On December 3, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state officials held a news conference at Expo New Mexico to announce that the state intends to find and move the NM State Fair grounds known as Expo New Mexico to a new location. The announcement included the release of a Request For Proposal (RFP) that will be sent out by the State Fair Commission to bring the ambitious endeavor to fruition. New Mexico lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session appropriated $500,000 in capital outlay funding to develop the master plan for the property. The $500,000 Request for Proposals was issued on December 3 and will last for 45 days. The proposals will be looked at in late January with a six-month timeline for final production.
In making the announcement Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said this:
“This is the center of Albuquerque. The center of Albuquerque deserves a refresh and a restart. That’s what you do. … It is my hope and desire, that this becomes a re-energized effort to modernize, to improve, to create opportunity in a much bigger area than just the state expo or state fair property itself. … I met personally with many of the 4H and AG groups who are really ready for a restart and a refresh.”
State Fair Commission Chair Eric Serna attended the news conference at Expo New Mexico and said this:
“Those who have attended the fair recognize that we have outgrown the facilities and property here. It’s time to look at the growth of this fair to continue to be the best fair in the country, and under the governor’s leadership and commission, we will move forward and seek the best possible options for the growth of our fair.”
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR MASTER PLAN
Expo New Mexico, which is situated on a 236-acre site in the heart of Albuquerque, is open year round and is the site of many other events. Those events include sports, livestock, dog, car, arts and crafts shows, home and builders’ shows, concerts, circuses, live and simulcast horse racing, a casino featuring slot machines, rodeos and many others. The 2024 annual event had an attendance of approximately 518,000. The 2025 eleven-day event will be held September 4 th through September 14.
The Request for Proposals (RFP) invites qualified firms to “provide competitive sealed proposals for professional consulting services to develop a master plan for the existing New Mexico State Fairgrounds. [ According to the RFP] it is envisioned that the state fairgrounds can become a more significant Pro driver for the greater Albuquerque area and the State of New Mexico. According to the RFP, the State believes there is substantial potential to increase the usage of the State Fairgrounds on a year-round basis.
The New Mexico State Fair Commission is seeking the services of a consulting firm with considerable experience in community engagement, planning, urban design, economic development and analysis to develop a Master Plan for the New Mexico State Fairgrounds that will provide a plan to maximize the operation and facilities of the State Fairgrounds, including the prioritization of needs and growth for the next 10 to 20 years.
Quoting the RFP, the following areas must be addressed in all master plans submitted in responses to the RFP:
FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
“This topic area is expected to assess all facilities and infrastructure on the State Fairgrounds. Facilities should be analyzed for the past, current and potential for future use including, but not limited to building a new arena, adding housing on grounds, other mixed income uses and identifying potential new sites for the annual New Mexico State Fair. The plan should produce a list of priority issues to address.”
ECONOMIC IMPACT
“This topic area is expected to analyze the current and potential economic impact of the State Fairgrounds, especially for Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico. The plan should offer recommendations for public, private and public/private partnership opportunities to create greater economic impact.
PROGRAMMING
“This topic area should analyze the programmatic offering which have traditionally taken place at the fairgrounds and what programmatic offerings may be considered with improvement to facilities and infrastructure.”
LAND USE
“This topic area should assess non-developed and under developed sections of the fairgrounds for potential use. Recommendations for future land use should focus on the fairgrounds ability to meet programmatic needs of the Albuquerque area and the State of New Mexico in order to have a greater economic and community impact.”
OPERATIONS
“This topic area should assess the operations of the fairgrounds. The plan should make recommendations for any operation changes which would help in fulfilling the goals of the plan and improve the overall success and stability of the fairgrounds into the future.”
The link to review the 47 page “State’s Request for Proposals for Master Plan RFP #25-001 at EXPO NM” is here:
https://cdn.saffire.com/files.ashx?t=fg&rid=NewMexicoStateFair&f=RFP_MasterPlan_25-001.pdf
DEMAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
There are any number of ideas being suggested on what to do with 236 acres of prime property for development. Affordable housing is at the top of many lists. State and City officials are predicting 55,000 houses or living spaces will be needed within the next decade in Albuquerque. Officials suggest the existing Expo New Mexico fair grounds will help resolve the housing crisis.
The State Fair ground land is in the International District in the South East Heights. It is an area that has dealt with high violent crime rates, narcotics and people experiencing homelessness. Some still refer to the area as the War Zone. Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, who lives in the area , said this:
“We need walking paths. We need green spaces. We need bicycle trails. We need the ability of people to feel like they can live here.”
