State announces contract to begin redevelopment at State Fairgrounds

The first step in redeveloping the State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque into a mixed-use housing site is underway.

The state General Services Department on Tuesday announced a nearly $850,000 contract with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. to create a master plan for repurposing the 236-acre tract of land that has hosted the annual State Fair since 1938.

The contract award came four months after the state abruptly canceled a previous contract solicitation without explanation and restarted the process.

Acting GSD Secretary Anna Silva did not mention the do-over in a Tuesday statement in which she said the State Fair would remain a “vital economic and cultural asset” for generations.

“Through this master planning process, we will identify innovative and forward-thinking ideas which will help us reimagine the future of this great state event,” Silva said in a statement.

In December, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced plans to convert the fairgrounds into a mixed-use development with affordable housing and relocate the State Fair.

The idea of moving the State Fair has been met with opposition from some residents of Albuquerque’s International District, which has dealt with rampant drug use and homelessness in recent years.

Though the contract was yet to be announced, Lujan Grisham hinted at the fairgrounds’ future during a Monday news conference at the Western Governors’ Association meeting in Santa Fe.

The master plan could eventually call for leasing or selling portions of state-owned Expo New Mexico to private developers, Lujan Grisham said.

“That master planner’s job will be to engage the public in what they’re planning for at that property specifically,” the governor said.

The master planner, Stantec, is a multinational consulting firm headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with four local offices in New Mexico.

This contract isn’t Stantec’s first in New Mexico, as the company previously worked with the Department of Transportation to revamp roads and highways in Silver City, Hobbs and Fort Sumner.

Stantec also worked with the city of Jal in the southeast corner of New Mexico to produce a community development plan.

Stantec could not be immediately reached for comment on the contract.

The contract was signed June 18 following a public procurement process, and extends until February 2026, said General Services Department spokesperson Joe Vigil. The master plan will include an economic impact study, development plans and a proposal presentation.

Once planning is done, state leaders expect a new funding model passed by the Legislature this year to cover costs. In March, legislators passed Senate Bill 481, which redistricted the area, slightly raised local income taxes and authorized the state to issue revenue bonds.

The bill was subsequently signed into law by the governor, and its funding mechanisms are expected to raise $12 million for initial ramp-up efforts, Lujan Grisham said this week.

Though the site is slotted for redevelopment, some historic buildings will be preserved as a part of the master plan, Lujan Grisham said.

Meanwhile, a new site for the State Fair is yet to be announced, though the plan will “make recommendations on the best course of action to determine that (location),” Vigil said.