New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Arts & Cultural Districts LOS ALAMOS ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT RESOURCE TEAM ASSESSMENT APRIL 2010 Rich Williams, New Mexico Arts and Cultural District Coordinator
1
s &E c Co un lotmu ir ca l D De iv setl roi pc m t e| n Lt oSs t rAal ta emgoy s f o r N e w M e x i c o A r t s & C u l t u r a l NDei w s t rMi ce txsi :c oA ANr et w
2
Cover: Summer Festival on Ashley Pond
N e w
M e x i c o
M a i n S t r e e t
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CONTENTS Chapter 1
Executive Summary............................................................................................................ 4
Chapter 2
New Mexico and Creative Economies............................................................................. 6
Chapter 3
Los Alamos and the Creative Economy........................................................................... 8
Chapter 4
New Mexico Interagency Arts and Cultural District Initiative.................................. 10
Chapter 5
Resource Team Assessment Process................................................................................11
Chapter 6
Resource Team Assessment Purpose.............................................................................. 13
Chapter 7
Community Overview....................................................................................................... 14
Chapter 8
Cultural Planning.............................................................................................................. 16
Chapter 9
Marketing and Promotion............................................................................................... 20
Chapter 10
Physical Planning and Design......................................................................................... 24
Chapter 11
Capacity Building and Finance....................................................................................... 28
Chapter 12
Summary............................................................................................................................ 33
Chapter 13
Acknowledgements........................................................................................................... 35
Chapter 14
Appendices......................................................................................................................... 36
3
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
During a four day visit in April, 2010 a team made up of subject matter experts from throughout the state gathered in Los Alamos to pursue an on-site assessment of the community’s arts and cultural infrastructure, institutions, organizations and practitioners. They conducted numerous interviews with a broad spectrum of residents and researched issues to ultimately develop final recommendations. These recommendations are categorized into four areas: cultural planning, marketing and promotions, physical planning and design, and capacity building and finance. The process of having the Resource Team conduct its on-site research in the community significantly strengthens the local support levels for engaging in the development of a Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District, also referred to hereafter as the Los Alamos Creative Culture District. When that support is partnered with the powerful resources available to a responsive local government and the approval of local businesses, the promise of arts and cultural development improves how local residents and visitors interact with a community’s cultural resources. A public presentation was given to both the community at large and the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee at the conclusion of the visit. During this presentation each group highlighted what it identified as community assets. These included Los Alamos’ international reputation as an important center of research and achievement, its community-wide support for both the visual and performing arts, the impact of its major institutions such as the Bradbury Science Museum and Fuller
Members of the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District (ACD) Resource Team
4
With the passage of the New Mexico Arts and Cultural Districts Act in 2007, the stage was set for providing communities with a framework for broadening economic development through arts and culture. A fast growing movement was underway nationally and globally to examine how arts and culture affect rural and urban economies. Recognizing the state’s rich cultural heritage, New Mexico MainStreet had been developing an Arts and Cultural District initiative since 2005. Los Alamos was authorized as one of four “Second Round” communities qualifying for the Arts and Cultural Districts program. The 2008 “First Round” of the Arts and Cultural Districts program authorized the pilot communities of Silver City and Las Vegas for the program’s debut. With its international reputation as a center of scientific achievement, and its continuing efforts to broaden the community’s cultural sector through year round programs addressing the performing arts, visual art exhibitions and festivals, and exceptionally strong offerings in both music education and music performance, Los Alamos is clearly an ideal focal point for this statewide effort.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Lodge Art Center, and the proximity of Los Alamos to year-round cultural tourism centers such as Santa Fe, Chimayo and Pojoaque. The presentations also covered areas where community groups such as the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee might play important roles in pointing out adjustments that would benefit both the community at large and the arts and cultural organizations serving local residents. These suggested topics included determining the need for a mid-size performance venue, increasing participation by international residents in Los Alamos’ arts and cultural events, and strategizing ways to develop collaborations, exhibitions and programs linking Los Alamos to its nearby communities. Because cultural economic development is one of the most accessible vehicles for creating jobs and bettering communities across New Mexico, another area of importance discussed in the concluding presentation was the need to determine the Los Alamos Creative Culture District’s boundaries. Doing so will help build support for the district from local business owners concerned about the district’s impact on their net revenues. Restored kiva, Bandelier National Monument
5
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 2
NEW MEXICO AND CREATIVE ECONOMIES In the past two decades a rapid acceleration of multimedia technology characterized by the global adoption of the Internet has enabled the revitalization of many downtown business districts and innercity neighborhoods as culture and arts magnets. Only recently have public policies and development incentives been crafted to specifically encourage the growth of cultural economic development in targeted locations ranging from distressed rural communities to decaying urban industrial zones. Economic forecasters anticipated and analyzed the rise of the creative economy as a direct result of trends converging to form an interconnected global marketplace. Among the first to describe the needs and attributes of a new generation of creative economy workers flourishing in this emerging marketplace was management guru Peter Drucker, who in his 1993 book “Post-Capitalist Society” predicted the fundamental importance of knowledge and information rather than labor, capital or resources, to the creation of wealth and prosperity in a digital age.
