The beginning stages: Mayor, CNM highlight construction for film and media hub in Rail Yards

Caution tape outlines the area where scaffolding is in place as construction continues at the future film training center at the Albuquerque Rail Yards.

On Tuesday, Mayor Tim Keller and Central New Mexico Community College President Tracy Hartzler led a walkthrough on how the multiyear project is going.

“As you can see, there’s a lot of work happening,” Keller said. “This is the beginning of something really special. It’s going to be a building within a building.”

The project is a partnership between the city of Albuquerque, CNM and the New Mexico Economic Development Department.

The iconic Boiler Shop building at the Rail Yards, once used to transfer heavy parts to train engines, is being transformed into a state-of-the-art training hub for future filmmakers, creating a workforce development pipeline for the state’s booming film industry and contributing to economic revitalization for Downtown Albuquerque.

Seven years ago, Keller said, the entire building was under a master planning contract, and the city of Albuquerque was taking control over the area. The first goal: make the buildings remotely usable.

Then CNM came into the talks as its film program was growing and needed a permanent place to grow into.

With the master plan being developed, the city and CNM began a partnership to bring the area alive once again.

“This (Rail Yards) project is basically 40 years old,” Keller said. “I’m the fifth or sixth mayor to work on this project. But this is going to be the first time that this facility is going to be used more or less every day. Every day, there will be hundreds of students that will come here. That activity is going to lift up the area around us, including this edge of Downtown.”

CNM’s longstanding Film Production and Digital Media programs, as well as the New Mexico Media Arts Collective, will co-locate and share equipment and training resources.

The facility is expected to be completed in late 2025, with the first classes taking place in January 2026.

According to officials, each decision made for construction has to be approved by the Historic Preservation Board before moving forward.

“We’re excited to reach another important milestone as we make progress on the public’s investment in growing the film industry in New Mexico and supporting economic development in Downtown Albuquerque,” Hartzler said. “This state-of-the-art facility is going to increase access for New Mexicans to get high-quality film production training and begin careers that will help our film industry continue to thrive.”

Hartzler said the facility will offer industry-standard, hands-on and craft-specific workforce training and job competencies for the film, television and digital media industry.

Along with soundstages, there will be classrooms, offices, and post-production and flex spaces, featuring the latest equipment and technology.

“The plan is to have community programming and a place for films to be screened,” Hartzler said.

Voters approved bond funding for CNM to improve and expand its film production training facilities.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, with support from the Legislature and the city of Albuquerque, has also allocated funding to build facilities and training programs.

Keller said the construction of the film facilities represents one-third of the area.

“This is such a big project,” he said. “When we finish this, we’re going to have roughly a third of the Rail Yards kind of figured out. We know what we’re doing with it. There are still two-thirds on the other end, and it remains to be seen what will go there. Right now, there are no plans for any of that. We’re focusing on delivering this one-third of the property.”