ALBUQUERQUE, N.M — A new year brings new laws for Albuquerque, and new fees for some property owners with the Downtown Vacant Premises Ordinance.

City councilors passed that ordinance Monday night. It forces building owners to pay to register their properties every year, if it has been unoccupied for more than nine months. This includes buildings from First Street to Eighth Street between Gold and Copper. 

Councilor Joaquin Baca proposed the bill. He said vacant properties downtown attract crime and negative activity, and that fixing them up would make the area safer and bring more opportunities. 

“We have properties that have been empty for over 40 years,” Baca said.

Baca says an example is what’s known as the Gizmo Building on Fourth and Central. According to Baca, the Church of Scientology owns the building, which has been vacant for 46 years and up for sale for about 25 years. However, he said all offers have been turned down.

The property connected to it, the Kress Building, has also been vacant for decades. 

“For some reason, that became OK to just have tons of properties on our iconic Route 66 just sit empty,” Baca said.

The fees range from $1,000 to $5,000 a year based on the square footage of the ground floor of the building. That money will go back toward the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown. 

Baca says if property owners are actively trying to bring in tenants or sell, the city will work with them.

“We’re not here to punish people. If you’re a good actor, that’s working, absolutely,” Baca said. “There’s tons of opportunities to help property owners.”

That bill passed on a 7-2 vote. 

City councilors unanimously passed an ordinance to improve the city’s housing voucher program. The ordinance will allow people to apply for rental assistance through the city and requires the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department to make the program more efficient and transparent.