6
Subsequent studies have confirmed the critical importance of arts and cultural sector professionals in creative economies while describing their specialized technological and infrastructure needs. In his 2002 book “The Rise of the Creative Class,” Richard Florida broadly described a creative economy’s supercreative core as well as allied creative sector professionals employed in fields as diverse as education, sciences, public policy and health care. The occupational categories and expertise of individuals comprising the Creative Class included: Super-Creative Core Occupations: • Computer and math • Architecture and engineering • Life, physical, and social science • Education, training, and library • Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media Creative Professionals’ Occupations • Management • Business and financial operations • Legal • Health care practitioners and technical • High-end sales and sales management New Mexico, which began to attract the interest of modern artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, offers one of the most enduring and influential creativity-based economies in North America. With the development of the Taos and Santa Fe artists’ colonies, the influence of creative field professionals yielded significant innovations in architecture and urban design such as the interpretation of the state’s architecture as Pueblo Revival style. It also resulted in the creation by Santa Fe city ordinance of the Canyon Road arts district, still one of the most successful efforts of its kind in the annals
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
of American arts and cultural development history. Northern New Mexico subsequently attracted generations of cultural visionaries who founded groundbreaking institutions such as the School of American Research, Stables Art Center, Santa Fe Indian Market, the Harwood Museum, and many other arts and cultural anchors important to the regional economy. The success of New Mexico’s creative economy has also been achieved through the expertise and impacts of the research centers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory, the continued growth of the state’s outdoors recreation industry; the national acclaim for performing arts excellence presented by Santa Fe Opera, Music at Angel Fire and other arts organizations, and the rising profile of the state’s influential film production industry. Many visitors to the state are familiar with the arts, performance, music and crafts traditions of our Pueblo Tribes, Navajo Nation and Apache Tribes. Far fewer are aware of the rich creative legacies established by New Mexico’s Hispanic, African American, Asian and Anglo cultures. The factors that once helped preserve and strengthen the artistic heritage of New Mexico continue to guide today’s generation of artists. From one end of the state to the other, New Mexico is ready to expand the positive impacts of its successful arts and cultural economic development models to its rural communities.
7
Fuller Lodge
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 3
Los Alamos Little Theater
LOS ALAMOS AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
8
In comparison to the diverse population and places encountered across New Mexico, Los Alamos is a unique community, home to Los Alamos National Scientific Laboratory, and the legacy of the Manhattan Project. Developing a Los Alamos Creative Culture District that effectively serves this community through the dynamic revitalization efforts of “creative economic development,” requires a balanced strategy that recognizes the community’s achievements in the sciences while addressing its aspirations to be more closely integrated with region’s culture of creativity. In ways similar to the cultural economic development characteristics of Santa Fe and Taos, Los Alamos has pioneered its own culture of creativity since its founding in the WWII era. Presenting the Los Alamos perspective on creativity in the context of a regionally competitive arts and cultural marketplace requires an effort that builds upon the community’s strengths while establishing the appeal of its arts sector. After the symbolic millennium transition in 2000, many leading cities worldwide sought guidance and new strategies to develop their tourism primacy and advantages. “Creative Economic Development,” the “Experiential Economy,” and “Creative Tourism,” are among the recent paradigm innovations relevant to Los Alamos. These strategies build upon a well-established cultural and tourism infrastructure in order to innovate and offer visitors participatory experiences emphasizing authenticity, education, discovery, cultural interaction, self-improvement, and other potentially life-changing opportunities highly prized by today’s travelers. Many experts predict that various passive forms of tourism, recreation, shopping and cultural experience are becoming outdated or regressive when it comes to the challenge of attracting a multi-media savvy generation of prospective tourists. This evolution has been succinctly described as the change from a “purchasing” paradigm to an “experiential” paradigm. The New Mexico Arts and Cultural District Resource Team was impressed by the awareness of Los Alamos’ artists, creative sector presenters, and community leaders of this critical shift in consumer values and its potential impact on the local economy. The challenge lies in transforming the parameters of Los Alamos’ arts and Downtown Farmer’s Market
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
cultural sector to a broader platform. In this new role it will help lead an effort that includes a significant amount of infrastructure enhancement. While this might strike some local artists and arts administrators as unorthodox, to others this new role is well suited to a place with an international reputation for solving complex problems. A new program launched in October 2004 by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) called the “Creative Cities Network” is a good place to investigate. In fact, Santa Fe is UNESCO’s first American “Creative City” and hosted the Santa Fe International Conference on Creative Tourism on September 28-October 2, 2008. Creative Cities within the UNESCO framework designates a thematic area of concentration from among the following: Literature, Cinema, Music, Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Media Arts and Gastronomy. The global partnership includes such distinctive cities as Edinburgh, Melbourne, Bologna, Glasgow, Seville, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Montreal, Nagoya, and others (a total of twenty cities have been designated as of 2010). The Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee could pursue working cooperatively with the city of Santa Fe, MainStreet New Mexico’s Arts and Cultural Districts program and other partners to develop new programming and training opportunities addressing the full range of impacts from UNESCO’s designation. With a new style of cultural entrepreneurship becoming key to the success of New Mexico’s Arts and Cultural Districts, efforts to provide innovation leaders with technical support, specialized training, economic incentives and broadened opportunities would be of mutual concern to communities statewide. 9
Downtown Festival musicians
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 4
NEW MEXICO INTERAGENCY ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT INITIATIVE In response to economic uncertainties impacting numerous communities across the state, New Mexico’s Legislature in 1985 adopted the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s MainStreet program to address these economic declines. Las Vegas, Silver City, Socorro, Raton, and Gallup were subsequently authorized as the state’s five original MainStreet communities. New Mexico MainStreet began developing an Arts and Cultural District initiative in 2005. Presentations outlining the initiative were made to MainStreet communities and officials of the Economic Development Department. During the decade’s middle years several nationally recognized authors released books, wrote articles and published reports analyzing the far reaching social and economic impacts being experienced by communities positioned to take advantage of rapidly expanding economies driven by creative sector entrepreneurs, artists and cultural organizations. Communities across the nation took a keen interest in their local opportunities to participate in this shifting development paradigm. In addition, Santa Fe and Albuquerque commissioned economic analyses of their arts and cultural economies while the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs assessed the impact of the state’s creative economy.
