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Mayor touts 'generational change' in ABQ despite problems
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Looking past the construction and the broken windows, the city is working toward generational change, Mayor Tim Keller told business leaders at an Economic Forum meeting in Old Town on Wednesday morning.
“These are ideas that you are going to tell your grandkids,” he said. “You’ll remember when we built the Rail Trail, something that is going to connect this literal community in Old Town all the way to Downtown, and is going to tell the story of our own history.”
Keller acknowledged that Albuquerque has issues with crime, drugs and homelessness. But, he added, there are many good things happening.
He compared initiatives and programs the city has now that it didn’t have 10 years ago, from economic investments like Tax Increment Financing Districts to temporary housing for unhoused people.
“We have a fighting chance to actually do something for that person,” he said.
Crime is coming down from an all-time high, Keller said, pointing to a drop in homicides and auto theft.
This is also the first time in a decade the state Legislature is prioritizing crime and homelessness, the mayor added.
He described the state of the city as a story of “massive generational change that’s happening right now.” It may have taken a long, “winding road” to create transitions in the city, he said, but change is happening.
“We are going in the right direction … and we also have much, much further to go,” Keller said.
