Journal Center grows into live, work, and play oasis

The Journal Center has become an up-and-coming area of shopping, businesses, and now, apartment-living, but it wasn’t something that just happened.

This was years in the making.

The Albuquerque Journal, the largest newspaper in New Mexico, has roots dating back centuries. In the fall of 1880, following the death of The Golden Gate's owner, the Journal Publishing Company was established and took control of the paper, renaming it the Albuquerque Daily Journal, though it has simply been called The Albuquerque Journal since 1925.

Almost a century into its inception, The Journal decided to relocate its operations from downtown Albuquerque to a new location central to the city's future growth in the late 1970s. Around the same time, the Journal family also expanded into real estate development.

These decisions resulted in the creation of Journal Center Corporation and the development of The Journal Center in Northeast Albuquerque on the North I-25 corridor.

"The potential for growth in Albuquerque was clear, and it was important to think beyond just the newspaper," said Chairman and CEO of the Journal Center Corporation Lowell A. Hare. "This wasn’t just about moving operations; it was about shaping the future of the community."

The Journal Center is now home to many local, regional and national businesses, including apartments, banking, charter schools, film studios, hotels, government, light manufacturing, medical, office, professional service, retail shops and the Albuquerque Journal.

Notably, The Journal Center is home to The Studios at Journal Center, which opened in 2021 during a time when the film industry was booming and studio space was scarce in New Mexico. The studios gained attention with Nickelodeon’s “A Really Loud House” series being filmed there, highlighting the Center’s adaptability to emerging industries.

As Albuquerque’s premier Class A office and industrial park, The Journal Center also serves as the nexus of the North I-25 Corridor, which has become the city’s largest employment center. With the recent addition of two Class A residential developments with 380 apartment units, The Journal Center has transformed from a business park to a true live-work-play mixed use corridor.

These developments offer luxury living in the form of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartment units. Allaso Journal Center and The Senary by Allaso are within walkable distance to all of the Journal Center’s amenities, including the ever-expanding Market Place at Journal Center.

The Market Place at Journal Center was developed to offer a dynamic mix of retail shops, restaurants, and services catering to both businesses, employees and residents which enhances the live-work-play environment that The Journal Center aimed to create.

“The Market Place was designed to be more than just a shopping area—it was envisioned as the heartbeat of the community," Hare remarked. "It's a place where the needs of businesses, employees, residents, and visitors intersect, making The Journal Center a true mixed-use development."

This is a paid article written by The Albuquerque Journal's branded content team.