City of Albuquerque details priorities for revitalizing downtown
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In Mayor Keller’s 7-step “Downtown Forward” plan for Albuquerque, safety and housing were big priorities. Now, the agency in charge is sharing some of their priorities for that.
The city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency says cutting down on crime is key to revitalizing downtown.
“Lots, unfortunately, can attract crime. Sometimes, late at night, people gather and congregate in these slots and get into fights or do something, some sort of criminal activity,” said Terry Brunner, the director of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency.
Because of this, the city is making a $1 million investment in lighting, especially in alleyways along Central. The city says those areas are often crime hotspots.
In the downtown area, there are a lot of vacant spaces and the city wants to transform them into housing. For that, there is money set aside as well.
In Mayor Keller's 7-step “Downtown Forward” plan for Albuquerque, safety and housing were big priorities. Now, the agency in charge is sharing some of their priorities for that.
“So we have $3 million that we’re making available for housing projects downtown at the moment,” Brunner said.
Meanwhile, city officials are repurposing spaces, like parking lots, as a space for food trucks and live entertainment at night.
It’s all part of the City of Albuquerque’s 7-step plan for downtown. City officials say we can expect to see these changes take effect in the next two years.