Titan opens fifth Allaso-branded apartment complex in Albuquerque, shifts focus to hotels

Titan Development’s five-year run building and opening high-end apartment complexes concluded on Wednesday as the New Mexico-based group opened its fifth Allaso-branded multifamily community in Albuquerque — its final Allaso project for now.

Titan and city officials gathered last week at 6925 Alameda NE to celebrate the completion of the Northeast Heights project, dubbed Allaso Olivine.

“Imagine the headline, ‘Local developer pushes councilor into pool,’” joked Titan’s director of development Ian Robertson as he cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the complex’s pool with Albuquerque City Councilor Brook Bassan and Titan partner Josh Rogers.

Bassan, who represents the Northeast Heights and has attended several other Allaso openings, also joked about leasing a unit at each one so that her family never knows exactly where she’s at.

“I’m super excited,” Bassan said at the Wednesday ribbon-cutting event. “This is going to be another one of those opportunities that we (have to) increase the housing supply in Albuquerque and it’s going to benefit everybody as people want to move into our economy here.”

Titan broke ground on its first Allaso project in 2020, prompted by data that indicated an emerging need for multifamily housing in Albuquerque, Rogers said. The development group has since opened Allaso projects in the Journal Center, Northeast Heights and the Sandia Mountain foothills.

Allaso Olivine is a three-story, single-building complex that spans more than 100,000 square feet and features 105 units, 22 attached garages, a fitness gym and resort-style pool. Rogers said he considers the area itself to be an added amenity, with destinations such as North Domingo Baca Park and Tin Can Alley close by.

“This neighborhood is really great and it’s seen a lot of development in recent years,” Rogers said, citing many other apartments that have been built nearby as an indicator of the area being “a desirable place to live.”

A street to the north of the project, titled Olivine, inspired the name of the complex, Rogers said. The name, which refers to a green mineral, influenced the design of the complex, with hints of green throughout.

Titan broke ground on Allaso Olivine in 2023 and completed construction a little over a week ago, Rogers said. The project — locally designed and built by architecture firm Dekker and general contractor HB Construction, respectively — provided up to 300 job opportunities, Bassan said.

Rogers declined to share the final cost of the project but Journal reporting in 2023 stated the cost for Allaso Olivine was $35 million.

The project took a little longer than anticipated, as working with the city of Albuquerque’s zoning codes and the surrounding neighborhoods presented some challenges, Rogers said.

“There (were) a lot of nuances to how this site needed to come together,” Rogers said. “Working through those challenges was a very difficult experience but we came up with some creative ways to work around (them).”

Rogers said some residents in the surrounding neighborhoods were worried about the complex blocking their view of the Sandia Mountains, prompting Titan to redesign a portion of the project.

“We’d like to be good neighbors,” Rogers said.

Despite the challenges, Rogers said he’s proud of the Allaso communities Titan has established in Albuquerque. Titan’s five Allaso projects represent sticking to the plan and moving swiftly to fill a need, he said. Though Rogers wishes these projects could be done quicker, it’s “just the way it goes,” he said.

“It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure,” Rogers said. “It’s been a very productive five years for Titan and the Allaso brand. We’ve built a brand from the ground up that tenants really seem to enjoy and love and continues to raise the bar in Albuquerque, and we’re very optimistic about doing more in the future.”

It may be a couple years before Titan launches new multifamily projects, Rogers said. The development group is now gearing its attention toward the hotel projects it has in the works, including a boutique hotel in Nob Hill and a hotel and food hall on Central Avenue near Presbyterian Hospital.