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez said this:
“Sadly, we’ve lost our two grocery stores. We lost to Walmart a couple of years ago. We lost the fair square even before then. We’ve lost our two drug stores in the area as well over the last couple of years. This area is in serious need of a jolt of energy. … For the community that lives here, I think folks are ready for a change. And folks are ready for affordable housing,”
Lujan Grisham said this:
“This is an opportunity to meet the housing needs of a very diverse group of homeowners who have been waiting far too long for the state to be able to think about a vision.”
Lawmakers and state officials believe renovation to the surrounding area and neighborhoods would lower crime in the area and give the community economic development, including new pharmacies and grocery stores. In recent years, several grocery and drugstores have closed in the area, leading to complaints about the International District potentially becoming a food and medicine “desert.”
EFFORTS TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
It’s commendable that Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez recognize that there is a major shortage of affordable housing and that there is a need for 55,000 houses or living spaces within the next decade. But they act like nothing is being done to address the housing shortage when they propose to commandeer a good portion of the Expo NM State Fair Property for affordable housing. Simply put, the highest and best use of the 236 acres of prime property for development in the center of Albuquerque is not affordable housing. It would put a small dent in a projected 55,000 shortage of housing.
NEW MEXICO MORTGAGE FINANCE AUTHORITY
The New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) is already taking major steps to address the need for more affordable housing over the next 10 years and accessing low-cost capital for home ownership in New Mexico cities and counties. The MFA administers hundreds of millions of dollars each year among 40 programs that range from homeless services to homeownership. It includes new housing, down payment assistance and home rehabilitation. The agency works with hundreds of partner organizations that represent developers, realtors, landlords, nonprofits, for-profits, local governments and tribal governments. Twenty-five of its partners provide homeless services.
On July 24, the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (NMFA) officials reported on the findings of the state’s most recent housing needs assessment. It outlined how this year alone $84.6 million in state funding will be allocated to address those needs. The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority released its New Mexico Housing Needs Assessment which is a comprehensive annual report. It comprises an array of housing indicators describing affordable housing needs in the state and what strategies and steps are being taken to address those needs.
The full housing needs assessment is available here
At its May and June meetings, the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority Board of Directors approved a $50 million allocation, along with the $34.6 million in state fiscal year 2025 severance tax bond funding. The breakdown includes:
- $26.6 million to create more housing.
- $20 million for down payment assistance.
- $10 million to preserve existing affordable housing.
- $1 million to create stable housing environments.
- $27 million in reserve to use based on particular demands.
NEW LOCATION FOR EXPO NEW MEXICO
Many state and city leaders agree that keeping the State Fair centrally located such as Bernalillo, Valencia or Torrance County would be beneficial due to the interstates.
The governor and other state leaders say there’s already conversations about where a new state fairgrounds could go. Lujan Grisham says they’ve already decided it needs to be near the center of the state but suggested that does not automatically mean Albuquerque. Lujan Grisham said this:
“Imagine, if you will, that Valencia County could offer up some interesting proposals, that the South Valley right here in Bernalillo County. Bernalillo County ought to think about where would a new developed platform in space be. Maybe Torrance County, maybe Edgewood and Santa Fe, where we are looking at I-25 and I-40 corridors that allow New Mexicans who already use that mode of transportation to come and stay at the fair. … We want to make sure that we are identifying the future location of Expo New Mexico. This is not the end of county fairs and state fairs and competitions at the midway and farmers markets.”
Lujan Grisham suggested that placing the fair in the South Valley or a rural area like Edgewood will increase economic development in those areas while also providing space for the State Fair itself. Concerns around accessibility will factor into the final decision. The Governor said this:
“We have made the decision preliminarily to ask for folks to focus on the center of the state … but there are a lot of spaces. Though Albuquerque is a bit constrained, there are still plenty of opportunities in Bernalillo County.”
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller for his part discussed his wish list location for Expo New Mexico, including keeping the fairgrounds in Albuquerque. Keller listed the Balloon Fiesta grounds, Mesa del Sol and West Side spaces as potential locations. Keller referred to previous attempts to move and repurpose Expo New Mexico’s and said this:
“Third time’s the charm, and I think we’re going to do this right. … There’s skin in the game for all of us, so we might actually be able to do this instead of just a wonderful study that we could never deliver on. … The partners who respond to the RFP, whether it’s developers or whether it’s whoever, that’s that partnership that actually can make this work, that we were missing before.”
TIME LINE FOR MOVING
Even as plans are being made for moving Expo New Mexico to a different location, it is expected that the 2025 State Fair will be at the San Pedro location, potentially for the last time. No new location has been identified and no tentative dates have been set for breaking ground at a new location. The governor says she wants to see real movement on this by the end of the legislative session in March. Lujan Grisham said this:
“I’d like to see by the end of the [2025] Legislature a sense about what’s coming in. … I don’t expect that breaking ground will occur significantly in a way that would interrupt the fair later on.”
