & Market
Sarah Hartford
   Hartford Square Cafe
Terry Keene
   Artichoke Café
Jim Maddox
   Maddox Properties
Randi McGinn
   McGinn, Carpenter, Montoya
   and Love, P.A.
Bevin Owens
   Compass Companies

Huning Highland Neighborhood Association

Board of Directors

President

Bonnie Anderson

Vice President

Moises Gonzales

Secretary

Kathy Grassel

Treasurer

Ann Carson

Members

Greg Bloom
Joe Boyd
Zoey Fink
Steve Grant
Elaine McGivern
Greg & Joni Neutra
Lee Spittler
Karla Thornton
Salley Trefethen

Jeff Speck Presents "Toward a More Walkable Albuquerque"

You heard him on "why walkability?" last August. You heard him on "how walkability?" this past March. Now, on Thursday, July 31st, Jeff returns to The Duke City with specific recommendations on "how walkability?" in our Downtown.
Free and open to the public. Albuquerque Convention Center (401 2nd Street NW), Ballroom B, 6:00 PM. Hope to see all of our readers there!

No Subway Drive-Through in EDo

     Subway's application for a drive-through restaurant at Central & Edith (former Pop N Taco) was denied by the Zoning Hearing Examiner and the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the City Council (following the recommendation of their Land Use Hearing Officer) chose not to reverse those denials.
     Both the EDo Neighborhood Association and the Huning Highland Historic District Association are opposed to drive-through facilities in our neighborhood, and are very pleased with this wise policy decision by our elected officials.
     So what does the neighborhood want? The EDo Master Plan zoning allows for a 3- or 4-story mixed-use building on that site, with businesses and housing. They would love to see such a building constructed! Word on the street has it that the Wells Fargo Trust Department, responsible for the site, is in discussions with a developer to do just that.

UNM Purchases First Baptist Church Site

     With assistance from the City, County, and New Mexico Educators Credit Union, UNM has closed their purchase of the 4 city block former First Baptist Church at Central & Broadway.
     The site was acquired for the purpose of making the innovation center "Innovate ABQ" a reality. Across the USA, innovative entrepreneurs and their companies are clustering around "walkable urbanism," the "live-work-walk-shop-play" model that is the heart and soul of the EDo Master Plan.
     It is our understanding that UNM plans to repurpose the existing church buildings at the SE part of the site - technology incubator space, apartments, and a conference center have been mentioned in the "buzz" about the project. A Master Plan effort is forthcoming.
     We welcome UNM to EDo, and look forward to a long and productive neighborhood partnership!

Bus Rapid Transit and Complete Streets in EDo - We Can Have Both

     Great neighborhoods have great streets. Great streets are comfortable, interesting, safe, and convenient. They "put the pedestrian first" while accommodating vehicle traffic at safe, efficient speeds. They allow residents, businesses, and visitors to "park once and walk."
     Central and Broadway in EDo are not great streets - but they could be, as shown in the EDo Master Plan.
     The Mayor and ABQ Ride have announced plans to bring Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to Albuquerque, with Central Avenue getting most of the attention. The EDo Neighborhood Association supports BRT, but is concerned that the BRT design (which we have not seen) could overwhelm Central in EDo, resulting in an "incomplete street."

Read our letter to the Mayor...

Development of Parking Lot at First & Central

ENV is pleased to see that the City (who owns the parking lot) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop the property.   The RFP states that the goals of the redevelopment are "premier entertainment hub, vitality, quality design, catalytic economic redevelopment, and experience." Proposals are due on November 7th.
     We would remind our readers that the Alvardo Transportation District Master Plan from 1999 (produced and managed by HDIC in a development agreement with the City) made "entertainment" as its top priority. With all due respect, we do not think that priority led to good results Downtown over the past decade and a half.
     It was only the housing efforts of the past few years by Jonathan Rose and Romero Rose (Silver Gardens, Casitas de Colores), in concert with HDIC and the City, that have brought a sense of vitality and "eyes on the street" to 2nd Street Downtown.
     More housing, please!

516 ARTS Awarded $100,000 Andy Warhol Foundation Grant

Downtown's 516 ARTS will receive $50,000 per year for two years from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, based in New York.
     The foundation's primary emphasis is supporting contemporary visual art, particularly work that is experimental, under-recognized, or challenging in nature.
     516 ARTS Executive Director Suzanne Sbarge says "This multi-year grant is not only a tremendous help financially to our small non-profit organization, but it is also a wonderful endorsement of our work and mission."
     We congratulate the Staff and the Board of 516 ARTS, and thank them for being a Downtown organization!

FatPipe to Host ABQ's First 1 Million Cups Event

     Per Albuquerque Business First, Albuquerque will be the 50th city to join the 1 Million Cups family when the event launches in Albuquerque on August 6th.
     Supported by the Kauffman Foundation, the 1 Million Cups events are weekly gatherings of startups during which two entrepreneurs present their companies and field questions for 20 minutes.
     The first event will be at FatPipe ABQ, 200 Broadway NE on the historic Albuquerque High Campus in EDo, on August 6th from 9 to 10 a.m.

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The views expressed in this e-publication are strictly those of the editor and publisher, and not those of any official organization or group, unless otherwise noted.