10
In the 2007 Legislative session the New Mexico Arts and Cultural Districts Act was passed and signed into law by Governor Bill Richardson. The enabling legislation outlined a process by which communities could apply for a designated arts and cultural district and receive approval from the New Mexico Arts Commission. Incentives to be applied within these districts were offered to municipalities and private property owners. The director of New Mexico MainStreet was designated as the Arts and Cultural Districts Coordinator. State agencies including New Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, New Mexico Department of Tourism and the New Mexico Scenic Byways program have joined New Mexico MainStreet in its efforts to present the Arts and Cultural Districts program to communities statewide. Other founding partners in the Arts and Cultural Districts program include the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and the McCune Charitable Foundation. New Mexico MainStreet’s regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of MainStreet communities in late 2007 introduced the Arts and Cultural districts application and authorization process to prospective candidate communities. In January 2008 Silver City and Las Vegas, the two communities that submitted the highest rated Arts and Cultural District applications were authorized as pilot communities for the program’s implementation. Silver City’s influential group of visual artists, musicians, performing artists and creative economy entrepreneurs was viewed as offering notable opportunities for expanding the community’s wide range of creative enterprises. Las Vegas’ emphases on historic and cultural preservation as well as its proximity to Santa Fe and Taos were factors viewed as offering substantial heritage tourism marketing opportunities to providers of goods and services.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 5
New Mexico Main Street Managers tour downtown Los Alamos
RESOURCE TEAM ASSESSMENT PROCESS Across a stretch of three spectacular days during the middle of April, 2010 a Resource Team of subject matter experts under the direction of New Mexico MainStreet met in Los Alamos to conduct a Resource Team Assessment of the community’s strongest arts and cultural assets, its most promising potentials, its present shortcomings, and those issues requiring long term solutions. The background expertise of the Resource Team members reflected the inter-departmental structure of the Arts and Cultural District Program’s authorizing legislation as signed into law by Governor Bill Richardson. Additional expertise was brought into the Resource Team through local and national consulting authorities in fields such as cultural planning, urban planning, and economic development. Throughout its three days of on-site research and analysis the Resource Team gathered in a meeting room of the Los Alamos Comfort Inn for early morning and late evening strategy sessions in which each of the Resource Team’s four focal groups discussed their findings and objectives. The focal groups pursued areas of inquiry in cultural planning, marketing and promotion, physical planning and design, and capacity building and finance. In its efforts to assemble, analyze and evaluate a wide range of information concerning the community’s arts and cultural successes and challenges the Resource Team emphasized strategies and objectives that could be developed and achieved within timeframes not exceeding 24 months. In practical terms many objectives could be realized sooner. During its time in Los Alamos the Resource Team was provided with background community information as well as key local contacts by the leadership of the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee. Each of the Resource Team’s four focal groups engaged with numerous members of the community through open public meetings held at the Fuller Lodge Art Center, as well as guided tours of the community led by members of the local steering committee, walking tours of downtown Los Alamos, and social events and casual conversations. In the evenings, the Resource Team members met to share their findings with other team members in an intensive effort to discover common themes and craft a comprehensive vision for recommendation to the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee. The Resource Team concluded its visit with a community presentation at the Los Alamos Community Building. During this public event, which lasted for one hour including questions from audience members, each of the Resource Team’s four focal groups delivered summaries of their findings and recommendations framed in both short term and longer range contexts. This report serves as a forum allowing for in-depth presentation of the focal group findings.