Links to quoted and relied upon news sources are here:
https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/city-and-state-leaders-announce-plans-to-redevelop-expo-new-mexico/
BUILDING A NEW MULTI PURPOSE ARENA
One major project that is being suggested in the RFP is building a new arena as part of the redevelopment of the existing Expo New Mexico property. The new venue would be a modern arena that has the capacity to support year round large scale concerts and events. It would replace the existing Tingley Coliseum. Demolishing the 60-year-old Tingly Coliseum and building a multipurpose entertainment and sports facility with the capacity of upwards of 20,000 has been a dream of many a Governor, State Fair Commission and Fair Managers.
Tingley Coliseum was built in 1957 and has a capacity for 11,000. Over the years it’s been remodeled and upgraded. Tingley Coliseum in the past two months has received $2 million worth of upgrades geared toward replacing old seats and fixing the electrical system. The work that began in November permanently removed the benches and outdated 80s-era seats for new, wider ones. In the process, the coliseum lost roughly 700 of its total 10,000 seats, but officials plan to make up the loss with more standing-room availability.
The state and Albuquerque in particular for decades has needed a large capacity, multipurpose entertainment venue of upwards of 20,000. It was back on February 25, 2019 that it was reported that there is a need for such a facility and EXPO New Mexico was in the final stages of conducting a feasibility study on the construction of a new arena on the state fairgrounds, but nothing ever happened with the feasibility study.
https://www.krqe.com/news/officials-want-to-build-new-arena-on-state-fairgrounds/
https://www.krqe.com/news/expo-new-mexico-looking-into-new-arena-to-replace-tingley-coliseum/
FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR MOVING STATE FAIR AND INVESTING IN MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS
Available funding to renovate aging state fair facilities or moving the state fair has always been a major impediment. However, that has changed.
On Monday, December 9, the Legislative Finance Committee of the State Legislature reported that new revenue estimate numbers for the state predict legislators will have $892.3 million in “new” money available for next year. New revenue is defined as a figure that represents the difference between projected revenue and current total spending levels. The $892.3 million projection is upwards of $233 million more than was projected in August. According to Legislative Finance Committee data, the improved outlook of increased revenue is due to slowing inflation and an easing interest rate environment.
The budget surplus is fueled primarily by record-high oil and natural gas productions in southeast New Mexico’s Permian Basin. The state is the second-largest oil producer in the nation, behind only Texas, and oil and gas revenue make up about 35% of the state’s total revenue collections, according to legislative data.
New Mexico’s 2024 legislative session lasted only 30 days. Thanks to booming oil and gas production in New Mexico’s section of the Permian Basin, the state legislature began the session with a massive $3.5 billion budget surplus. In 2023, the surplus was also around $3.5 billion.
ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY
The Expo New Mexico fairgrounds is state property controlled and managed exclusively by the state. State, county and city officials will likely have to partner for any project regarding the existing State Fair grounds. The city will likely have to annex the property in order to excise zoning and building authority over any development.
Governor Lujan Grisham and State officials announcing that the state is seeking to relocate the Expo New Mexico Fair Grounds and spending $500,000 in capital outlay funding to develop a master plan for the existing 236 acre cite location borders on the absurd. It made good press, but it was done with nothing but speculation on the economic benefits of moving the fairgrounds to another location without discussion of the ultimate cost to rebuild. The issuance of the RFP for a master plan for the property will eventually be needed, but it is very premature when a new location for Expo New Mexico has yet to be identified.
HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF PROPERTY
What would be the highest and best use of the 236 acres of property is the creation of an Entertainment and Commercial Hub that could actually revitalize the entire SE Heights and surrounding area with creation of all new commercial property areas for shops, restaurants, theaters and entertainment venues.
There are two major facilities would be integrated parts of an Entertainment And Commercial District Hub: the Downs Race Track and Casino and the proposed new multipurpose arena.
The Albuquerque Downs Racetrack and Casino occupies roughly a quarter of the state fairgrounds and it is not going anywhere anytime soon given that it has a 25 year lease subject to renewal. Governor Lujan Grisham said this:
“There is a long term lease that is not expiring in the next two years, four or six. So for now, I would expect that the racino stays for a large amount of time.”
Prominent Albuquerque businessman Paul Blanchard is one of the owners of the Downs Race Track and Casino and there is no doubt he will demand a major say on what happens not only to the casino but on what is to be developed on the existing fair grounds that may affect the casino
Part of the redevelopment of the existing Expo New Mexico property would be the building of a new, modern arena to replace Tingly Coliseum that would support year round large scale concerts and events. This has long been a dream of many elected officials. It’s a capitol improvement project that should go forward regardless of what happens to moving Expo New Mexico. With the continuing State revenue surpluses, the building of a multipurpose state of the art arena to replace Tingly Coliseum would be an investment for future generations.