Heritage to open Uptown’s Park Square Market in March

An Albuquerque developer is hoping to bring big city flair to Albuquerque’s Uptown area.

Heritage Hotels and Resorts Founder and CEO Jim Long, following the success of Sawmill Market which he developed, is preparing to open Park Square Market in March and has announced plans to build a similar market in Santa Fe.

In contrast to Sawmill, Park Square Market, at 2125 Louisiana NE, will have higher-end retailers, offering customers a “cosmopolitan-style” experience, Long said. Many of the restaurants that will be at Park Square Market are already operating at Sawmill.

Park Square Market was designed by SOM, previously Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, an international architecture firm whose projects have been featured in Architectural Digest.

“We’re creating this really magnificent outdoor space in between these four buildings,” Long said.

The new market in Uptown will open in phases. The first buildings to open will be the north and south food halls, which will each host a litany of food shops.

Many of the restaurateurs and retailers at Long’s markets are locals looking to break into a new industry. Long said one of his goals with the food halls is to provide a location for aspiring entrepreneurs, cutting down on start-up costs for a standalone restaurant or food truck.

“These food halls give local entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a business,” Long said.

The east and west buildings will host retail shops that are still being chosen.

“We can facilitate and make dreams come true,” Long said. Park Square is looking to fill the retail space with a medical spa and high-end clothing and jewelry shops.

Sights set on SF

While Park Square focuses on a more luxurious approach, a new food hall in Santa Fe will aim for a younger clientele.

“We think that one of the things that Santa Fe needs is spaces that attract a younger demographic,” Long said. “We need to create environments that are more family-friendly and that are more favorably priced so the younger generation can enjoy Santa Fe, and we think a food hall accomplishes just that.”

Slated to open in March 2026, the Santa Fe food hall will be located near the Santa Fe Plaza inside the First Interstate Bank building, directly north of the New Mexico History Museum. The food hall hasn’t been named.

Concept art shows a food hall with restaurants offering a wide spread of options. Nineteen vendors will be submitting business plans and Long hopes to begin the process of making vendor decisions in the next 45 days.

Developers could be breaking ground within the next month or so.

“Food is an important part of people’s lives,” Long said. “There’s a real interest in the food culture scene today and so a food hall really celebrates that and really brings young talent together.”