New owner’s plans to turn Gizmo building into art hub creates buzz

Property owners surrounding 410 Central SW, commonly referred to as the Gizmo building, are buzzing with anticipation as the building’s new owner works to bring the long-vacant space to life.

The buzz started when local artist and general contractor Sheri Crider purchased the roughly 53,000-square-foot, four-story building in April, bringing around seven years of vacancy to an end. Crider plans to move Sanitary Tortilla Factory, the art space she founded and directs, into the Gizmo building and transform it into an art hub.

Crider discovered the Gizmo building last year, searching for a larger space to accommodate her and the eight other artists that work out of the current 7,000-square-foot property Sanitary Tortilla Factory uses on Second Street. The Railyards Market purchased the Second Street property, Crider said.

As for the Gizmo building, its long-term vacancy didn’t scare Crider away.

“Beneath its distress, you could see a really incredible building,” Crider said in an interview.

The Church of Scientology bought the building, formerly a JCPenney’s department store, in 2007 with the intention of turning it into a church and bookstore, according to Journal archives. The project never came to fruition, and the church put the building up for sale in 2018 — the same year that the building’s longtime tenant and the source of its nickname, The Gizmo Store, closed.

The sale to Crider came after years of the city of Albuquerque and locals attempting to purchase the property, including the owner of the building that houses 505 Central Food Hall, Mark Baker.

“I was hoping to do similar to what Sheri’s doing,” said Baker, who offered under $1 million for the property five or six years ago based on a full analysis of the building by his contractors. He said a Colliers agent representing the church told him his offer was too low. A Colliers property profile listed the property at $1.85 million in late 2023. Comparatively, Zillow values the property at $1 million.

In 2022, Mayor Tim Keller accused the Church of Scientology of “essentially holding Downtown hostage for money,” but the church denied the accusation and said it was seriously considering several offers, according to reporting by Downtown Albuquerque News.

Patty Allread, the church’s New Mexico public affairs director, said these past issues are “water under the bridge” and there’s no contention with the mayor’s office. The city didn’t respond to inquiries for comment from the Journal.

“I have spoken with the mayor since then, many times, and there were a lot of things that he hadn’t realized and didn’t know,” Allread said in an interview. “We ended up on the same page about the building.”

Baker thinks the January passing of a bill that penalizes owners of vacant properties — which goes into effect July 1 — is what moved the needle on the building’s sale, Baker said.

Allread said that’s not true, adding that the church has been working on the sale for more than a year.

‘Creating opportunities for artists’

Crider’s plans for the space include an immersive media-devoted art gallery called Wonder + Light Studios and a print shop called A Good Sign in the basement. Two galleries, a library and an art supplies retail store called Gizmo Paints will go on the ground floor. All but Wonder + Light and Gizmo Paint are existing businesses that operate out of Sanitary Tortilla Factory’s current location.

The second and third floors will welcome 24 artist studios. Six housing units, three counseling offices and more artist studios will go on the fourth floor.

The fourth-floor housing units will specifically be home to participants of Sanitary Tortilla Factory’s art-based reentry program, which uses art to support inmates as they reintegrate into society after leaving the Metropolitan Detention Center.

“We’re really looking to create a microeconomy where we’re just supporting artists, (and) everything is kind of funding itself,” Crider said. “It’s just really synergistic and about creating opportunities for artists.”

Crider said she recently completed the interior demolition of the property and she aims to complete the studios and lower level projects first, with the hopes of moving in by the end of the year. The fourth-floor housing phase will follow, depending on funding. She estimates the housing portion of project will cost about $1 million.

U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., requested $1.2 million in federal spending for the affordable housing component of the project in May, spokespeople for the senators told the Journal on Thursday. The request is currently under review.

Neighbors of the Gizmo building are feeling optimistic about the plans.

“I think it’s going to be a successful situation for them because there’s really a growing art community down here,” said Steve Vatoseow, co-owner of Lindy’s Diner. “I think it’ll bring people, and I think it’ll just be good for the community.”

Vatoseow said he is seeing a trend of artist studios, lofts and other art-oriented uses spreading across Downtown, adding he is considering implementing something similar at his two-story building at 500 Central SW.

While Baker’s hopes of revitalizing the Gizmo building didn’t pan out, he said he is excited to see activity take place at a property he considers “very important to the texture and fabric of Downtown Albuquerque.”

“I absolutely love the project. It’s exactly what Downtown Albuquerque needs. ...,” he said. “I’m really rooting for Sheri Crider to have massive success because success for her means success for Downtown.”