11
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
RESOURCE TEAM MEMBERS Elmo Baca Architectural Historian, New Mexico MainStreet Molly Bleeker Research Scientist, UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) Steve Borbas Architect and Planner Charlie Deans Urban Planner, Community by Design Loie Fecteau Director, New Mexico Arts Laurie Frantz Program Manager, New Mexico Scenic Byways, New Mexico Tourism Department William Powell Architect and Designer Jesse Rye Policy and Program Associate, National Association of State Arts Agencies, Washington, D.C. 12
John Villani Cultural Planning Consultant Ann Weisman Cultural Planner, New Mexico Arts Rich Williams - State ACD Coordinator Director, New Mexico MainStreet rich.williams@state.nm.us Chuck Zimmer Public Art Manager, New Mexico Arts
New Mexico Main Street ACD Resource Team in Los Alamos
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 6
RESOURCE TEAM ASSESSMENT PURPOSE Informing community residents, organizations, businesses and public officials about local impacts and expectations pursuant to being authorized by New Mexico MainStreet for an Arts and Cultural District is one of the primary goals of the Resource Team Assessment. As a new program impacting one of the most important economic sectors in many New Mexico communities, it’s understandable that individuals and businesses, especially those whose residences, studios, performance venues and retail establishments happen to be located within the anticipated boundaries of the Arts and Cultural District, would be concerned about any impacts that may result from their district’s implementation. Agendas developed by the Resource Team in collaboration with the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee offered numerous opportunities for local residents to articulate their questions and concerns to Resource Team members. Members of the Steering Committee were present throughout most of the Resource Team’s forums and forays, providing valuable local perspectives in response to questions from Resource Team members, concerned citizens, and local business owners. The authorization of Los Alamos as a New Mexico Arts and Cultural District opened a vibrant community conversation embracing issues such as local government policies, state tourism development strategies, educational opportunities, summer art festivals, and the availability of suitable venues for the community’s vibrant performing arts sector. The Resource Team’s public forums at Fuller Lodge Arts Center and its concluding presentation at the Los Alamos Community Building provided important opportunities for in-depth conversations on the need for Los Alamos to carefully draw the boundaries of its Arts and Cultural District with an emphasis on developing a fully integrated community asset. Through these sessions both the Resource Team and local citizens were able to identify a range of issues that could potentially be addressed through the design and development of the Los Alamos Creative Culture District.
Fall Quarterly NMMS meeting in Fuller Lodge 2009
13
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 7
Bradbury Science Museum
COMMUNITY OVERVIEW
14
From its location at 7,320 ft. elevation on the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains, the community of Los Alamos is home to approximately 12,000 residents. Founded during WWII as part of the classified Manhattan Project, Los Alamos has maintained close ties to the national and international scientific mainstream through the continuing efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratories in the realms of national security, energy conservation, super computing, life science and many other leading edge technologies. Los Alamos is a place quite different from its nearby northern New Mexico communities. A planned community whose modern roots date back to 1942, the 2000 US Census puts Los Alamos’s population at 89.13% White, 12.21% Hispanic and 0.56 Native American. Santa Fe, just 35 miles southeast, was established by Spanish explorers and missionaries 400 years ago. Neighboring Española, home to approximately 10,000 residents, is even older than Santa Fe and has a population that’s 84.38% Hispanic, according to the 2000 US Census. San Ildefonso Pueblo’s nearly 500 residents are 79.48% Native American. With its historically strong ties to the defense industry, Los Alamos has attracted a highly educated populace whose expertise now extends far beyond the specialized physicists, researchers and scientists capable of designing, maintaining and overseeing the defense industry projects assigned to Los Alamos National Laboratories. As the state’s best educated community it boasts of 62.1% of residents holding bachelor’s degrees or higher (2000 Census). Median household income in Los Alamos is also on the top rung of New Mexico’s ladder, with $71,536 being the norm. The community enjoys an enviable quality of life, with ready access to outdoors recreation treasures such as Bandelier National Monument’s 33,677 acres of hiking trails and historic sites, the 40 alpine trails at Parajito Mountain Ski Area, Valles Caldera’s trout streams, and nearby mountains offering camping, biking and rock climbing opportunities. Along with its outstanding outdoors recreation assets Los Alamos has also been successful in attracting and developing a broad range of artists, arts administrators and arts organizations. During the summer months a strongly supported music series presents weekly concerts at Ashley Pond and other venues. Fuller Lodge Art Center has traditionally served as the community’s premier setting for visual arts exhibitions staged year-round, as well as a summer art camp for local youth and the especially popular Rock art on the Pajarito Plateau
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
The community’s most prominent performing arts organization is the Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra. Its group of nearly 50 musicians includes several especially promising students and it supports the development of young musicians through the awarding of scholarships. The orchestra performs regularly with as many as 75 members of the Los Alamos Choral Society, while the five annual concerts presented by the Los Alamos Concert Association deliver top-level national and international talents to enthusiastic local audiences. Bradbury Science Museum, an extraordinarily successful outreach project from Los Alamos National Laboratories, is downtown Los Alamos’ leading tourist attraction. Its compelling and informative exhibits and public programs are patronized by nearly 100,000 annual visitors.
Summer festival on Ashley Pond Park
Panorama of Los Alamos, view to east with Los Alamos National Laboratory in center foreground
and well-attended Fuller Lodge Arts & Crafts Fair in mid-August on Rodeo Weekend. Los Alamos Little Theatre has presented stage crafts since 1943; Los Alamos Light Opera had its start in 1954; and the Los Alamos Big Band performs as many as a dozen annual concerts.
15
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 8
CULTURAL PLANNING OVERVIEW Cultural Planning encourages the efficient use of a community’s arts and cultural resources. It addresses questions about how organizations and other entities involved in the presentation and production of programs, exhibitions and services connected to the arts can meet both their own goals and the community’s arts and cultural needs.” In the context of developing an Arts and Cultural District, Cultural Planning results in agreement as to what a community expects to achieve through the participation of its artists, arts organizations and cultural entities. In turn, the Cultural Planning process encourages artists, arts organizations and cultural entities to fully inform the community as to their capacity to participate in any strategic plans impacting their endeavors.
