Master planner opens conversation about fairgrounds future in first public meeting

Dozens of people gathered for a contentious meeting Monday to consider what should be done with the 236-acre tract of land that houses the annual New Mexico State Fair.

The meeting, held by Stantec Consulting Services Inc., the company tasked with creating a master plan for the site that’s been slotted for redevelopment, drew both support and criticism from local residents and advocates.

Stantec representatives said the master plan would not include options of where the fair would be hosted if it is moved.

“I know that there’s some controversy around the topic, we hear you,” said Nancy Locke, the project lead for Stantec.

Some residents saw the proposal as an opportunity to start fresh and uplift Albuquerque’s economically disadvantaged International District through new development. Others feared gentrification, wasted taxpayer dollars and a stalled project leaving residents in limbo.

“I’ll probably be dead before the first shovel hits dirt,” local resident Charlie Bennett said Monday.

Bennett recalled the two previous attempts to redevelop the fairgrounds and clutched to his chest a white binder filled with the neighborhood’s suggestions for Gov. Bill Richardson, who attempted the revitalization in 2008. He asked, “What makes Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s attempt any different?”

“The difference is dramatic,” said Martin Chavez, former Albuquerque mayor and adviser to Lujan Grisham, wrote in a statement Tuesday. “For the first time, there are real dollars and serious representation regarding the initiative.”

In December, Lujan Grisham announced plans to put mixed-use development and affordable housing on the state-owned land between San Pedro and Louisiana. In March, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 481 to raise funds, an estimated $12 million, to cover initial costs.

In June, the state announced a $850,000 contract with Stantec to develop a master plan by February 2026 that will make suggestions for the land’s use.

Monday’s meeting was the first of three events held to allow the public to comment on the master plan, Stantec speakers said. The second meeting will be held sometime in late October to early November and is yet to be announced.

Master planner Locke said food deserts, excessive heat and lack of green spaces are all problems in the surrounding neighborhoods. The new development could be a remedy, Locke said, bringing parks and commerce, as well as affordable housing.

Stantec speakers presented a wide variety of development plans in addition to new housing, including a new multi-use arena for concerts and sports, medical facilities, offices, retail and public parks. Stantec planners also suggested that the State Fair might not have to move but may be able to continue operating on a smaller area within the plot of land.

Stantec speakers, like Locke, were frequently interrupted by residents who voiced concerns about everything from crime to homelessness to nostalgia for the State Fair’s historic home.

During a question-and-answer period, community members passed around the microphone, primarily to criticize the project.

“You want to further take the economics from this part of the community, but not put anything back into the community — it’s a failure,” said former resident Willie Williamson. “... You want to address the optics of this neighborhood but not address the actual problems.”

To Williamson, the redevelopment would end major events held at Expo New Mexico, beyond just the annual fair, and plunge the neighborhood into greater economic disparity at a time when major retailers like Walmart and Walgreens have already fled.

Williamson grew up in the International District, became entangled with drugs and gangs as a teen, he said, and years later made the decision to raise his kids elsewhere to save them from a similar fate.

Williamson worries that without solving the surrounding area’s issues with drug use and crime first, any affordable housing project will fail.

“You’re talking 10 to 15 years of adverse childhood experiences for these people that you are not addressing,” Williamson said.

Panelists chosen by Stantec — a collection of local residents, nonprofit organizers and law enforcement — tried to rally the crowd to think about the future, though even their opinions about the project were split.

Natalie Vargas, from the Southside Neighborhood Association, said she’d like to see the fairgrounds stay, though she recognized how development could improve the neighborhood she grew up in and where she now raises her kids.

“It’s where rural and urban kids come together and learn from each other and dream big,” she said. “We need to protect spaces that educate, connect and inspire. The fair is one of them.”

Albuquerque Police Department Cmdr. Josh Richards, who runs the Southeast Area Command, raised questions about what jurisdiction the development would fall under, given that it’s within city boundaries but owned by the state.

Adding more population density to an area command that is already overworked and understaffed could drain resources and make policing the area more difficult, he said.

“Adding 240-some acres of housing is a big pull for us,” Richards said.

Meanwhile, Ahdohny Routheni, a panelist and founder of numerous local nonprofits, implored the audience to be forward-thinking and not let nostalgia for the fairgrounds prevent positive change for future generations.

“I really would love if the community thought long and hard — is it really for y’all or is it for them?” Routheni said. “Are we going to be people that tear down trees, or are we going to plant a tree so that next generation can eat off that fruit?”