2025 New Mexico Legislative Update: Senate Bill SB481 Would Establish “State Fairgrounds District” For Development Of Expo NM; SB481 Passes One Committee; With 5 Days Left Of Session, Will Likely Fail To Become Law; Passage Of Senate Joint Resolution 9 Calling  For Independent Redistricting Commission Be Place On 2026 Ballot Seems Even More Unlikely

There are two Senate Bills introduced for consideration by the 2025 New Mexico State legislature dealing with new funding approaches for the New Mexico State Fair also known as EXPO New Mexico.  SB481 would establish a State Fairgrounds District for management, control and development of the State Fairgrounds. SB482 would have  establish a  Tax Increment Development District (TIDD )for “all land owned by state”  to secures bonds issued up to $1 billion, but the state has abandoned efforts supporting SB482.   With 5 days remaining before the legislature ends, the legislature has only conducted a hearing on SB481

SB481 would establish what would be known as the “State Fairgrounds District” which would consist of a 5-member Board to oversee and govern it and to make appropriations for development. The 5 member board would have the following  designated membership:

  • Governor
  • Lt. Governor
  • Designee of State Senator within whose district the Fairgrounds are located
  • Bernalillo City Commissioner within whose district the Fairgrounds are located
  • Albuquerque City Mayor

Senate Bill 481, would create a “State Fairgrounds District Fund” for  the 236-acre State Fairgrounds located North of  Central Avenue,  South of Lomas,  East of San Pedro and  West of Louisiana and any additional land adjoining it nearby the state may acquire. The legislation would empower the board to issue bonds up to $1billion with the pledge to repay those bonds with Gross Receipt Tax (GRT)  from GRT and Gaming Tax with maturity of up to 25 years for the bonds.

The State Fairgrounds District fund would receive “net receipts attributable to the GRT from business locations  on the state fairground once it is developed to include other year round businesses on the property. The State Fairgrounds District fund would receive “net receipts attributable to gaming tax from business locations on land owned by the state fairgrounds”. SB481 is sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque

On March 11, the Transportation Committee voted  6-3 vote in favor of SB481. This was the first committee the bill was presented to.  The bill  now moves to the Senate Finance Committee for hearings.

Sen. Natalie Figueroa, D-Albuquerque, who represents the area that includes the State Fair Grounds, told the committee this:

“This has the potential to really change a section of our city, very close to my district, that’s been troubled for a long time.”

Figueroa was joined by four other committee Democrats present attendance and Sen. Gabriel Ramos, R-Silver City, in voting in favor of advancing the bill.  The tax committee’s other three Republicans Sens. Nicholas Paul of Alamogordo, Joshua Sanchez of Bosque and William Sharer of Farmington all opposed the bill.

In addition to classifying the area as a “state district fund”, SB481 creates a board to make financial decisions, including the ability to issue revenue bonds of up to $1 billion.  Republican Senator William Sharer of Farmington said the bill does not provide enough oversight for financial decisions and he said this:

“If we’re looking for fraud, waste and abuse, this is where I would start looking.”

 CONTENTIOUS MEETING OPPOSING MOVING STATE FAIR GROUNDS

The bill passed at the same time the Bernalillo County Commission was set to vote on a Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) for infrastructure improvements for the Fair Grounds and for re-development of the area. It was in  January that the Bernalillo County commissioners,  at the request of the state voted  to pass a resolution to establish a Tax Increment Development District, or TIDD, at the site of the fairgrounds.

On February 26, Bernalillo County Government held a public  meeting  attended by upwards of 200 people to discuss and provide information on the county’s  proposed Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) for the  New State Fairgrounds known as EXPO New Mexico. The meeting was highly contentious and was dominated by residents and business owners in the surrounding area who were strongly opposed to moving the State Fair grounds. Upwards of 99% of those in attendance by raise of hand said they were opposed to moving the State Fair grounds.   At the meeting, county leadership pointed the finger at the state for canceling a $500,000 request for proposal to redevelop the area hours before the meeting.