16
In today’s climate of economic uncertainty the practical need for smart planning becomes clear. Even in the best of times there’s a realization shared by administrators and creators that goal-oriented strategies addressing the arts’ societal roles are fundamental. These strategies help develop successful balances between a community and its arts and cultural sectors. Through the Cultural Planning process most arts and cultural organizations find they have sufficient capacity to participate at some level in the Arts and Cultural District effort. In addition to these organizational perspectives there are significant benefits achieved through the Cultural Planning process in respect to its local impact on a community and on the interaction between public entities and organizations connected to the local arts and cultural sector. Through its emphasis on openness and outreach the Cultural Planning process presents multiple opportunities for effectively linking local arts and cultural organizations to all demographic corners of a community. This results in the establishing of frequent and effective communication between those organizations and local residents. Public sector entities benefit as well from the Cultural Planning process through its development of
Fourth of July Parade crowd gathers on Central Avenue
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
vehicles such as community forums and online access points. These allow for increased communication opportunities between the public sector, the citizens it serves, and the arts sector entities that benefit from its support. Cultural Planning will inform and connect all of the individuals, organizations and entities that stand to be impacted by the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural district. The process of developing a cultural plan will allow all of Los Alamos to participate in the district’s implementation and design at a multitude of levels. Through the Cultural Planning process Los Alamos will be able to define not only the parameters of the Los Alamos Creative Culture District but also will determine the specific ways that its arts organizations and other entities will participate in and benefit from the district.
STRENGTHS AND CONSTRAINTS • The enduring appeal of Northern New Mexico as one of the continent’s most dynamic settings for the creation and presentation of art places Los Alamos inside the boundaries of a region largely defined by the unique character of its culture. The regional cultural connections enjoyed by Los Alamos include nearby places such as the Espanola Valley and Chimayo, both of which are home to practitioners of traditional Hispanic craftsmanship and leading creators of devotional religious art; Native American Pueblos such as San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Nambe and Pojoaque, each home to internationally renowned artists whose creations are prized by top art collectors; and Santa Fe, where more than two hundred art galleries and over a dozen art museums attract a year-round flow of cultural tourists interested in everything from opera to architecture. • Being part of a region whose traditions of creativity and cultural expression are discussed in the context of centuries is a mixed blessing for Los Alamos. On the one hand, there’s awareness on the part of local residents as to the financial viability and societal value of visual arts, performing arts and cultural heritage. Similarly, the type of visitor attracted to the region is likely to value creative endeavors and cultural expressions connected to Northern New Mexico’s multi-cultural traditions. On the other hand, the region is so closely identified with its unique cultural composition and longstanding traditions of creative expression that a comparatively new community where the local population is overwhelmingly Anglo doesn’t easily fit into the expectations of visitors and local residents as to the texture of a Northern New Mexico experience. • From its earliest days as the Manhattan Project’s center of scientific expertise there has been a determinedly dedicated effort to incorporate creative expression as a defining element of the Los Alamos experience. There’s an abundance of contemporary organizations dedicated to presenting, performing and exhibiting all sides of the community’s creative and cultural spirit. Los Alamos Symphony Orchestra, which celebrates its 64th season of concerts, is one of the most prominent local arts organizations. Los Alamos Arts Council, presenter of prominent events such as the Fuller Lodge Concert Series, the semi-annual Los Alamos Arts and Crafts Fair, and the Los Alamos Film Society is another. In addition to these organizations there are widely supported entities such as Los Alamos Little Theatre, Dance Arts Los Alamos, Los Alamos Concert Association, and Gordon’s Concerts, each adding their special talents and perspectives to the community’s cultural profile. • The presence of Bradbury Science Museum in the center of Los Alamos bolsters the community’s cultural identity with a facility that’s both a sophisticated gathering spot for visitors and a
17
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
COMMUNITY FEEDBACK • An immediate opportunity to increase the impact of Los Alamos’ arts sector is the need to improve participation from the community’s international population. Appropriate forums such as piano competitions or celebrations of cultural traditions could provide international residents with a good fit. • Nearby communities such as Santa Clara, San Ildefonso and Pojoaque are among the nation’s most acclaimed centers of Native American creative achievement. The same can be said for Hispanic creative expression in places such as Chimayo, Truchas and El Rito. Developing active relationships with artists in these and other Northern New Mexico communities would serve the interests of creators and organizations on both sides of these efforts.
18
• Because the Los Alamos Creative Culture District will address the aspirations of Los Alamos’ creative sector one of its anchor buildings could be designated as a creativity incubator. This facility should be easily adapted to serve interests such as flexible workshop space for instruction, wall space for exhibitions, affordable space for studios, and shared administrative space for small arts nonprofits. • Arts organizations and presenters have ready access to a performing arts venue of nearly 1,000 seat capacity on the grounds of Los Alamos High School. Smaller spaces at Fuller Lodge Arts Center and the Los Alamos Little Theater are used by organizations and presenters for performing arts events drawing audiences of 200 or less. Audiences for events drawing somewhere between those extremes have been accommodated in some of the community’s places of worship. • With strong support for performing arts events providing a distinct identity to the arts and cultural profile of Los Alamos, accommodating steady growth in audiences for these events has proven problematic. Church hall acoustics and seating are less than optimal, while medium sized audiences appear sparse inside the high school’s theatre. What’s missing is a flexible performance venue with a capacity in the range of 400 to 500 seats. • While ticket sales for events are typically strong and volunteer interest from civic groups is high, an important asset that should be part of Los Alamos’ cultural mosaic is leadership in the form of major donor philanthropy. Identifying and nurturing the support of individuals and families capable of playing lead roles in funding significant initiatives should be pursued.
SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS • Develop a cultural planning committee.
Bradbury Science Museum
powerful starting point for efforts aimed at designing and developing the Los Alamos Creative Culture District. Home to a wide range of permanent and changing exhibitions as well as year-round public programs, the museum is of a size and scope more expected to be found in major metropolitan areas.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
The Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee should assemble a diverse and representative cultural planning committee that includes representation from artistic, creative and scientific disciplines; ethnic, international and youth communities; retail, hospitality and creative businesses; local government and development partners. • Conduct an inventory of visual artists. Pueblo stone fetish art
By surveying visual artists working and living in Los Alamos and the surrounding communities, the Creative Cultural District will gain specific understanding of their needs. This survey provides a starting point for informing the community on issues impacting the visual arts sector and becomes the foundation for an online registry of Los Alamos artists. It will also assist in the development of a sustainable visual arts studio facility. • Collaborate with the Arts in Public Places Program of New Mexico Arts. Drawing on the expertise of this state agency allows the community’s public art committee to better evaluate prospective projects, assess current public art policies, and develop future strategies. • Perform a needs assessment for a 400 to 500-seat performance venue. The committee should analyze through surveys, interviews and other input mechanisms how the operations of local performing arts entities and arts educators would be improved by developing a mid-size performance facility. While the need for a mid-size venue is widely known, designs for any venue should be made with economic conditions in mind.
LONG TERM RECOMMENDATIONS • Ensure that arts and cultural programs are accessible to all of Los Alamos. Through programs and events that celebrate the various cultures of Los Alamos, citizens can began to understand their neighbors and coworkers. The committee should examine whether impediments to participation exist. • Develop a Creativity Incubator. This could also be a space where artists and creative sector entrepreneurs learn the skills to run sustainable businesses or non-profit organizations. The space will need to reflect a spirit of innovation and a belief that the intersection of arts and science can result in social and economic benefits. The space should be easily adapted to serve interests such as flexible workshop space for instruction, wall space for exhibitions, shared studio space and equipment. It might also offer affordable rental space for the offices of arts organizations. • Establish studio space for artists and creative sector workers. The boundaries of the Los Alamos Creative Culture District should be considered an opportunity to create new perceptions about Los Alamos. Among these is the notion that Los Alamos is an inviting place to live or work as an artist. Affordable and accessible studio, administrative and arts retail space creates an environment sought by artists and creative field workers, both those who currently live in Los Alamos and those who would consider moving to the community.
19
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 9
MARKETING AND PROMOTION OVERVIEW In todays fast-moving and hyper-competitive climate of tourism development and promotion, it is essential that Los Alamos maximize the potential appeal of its natural, scientific, cultural, and artistic assets. Strategies for marketing the Los Alamos Creative Culture District should build upon the community’s legacy of achievements while simultaneously broadening perceptions that it only offers a narrowly focused range of attractions. Los Alamos has established a good foundation for promoting the community’s attractions to tourists. The community has created beautiful promotional materials, and it has recently begun promoting package deals. An essential first step in pushing tourism promotion to the next level is establishing a unique identity. Los Alamos is indisputably authentic, in that it is the home of the Manhattan Project, as well as Los Alamos National Labs, with its incredible wealth of scientific creativity. This authenticity is what should be promoted, and it is what gives the community a distinct advantage over other communities in the Mountain West that are promoting themselves as arts and culture destinations. Of the ideas the resource team heard, those that sounded the most promising as possible “niches” Los Alamos could fill in the new creative economy were those related to science / innovation and to history. 20
A theme of science/innovation could incorporate a vastly expanded Next Big Idea Festival; hosting national science fairs, lectures, and competitions; a year-round science-related exhibit; promotion of Los Alamos’ proximity to Valles Caldera, world-renowned as a study area for volcanologists and geologists; and science-based recreational activities, such as geo-caching or a sci-fi film festival. The history of Los Alamos, and in particular, that of the Manhattan Project, could also be promoted as a Los Alamos Creative Culture District product, possibly in combination with the science idea. The creation of a Manhattan Project national park, which is rumored, would be a huge boon to tourism, but even without this designation, the town could expand upon its existing Manhattan Project-related tourism offerings. Panorama of the Valle Grande National Preserve
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Historic house in Bathtub Row National Historic District
Another Los Alamos Creative Culture District product that could be promoted, as well as enhanced hospitality amenities, is the proximity of Los Alamos to the outdoor and cultural recreation opportunities in the area, such as Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera, the Jemez Mountains, and the Santa Clara and San Ildefonso pueblos. Promoting the powerful appeal of Los Alamos as a unique place not only in terms of its storied past but more importantly in the context of its present day support for advancements in artistic and cultural realms should be a priority.
