Revitalization plan for UNM’s South Campus making progress

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobo Development plan aims to bring more businesses and entertainment to the area near The Pit, which is UNM’s South Campus. It stretches from Avenida Cesar Chavez all the way to Gibson.

David Campbell is the executive director of the Lobo Development Corp. – a group created to help UNM manage its land assets.

“It has taken a dozen years or so,” Campbell said. “But one, one thing we can say is that in that amount of time, the groundwork, the framework for being able to do successful development has already been laid.”

Campbell says a lot of the land is designated as TIDD or a tax increment development district. That means portions of tax go back to funding projects in the area.

Recently, a portion of land on Gibson was sold to Raising Cane’s.

“For every order of chicken purchased, there’s a certain amount of tax on that, and a certain amount of that certain amount will then come back to Lobo development and to our accounts, so that we can build out the remainder of the area,” Campbell said.

Campbell says the development has three goals – creating an entertainment district for Lobo fans, bringing community and neighborhood services, and returning benefits to UNM.

“Over the next few months, you’re going to start to see a lot more activity in that area,” Campbell said. “It’s activity that’s very exciting to finally get underway.”