Bernalillo County announced it would not be taking a vote to establish a TIdD .  County spokesperson Randy Harrison said this in a statement:

“The county awaits a master plan from the State of New Mexico for public infrastructure for the 236-acre State Fairgrounds before proceeding [with a TIDD.] … Once the master plan is completed, the Board of County Commissioners retains the option to present and approve a TIDD.”

Harrison also said that the state would no longer pursue Senate Bill 482, a bill that would’ve created the joint TIDD between the county and state that could’ve authorized up to $1 billion in bonds

https://www.abqjournal.com/business/article_e64a3e7e-fee0-11ef-898d-bfe9b10a772d.html

PROPOSAL TO MOVE STATE FAIR GROUNDS

On December 3, Governor  Michelle Lujan Grisham accompanied by Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, Mayor Tim Keller and State Fair Commission Chairman Eric Serna and other officials held a news conference at Expo New Mexico and announced a plan to move the fair grounds to a different location and redevelop the 236 acres  into a mixed-use development. Among the many ideas suggested for the development of the 236 acres of prime property included low income and affordable housing and demolishing the 60-year-old Tingly Coliseum and building a multipurpose entertainment and sports facility. Recommendations for future land use and included commercial retail business development.

The announcement included the release of a Request For Proposal (RFP) that the legislature advanced $500,000 to develop a master plan for the 236-acre cite. The purpose of the Master Plan would be to provide a plan to maximize facilities operations year round, including addressing the needs and growth of the area for the next 10 to 20 years and find perhaps other uses for the property itself. The $500,000 Request for Proposals was issued on December 3 and was to last for 45 days. No new location was announced during the press conference, but it was suggested that keeping the State Fair centrally located such as in Bernalillo, Valencia or Torrance County would be beneficial due to the interstates. On February 26, the state withdrew and cancelled the RFP and announce a new one would be released.

Among the many ideas suggested for the development of the 236 acres of prime property included low income and affordable housing and demolishing the 60-year-old Tingly Coliseum and building a multipurpose entertainment and sports facility. Recommendations for future land use include commercial retail business development.

The announcement to move the Fair Grounds took surrounding neighborhoods and businesses by total surprise. There was a complete failure by the State Fair Commission and the Governor’s Office to reach out to adjoining neighborhood, property owners and businesses to get their thoughts and input.

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING TAKES AN UNUSUAL TURN AT ROUNDHOUSE

On March 17, 2025,  Dick Mason, with the Project Team, Fair Districts for New Mexico issued the following press release:

Late in the day Sunday, March 16, the decades-long effort to turn redistricting over to an independent commission in New Mexico took an unusual turn at the Roundhouse on the Senate Floor.

Senate Joint Resolution 9, sponsored primarily by Senator Natalie Figueroa (D-18) and six Democratic co-sponsors, if passed by both chambers, would put the question of an independent redistricting commission on the 2026 ballot for voters to decide. Late in the day Sunday, Senator Katy Duhigg (D-10), Chair of Senate Rules released SJR9 from Senate Rules Committee preventing it from having a hearing in that Committee.

Senate Judiciary is chaired by Joseph Cervantes (D-31) of Las Cruces. Cervantes has never gone on record as supportive of independent redistricting. While opponents of independent redistricting welcomed this unusual twist for SJR9, advocates for the resolution and its six bill sponsors likely do not.

 “We are disappointed that SJR9 was not heard in Senate Rules. Independent redistricting gained a lot of support in the halls of the Legislature this year. We had the votes from both Republicans and Democrats to pass out of Senate Rules and mark a historic bi-partisan victory for redistricting reform, “ said Hannah Burling, Project Lead for Fair Districts for New Mexico and co-President of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico. “We hope that Senate Judiciary will hear SJR9 promptly, and encourage constituents to reach out to the Chairman and other SJC members to express support for this important legislation.”