STRENGTHS • Today’s Los Alamos is a place of diversity in terms of its residents. Accomplished individuals from across the globe are attracted to the community by the expanding diversity of research and technology initiatives undertaken through Los Alamos National Laboratory. Diversity is an important asset in this community’s daily life and one worth emphasizing in its promotional campaigns. • Creativity and artistic achievement are valued components of the Los Alamos lifestyle. From visual art exhibitions and education programs offered through Fuller Lodge Art Center, through the classical music training available in local schools, to the performing arts sponsored by the Los Alamos Concert Association, this is undeniably a place supportive of artistic diversity and accomplishment. • Los Alamos residents are extremely supportive of their neighbors’ efforts in artistic and cultural
©2010; Paula Valentine
21
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
expression. The longevity of organizations such as Los Alamos Little Theatre, Los Alamos Symphony, Los Alamos Arts Council and the Los Alamos Arts and Crafts Fair can be explained in uncomplicated terms as a tradition of support for creativity. This community benefits from a long standing tradition of buying tickets for performances, buying art from local artists, and perhaps most importantly stepping up to volunteer in service to its arts and cultural non-profit entities.
• A thoughtful and sophisticated effort aimed at promoting and marketing Los Alamos to the rest of New Mexico and points beyond the state’s borders has resulted in the community having developed the right kinds of print materials, online resources, advertising campaigns and social media strategies. 22
CONSTRAINTS • Amenities that would enhance the experience of attending events offered through the community’s active calendar of lectures, performances and exhibitions are inadequate. In other words, Los Alamos rolls up its sidewalks too early in the evening. • There is a lack of easily accessible marketing and promotional materials for tourists. For instance, the Visitors’ Guide was not easily found in the businesses resource team members visited, and focus group participants indicated that locals do not recommend local businesses to tourists. Further, a lack of signage aimed at visitors in cars makes it difficult for these visitors to locate attractions, and there is a general lack of advertising of Los Alamos in the state. • There’s an ongoing community discussion, though some refer to it as a disagreement, over questions regarding the most effective ways to characterize which aspects of Los Alamos are to be given primacy in efforts to promote and market the community.
SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS • Decide upon which of the range of promotable facets that exist in regards to characterizing the Los Alamos experience will best suit the community’s purposes over the time frame of developing the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District. Consider promoting Los Alamos as a City of Science and Innovation through initiatives such as
Downtown wayfinding sign
• There is also good coordination of the many offerings through the Chamber of Commerce’s calendar of events available through the website fyiLA.com and the Los Alamos Arts Council’s events calendar at http://www.laartscouncil. org/events.html. Los Alamos has begun to market package deals, such as those available for visitors to Parajito Mountain Ski Area. The promotional materials, such as the Visitors’ Guide, the Historic District walking tour, and the new way-finding kiosks, are very well done. The hotel occupancy rates during the week (estimated to be around 90%) are very impressive. The new skate park at the library has brought youth to the district. Finally, the local public transit system has been very well received by local residents.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Alternatively, or in combination with the City of Science and Innovation program, promotion of the region’s history could be greatly expanded, perhaps by promoting the story of the Manhattan Project and/or by playing on the secretive nature of the project by establishing spy themed institutions, activities, and events, such as a spy museum or a re-enactment of the rumored secretive route visitors had to take to visit the area during the Manhattan Project.
Pueblo ruin, Bathtub Row historic district
expanding the Next Big Idea Festival, increasing the regional visibility of programs and lectures connected to leading edge technologies being developed at LANL, and, possibly, developing an immersive technology “visionarium”, and/or an IMAX theater to exhibit these technologies.
Simultaneously, Los Alamos could be marketed as the “base camp” for tourists interested in exploring the many cultural and natural recreational attractions in the region, such as Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera, the Jemez Mountains, and the Santa Clara and San Ildefonso pueblos. This would require promoting and developing the hospitality, retail, and restaurant businesses that appeal to outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
LONG RANGE RECOMMENDATIONS • Increase the range and impact of collaborative opportunities that exist between UNM Los Alamos, LANL and the region’s leading Native American and Hispanic communities engaged in arts and cultural activities. • Develop a five year marketing plan that makes effective use of both the positive developments connected to the Los Alamos Creative Culture District and also the energized impacts on the community’s lifestyle that are connected to its growing arts and cultural sector. • Institute training programs that target both the leadership of Los Alamos Creative Culture District and the hospitality industry workers who will serve as contact points for visitors attracted to Los Alamos by the district’s amenities, opportunities and offerings.
Downtown Fourth of July Parade
23
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 10
PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN Growing Pains Los Alamos has made a remarkable, nearly miraculous, transformation from an isolated summer camp in the Jemez Mountains in the 1930’s to an internationally recognized center for scientific inquiry and innovation. In just six decades, Los Alamos has grown exponentially and symbolically from the rustic lodge pole architecture of Fuller Lodge to a lively city forging a new identity and image. As a federal government “company town” developed under the utmost secrecy during World War II, Los Alamos never developed organically as did other New Mexico communities. Barrack housing, Quonset buildings, and massive but stark industrial scientific complexes hastily erected by the Manhattan Project characterized Los Alamos for several decades after the War. Los Alamos is thus influenced by a more contemporary architectural “palette” of styles and materials than its more ancient neighbors in the northern Rio Grande watershed. Ironically surrounded by some of America’s most ancient and legendary prehistoric structures at Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos in its recent architecture aspires to a refined expression of regional modernism as befits its highly creative residents. Los Alamos modernism seeks to expand the traditional vocabulary of glass, steel and concrete to include sandstone and stucco. 24
Today Los Alamos is still in a process of transition from the “company town” to a unique Southwestern community. Many World War II era buildings have been rehabilitated and “restyled” to suit the growing
Proposed Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Boundary
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
city; others have been or will be torn down. Los Alamos has utilized Main Street revitalization strategies along with a focused historic preservation campaign, and the community is well-versed in advanced planning and urban design concepts. Los Alamos is still feeling the growing pains of its transformation. Its limited and expensive housing supply is caused by several factors, including its restrictive site atop a lofty mesa, along with impermanent, inadequate housing structures left by the federal government, and also the disastrous Cerro Grande fire of 2000 that destroyed hundreds of homes. The acute housing shortage hampers urban development and growth. The removal of major federal Manhattan project buildings in the downtown core over time yielded an abundance of surface parking lots which pose a major design and development challenge. Yet these are manageable planning and design issues in Los Alamos. The County’s substantial human, natural and financial resources are more than adequate to realize high quality infrastructure improvements in the downtown core and Creative District.
