BernCo approves $3 million for the Gateway Center

Bernalillo County commissioners unanimously approved $3 million from the behavioral health gross receipts tax for the Gateway Center earlier this week.

The city-managed project has health resources and overnight beds to help people experiencing homelessness.

The county funding will be used to demolish, construct and rebuild an existing 17,000-square-foot suite, which would expand the capacity by 50 beds, Pam Acosta, senior manager with the county’s Behavioral Health Initiative, told commissioners Tuesday.

Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada said he was worried about the way the city handled asbestos previously found in the building.

“The city of Albuquerque violated its own protocols and bypassed its own risk management measures, potentially exposing dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals to risk associated with asbestos over the course of a year,” Quezada said.

Jennifer Turner, deputy director of the city of Albuquerque’s Municipal Development Department, said the city has transitioned project managers and is working with a new contractor on construction. The city has also hired an environmental consultant to ensure potential asbestos issues are addressed, Turner said. She also clarified that the $3 million is set up as a reimbursement, and the city will not get any of the county funds unless renovations are done.

Commissioner Adriann Barboa asked her fellow commissioners and the city to consider how public transportation could be increased in the area to help people who use the Gateway Center get there.

“This is one place where we are leveraging our funding against city funding,” Commissioner Barbara Baca said. “We are working together, and that is the only way that we’re going to be able to address this difficult crisis that we have with homelessness, with mental and behavioral health.”