Upon news of the release of SJR9 from Senate Rules, Senator Natalie Figueroa had this to say:

“Now, more than ever, New Mexicans need to be able to trust in our election process. Independent Redistricting sends a clear message that voters’ voices matter.” Independent redistricting has garnered growing support prior to and since the 2021 redistricting in New Mexico. In a 2022 poll of likely voters, 77% supported an independent redistricting commission while only 12% opposed.

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF PROPERTY IS EXPO NEW MEXICO

Elected officials and politicians need to keep their greedy little hands off  the State Fair grounds and abandon any effort to move it. The highest and best use of the 236 acres of property is the State Fair itself and keeping it as Expo New Mexico. Expo New Mexico can be revitalized into an Entertainment and Commercial Hub  that could revitalize the entire SE Heights and surrounding area with creation of all new commercial property areas leased by the State Fair for shops, restaurants, theaters and entertainment venues that would also be used for operations of the annual State Fair and during the State Fair itself.

There should be no affordable housing and no other housing on the property. The existing walls along San Pedro, Lomas and Louisiana should remain intact for security reasons but develop larger entrances. Efforts to revitalize adjoining neighborhoods would only be undertaken by private developers perhaps with state and city development and tax incentives. The City of Albuquerque must and can as it has in the past  take aggressive action to deal with nuisance properties that are magnets for crime in the immediate surrounding neighborhoods. The City of  Albuquerque needs to aggressively enforce its vagrancy laws to deal with  the homeless, including making arrests if need be and provide services to them designed to get them off the streets.

The Albuquerque Downs Racetrack and Casino, along with its stables, occupies upwards of half  of the state fairgrounds and it is not going anywhere anytime soon given that it has a 25 year lease with 12 years remaining and 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 try and have major say on what is to be developed on the remaining fairgrounds areas that may affect the casino or racetrack.  But the Fair Grounds is still state property that the state can develop as it sees fit. Perhaps its the racetrack and casino that needs to be moved to another location and county with a buyout, but not the Fair Grounds.

OTHER VENUES

Getting rid of the “midway” ride area on the South side and replacing it with year round entertainment venues and facilities is in order.  Demolishing existing, aging specialty exhibition halls, such as the Manuel Lujan building and livestock exhibition stables and replacing them with new, larger facilities with multi purpose usages likewise is in order. Removing the flea market and replacing it with a Farmers Market or a permanent arts and crafts shopping  area should be in the mix.

There are two major facilities that could be integral  parts of an Entertainment And Commercial District Hub: the Downs Race Track and Casino if they want to still be a part of the State Fair and the proposed new multipurpose arena.  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. It’s a capital improvement project that needs to go forward. With the continuing historical  state revenue surpluses, the building of a multipurpose state of the art arena to replace Tingly Coliseum would be an investment for future generations.

FINAL COMMENTARY

The 2025 New Mexico legislative session began on January 21 and ends on March 22, 2025 and 12:00 Noon when adjournment (sine die) is declared.

With only 4 full days left of the New Mexico Legislature, it is not at all likely that

SB481  establishing  a State Fairgrounds District for management, control and development of the State Fairgrounds will become law, which is very disappointing. Even though it passed one Senate Committee, the bill  still needs to get through other legislative committees and pass the full Senate and House to become law.  The creation of a State Fair Grounds District as proposed by SB481 makes common sense and would guarantee a sustainable future  for EXPO New Mexico where it now exists. If  SB481 fails this legislative session it should be introduced once again during the 2026 legislative session.

The passage of  Senate Joint Resolution 9 calling to  put the question of an independent redistricting commission on the 2026 ballot for voters to decide seems even more unlikely than enactment of SB481.

The link to a related blog article is here:

Public Anger Erupts Over Efforts To Move State Fair Grounds; Governor MLG Needs To Leave EXPO NM Where It Is With No Affordable Housing; Reinvest And Revitalize EXPO NM Into Year Round Entertainment District; Governor MLG’s Response To “Woman Taking Back Our Neighborhood” Reveals  Backtracking Of Epoch Proportions; Postscript: Guest Opinion Column By Colleen Aycock

 

 

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.