DAILY LOBO new mexico
friday
Sacrifice see Page 4
November 30, 2012
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Fire near campus destroys home Homeowner says this was second fire in three years
by Ardee Napolitano and Svetlana Ozden news@dailylobo.com
Dark brown smoke billowed into the sky from a fire at an Albuquerque home south of the University on Thursday afternoon. Melissa Romero, the public information officer for the Albuquerque Fire Department, said that at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, AFD firefighters and officers from the Albuquerque Police Department responded to a 911 call about a fire at 2404 Garfield Ave. S.E. She said firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to a church on the east side of the home and other homes to the west. “The call came in as a fully involved house fire, units arrived quickly to find a fully involved house fire, they did a great job at containing the fire to the home itself,” she said. Romero said at the time of the fire that fire investigators were en-route to perform an investigation. She said the cause of the fire was unknown, but that no one was injured and the
see Fire PAGE 3
Juan Labreche / @labrechemode / Daily Lobo A firefighter adjusts his partner’s oxygen tank as they walk toward the remaining crew working to extinguish a house fire Thursday afternoon. All pedestrian and media were restricted from coming within a block of the fire, due to propane tanks nearby.
UNM looks to add retailers, eateries to south campus CURRENT LAYOUT
by Ardee Napolitano news@dailylobo.com
Y
CENTRAL
GROCERY STORE
IV ER
YALE
UN I-25
Lobo Village GAS STATION RESTAURANT
SIT
NORTH
BROADWAY
AVENIDA CESAR CHAVEZ
GIBSO
N
This map demonstrates the lack of eateries near south camps, where Lobo Village and The Pit are located. UNM may partner with retailers to develop commercial space in the area to accommodate those who live and/or attend sporting events on south campus.
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 117
issue 71
Bigs play big
Looking ahead
see Page 5
see Page 5
Lobo Village residents may see more commercial spaces around UNM’s south campus by 2013, as the University is in the process of negotiating with a number of restaurants and retail stores about developing the area. UNM Director of Real Estate Kim Murphy said that because of the dense student and faculty population on south campus, there is critical need for commercial spaces in the area. He said 900 students are set to move into Lobo Village by next year, in addition to the 1.3 million people who visit sports complexes in the area, such as The Pit, each year. “We have a pretty sizable population down there that need services,” he said. “We have very little capacity to serve these folks.” Murphy said the University is planning to develop three sites near south campus, including a 4.3-acre lot and a 1-acre lot near Avenida Cesar Chavez, into a site for restaurants and coffee shops. He said a 45-acre lot between Gibson and the baseball field may be the site for a shopping center. But Murphy declined to provide specific names of
businesses that plan to invest in the project. He said the project is only in its early planning stages, and that the University is writing a master development plan with Ohio-based developer, Fairmount Properties. Fairmount Properties representative Adam Fishman said that although there is still no specific timeline for the projects, construction is set to begin sometime next year. He said he expects the projects to cost about $50 million, which will come from individual businesses that decide to invest on the projects. Fishman said Fairmount is working with the University to compile necessary documents and complete feasibility studies for the project. He said the planned commercial spaces will provide students with local restaurants and sports bars, in addition to services, such as dry cleaners and banks. “I think (the projects) will help students, faculty and the neighborhood by providing much-needed retail services and social gathering places,” he said. “We are in the business to help accomplish students’ hopes and dreams.” Fishman said the projects will bridge the gap between the
see Development PAGE 3
TODAY
61 | 32