Transit and Entertainment Lead the Way

The big change was in November of 2001 when the Century 14 theater opened downtown. Previously they had success with a 24 screen megaplex located some distance from downtown directly off the freeway. This project was originally drawn up in 1998 as a plan between municipal and private sector interests. It had been some time since any new commercial development has been constructed downtown. This site in particular had been one of the busiest places in downtown. The site sits at the corner of First street and Central Avenue; right next to the rail lines that had started downtown's growth in the 1880's.

The new theater was a new building built with additional rental space that has remained occupied since its opening. The theater also screens more art house releases than an average cineplex. Parking is free in an adjacent parking ramp and several resturants surround the theater. This would seem like a perfect place to spend the evening and yet the success of this theater has been moderate at best.

Investing in downtown has led to some success as well as some realities. For many people, the perception is that downtown is dangerous at night and the proliferation of bars is proof of this. Having to walk a block in an urban area is more frightening than walking through a huge parking lot. It's like parallel parking, which can be a frightening experience at first but becomes more routine as you see the advantages of all the parking spots you can now use. Getting people out of their cars is not simply a physical act but a phycological act as well.

Across the street is the Albuquerque Amtrack station. Once a small building in a complex of larger, more important buildings, the rail station is a visable reminder of how train stations used to be constructed. The California Mission style was a theme throughout Santa Fe railroad's buildings. The Alvarado Hotel was the largest of these. Using reinforced concrete, the building has survived while the conplex around it has not. Behind this building is the second phase of the Alvarado Transit Center. This build will serve Greyhouse busses as well as other interstate carriers. Interestingly, Amtrack has not agreed to be a member of this new facility. Could it be that the remote nature of Amtrack's southwestern lines don't serve the volume that the more profitable east coast do? Could this be a factor in Amtrack desision?

The Alvarado

The Alvarado hotel was one of the premiere hotels built for the Santa Fe railroad. Built in 1902 by Fred Harvey who also build the La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe, the hotel featured a state-of-the-art phone and electrical system. It served as a landmark and gateway for tourists entering the Southwest. Recently the Sheraton Old Town expanded and based its design on the features of the Alvarado. The following comes from an article published in the Albuquerque Journal two days after the wrecking ball struck on Feb. 13, 1970.

"City Planning Dept. officials unanimously favor preservation. They envision the Alvarado as a nucleus in a hotel-tourist center proposed for that area. But the problem is money. And all the talking and planning in the world isn't going to furnish that $1.5 million asking-price of the Santa Fe Railway.

"City Commissioners expressed genuine concern over the situation at their last meeting, but told the 100-or-so protesters the city just hasn't the necessary funds. (Last Thursday, Commission Chairman Pete Domenici wired railway president John S. Reed, asking that demolition cease on the central portion of the building, and that the Santa Fe set a rental price on that section for a year. ...)

"And it's interesting to note that while $2800 was pledged at that meeting, when sentiment and emotions ran high, only $25 was received at city hall the next day--and that came from Commissioner Harry Kinney. Pledges now total $3202. Perhaps that first $2800 was more a rebuff against the commissioners' taking no action (which they said they couldn't do because the railway owns the property) than real support for the Alvarado?

City Planning Dept. officials unanimously favor preservation. They envision the Alvarado as a nucleus in a hotel-tourist center proposed for that area. - Albuquerque Journal 1970

"Experience has shown collecting pledges is a lot easier than collecting the cash afterwards, and no wealthy entrepreneurs have stepped forward with interest in developing the site. Perhaps Commissioner Louis Saavedra was right when he made his ill-received comment at the commission meeting: 'I don't think the money can be raised. Especially when you remember we had to put the raising of funds for two antelopes at the zoo in the hands of the city's children.' ... " The hotel was demolished in 1970 but the story doesn't end there. A mural just blocks from the site of the Alvarado hotel is a fitting tribute to the demolished building. The trains it served as well as the tradition of an Indian market on the embarkment sum up the romance of travel in the pre-war American West. Most fitting is the newspaper headline, "Moronic officials destroy historic landmarks."

Where a grand hotel once stood, now stands a replica. To be more precise, a transit hub connecting city bus and Greyhound and Amtrack service. It is also slated to serve the light rail connecting Belen to Santa Fe. (UPDATE August 2006- The railrunner commuter train is up and running and served it's 100,000th passenger in about thirty days) The irony is why this building was torn down, and nothing was built on the spot for thirty years. When something was finally built, it was a copy of the demolished building. Only communities that are blind to their heritage make such sort-sighted decisions. We are only caretakers of cities bequethed to us by our ancestors; and only we can pass that valuable gift to our future.

The 800 Pound Gorilla

A few blocks south of the new Alvarado in the funky neighborhood of Barelas is the Santa Fe rail yard. Massive steel-framed buildings once used to repair steam locomotives now sit empty, waiting for a new use. This facility was the major employer in Barelas and produced many memories. Author Rudolfo Anaya remembers: "We would be outside playing baseball in the streets, and at around 5 o'clock every day the men would come home from working at the rail yard," Anaya said. "The image that I have clear in my mind is of them covered in soot. Their coveralls, lunch pails, hats and their faces were all covered." The shops were built in 1914 and ran until they closed in 1970. A transportation museum and exhibition center have been proposed, along with retail shops and even moving the present rail station here. The question remains, can this forgotten corner of downtown find new life amid the vacant lots and old homesteads?

The latest plans for this property are a $50 million dollar digital media production facility. It would include two 20,000 foot sound stages, two digital insert stages, a construction mill, and food service and child care facilities. The facility will be able to handle every kind of digital film and television project from pre-production through post-production. (UPDATE August 2006-This project seems to have fallen through in favor of Mesa del Sol, although the railyards were recently used for shooting of a big-budget film called "Transformers" set to open in the summer of 2007) With the film industry using New Mexico more and more as a location, demand for actual studio space has risen. The hope that something with use this grand space remains. I for one am not keeping my fingers crossed.

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