Could New Mexico United anchor state fairgrounds upgrade?

New Mexico United has emerged as a prime candidate to become the "major anchor" at the state fairgrounds as officials finalize a master plan to redevelop the 236-acre tract in Northeast Albuquerque.

A Bernalillo County commissioner critical of the plan said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham plans to build a stadium at the fairgrounds as a permanent home for the popular Albuquerque soccer team and has raised $70 million to pay for the project.

Lujan Grisham quickly dismissed Commissioner Adriann Barboa’s allegation as “gossip and fear mongering” and responded that no decisions have been made about how to use the funding.

But at a public meeting Friday, officials with Stantec Consulting Services, the state's design contractor, recommended a sports stadium as the preferred option for spurring development in the southwest portion of the New Mexico State Fairgrounds.

The firm appears to have abandoned an earlier proposal to relocate the New Mexico State Fair in response to public opposition to moving the decades-old annual event.

“A sports stadium is the recommendation that we're including here for the reasons that it can be the quickest to stand up,” said Ben Lewinger, a representative of Stantec. “It punches above its weight class in terms of what it costs versus the GRT (gross receipts taxes) it can generate.”

Gross receipts taxes ultimately determine how much bonding capacity the state can use to fund other developments for the fairgrounds project, including housing and retail, he said.

Lewinger and others did not mention New Mexico United as a possible anchor tenant for the stadium on Friday but others were quick to fill in the blank.

Barboa posted a statement on her Facebook page Friday alleging that Lujan Grisham obtained $70 million in discretionary funding in February through the state’s $11.1 billion budget bill, House Bill 2.

The bill appropriates $100 million to the General Services Department for “state fair redevelopment,” including $30 million for housing as part of the fairgrounds project.

Barboa, a member of the State Fair District Board, contends the remaining $70 million is the governor’s discretionary funding that she plans to use for the soccer stadium. Barboa first raised the allegation at a news conference Wednesday.

Lujan Grisham responded quickly to Barboa’s allegation this week in a statement issued by her spokesman Mike Coleman.

“The governor is disappointed that Commissioner Barboa has resorted to attention-seeking gossip and fear mongering to pre-empt a public process that exists precisely to give every community member a voice in the Fairgrounds’ future,” Coleman said.

“Anyone who has been paying attention knows that some type of public events facility has been a part of this discussion for months,” Coleman said. “But no final decision about an arena or stadium, or the master plan itself, has been made.”

New Mexico United spokeswoman Bella Finley declined comment this week on plans to build a stadium for the team at the fairgrounds.

In a separate measure, lawmakers in February authorized the issuance of up to $92 million in bonds to revitalize the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque's International District. Lujan Grisham signed the bill into law on March 5.

The measure authorizes bonds backed from state gross receipt tax revenues and gaming tax revenues. The measure takes effect May 20.

Barboa said she opposes building the New Mexico United stadium at the fairgrounds because it doesn’t generate high-paying jobs.

“I know firsthand that stadiums do not bring opportunities to neighbors,” she said. “Fans simply want to get in and get out as fast as they can.”

New Mexico United would contribute an additional $40 million for a total project cost of $110 million, Barboa said. She contends that she learned of the plan from former Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez, who is spearheading the fairgrounds project for the Governor’s Office.

Chávez, who attended the public meeting Friday, said the $70 million funding isn't designated for any particular purpose.

“I think they’re definitely moving in the direction of some sort of stadium as one component,” Chávez said of Stantec and the Governor's Office. The master plan is nearing the end of a six-month process, he said.

“Now they’re starting to bring all the different ideas that have come together,” Chávez said. “This isn’t the first time you heard about stadiums. We’ll have the recommendations next week, and we'll see what they recommend.”

Stantec will not get involved in recommending what team should occupy the stadium, which will likely involve a variety of tenants and uses, Chávez said. But New Mexico United is a prime candidate in a state that lacks major league sports teams, he said.

Any plan to build a stadium for New Mexico United could conflict with the city of Albuquerque’s announced plan to build a soccer stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park.

The city is actively defending a lawsuit filed by three neighborhood associations that oppose the project. That lawsuit is pending at the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

Mayor Tim Keller appeared to steer clear of the issue this week.

“I’ve been clear since I ran for the State Senate 17 years ago that I love the State Fair, and the Fair should stay,” Keller said. “Beyond that, we will support plans that can boost the grounds and benefit the community.”

New Mexico United has sought a permanent stadium since 2020 to replace its current home at Isotopes Park, home of Albuquerque’s Triple-A baseball team. An earlier proposal for a new stadium at a Downtown location using bond funding was defeated by voters in 2021.

Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta Park was selected in 2023 as the location for a privately financed stadium on land leased from the city.

Three neighborhood associations near Balloon Fiesta Park filed suit in state district court after the Albuquerque City Council voted 8-1 to deny their appeal in August 2024.

Second Judicial District Judge Erin O’Connell ruled in July that opponents of the Balloon Fiesta Park location failed to demonstrate that they were denied due process.

Plaintiffs appealed the district court ruling on Aug. 19. The state Court of Appeals this week assigned a three-judge panel to hear the case.

Stantec in December unveiled three preliminary designs for the fairgrounds, all of which include a hotel and event venue, parks, retail space and mixed-income housing. One of the designs proposed relocating the fair.

The state-owned tract has hosted the annual State Fair since 1938, but the state and its consultants say that the area is underutilized and its infrastructure is crumbling.