Strengths and Assets for Planning and Urban Design in Los Alamos In general, Los Alamos is a safe and friendly town with excellent infrastructure. The community boasts attractive pedestrian areas and walkways linking excellent facilities such as the County library, Fuller Lodge, and the Bradbury Science Museum. The city’s roadway system yields astonishing views of the surrounding mountain scenery and the Rio Grande valley below. The community is organized around Ashley Pond, a landscaped central park that functions as a plaza, park, and venue for special events. Downtown Los Alamos has been upgraded several times since the 1950’s;
Proposed Opportunity Sites, Los Alamos ACD
25
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
recent projects include attractive lighting, sidewalks, “traffic calming” bulb-outs, and way finding signage. Significant historic landmarks including “Bathtub Row” and the modernist Post Office building have been well preserved, giving the downtown core a picturesque quality (“cabins in the pines”) and sense of tradition. The post-World War II community shopping center has been converted to private businesses uses by a private developer. Los Alamos recovered from the shock and tragedy of the Cerro Grande fire, and the real estate bubbleboom of recent years fueled spectacular development speculation, including a proposed Trinity Square project. This proposed building, featuring mixed-use office and retail, would provide a strong anchor on the downtown’s south side. The collapse of the real estate industry after 2008 has stalled Trinity Square and other projects, but county and community developers are actively researching alternative financing strategies.
Planning and Design Challenges Despite the many quality streetscape and architectural improvements in the downtown core, Los Alamos lacks the critical urban density to achieve a truly pedestrian, “walkable” environment. The primary cause of the problem is known – about 65% of downtown’s land use is devoted to surface parking lots.
A critical missing element in downtown’s essential uses is housing, especially the type that would appeal to young professionals and families. Mixed use developments of live/work apartments over retail storefronts are typical, and one or more of these housing projects would be welcome.
Recommended Actions – Los Alamos Creative District Planning and Urban Design The Resource Team recommends the following major planning and urban design strategies for consideration by Los Alamos’ Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee. The intent of these concepts is to increase urban density, promote pedestrian activity, and attract new residents to the district. Expand the Los Alamos Creative Culture District boundary to include Ashley Pond, the Library, Demo
Graphic illustration of parking lots (black), downtown Los Alamos
26
The transitional evolution of downtown noted earlier is moving towards more substantial and stylistically coherent buildings, but careful and constant planning and vigilance is required to ensure an appealing downtown aesthetic. Currently downtown Los Alamos is not pedestrian friendly, such as crossing Trinity Drive and the large voids of asphalt between shops along the sidewalks. More amenities and connections, and a stronger “street wall” of buildings with display windows are needed.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Garden, the Little Theater and residential neighborhood on the north side. An expanded district offers several opportunity sites for in-fill development. These include enhancing the historic Little Theater, creating new affordable housing complexes, as well as parking structures, and a Creative Pavilion Market on the west side of Ashley Pond.
Proposed infill development project for Hilltop Diner and Food Coop (on left)
Include the Little Theater in the historic district in order to take advantage of enhanced state historic tax credits for its rehabilitation (a benefit of a state designated Arts and Cultural District). Study the financing and design of parking structures. Progressive parking structures are often lined with mixed-use structures featuring housing or retail spaces on street facades. Enhance and strengthen the “street wall” on Central Avenue with higher density in-fill buildings, display windows and outdoor seating. Research and develop a variety of affordable housing projects in a diversity of configurations, including mixed-use, live/work, apartments, condominiums, etc.
27
Study the potential of landscape Proposed infill development project for Hilltop Diner and Food Coop (on left) design as a unifying design element within the Creative District. Utilize inspired landscape improvements as a strategy to link public art, landmarks and destinations, and as a way to create a sense of place. Create a gateway or sense of entry into the district at Knecht Street. Encourage a UNM-Los Alamos branch or store front and encourage Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to increase their presence in the Creative District. Explore a potential partnership with LANL to investigate the nexus of technology, architecture and urban design and potential applications in the Creative District. Possible areas of collaboration could be “green” building technologies and innovative building materials.
Proposed infill development project for Hilltop Diner and Food Coop (on left)
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 11
CAPACITY BUILDING AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY Abundance of Riches Los Alamos County enjoys the highest per capita income levels and lowest unemployment rates in New Mexico. These economic indicators of course are largely the by-products of the presence of Los Alamos National Laboratory, an economic driver for the northern New Mexico economy since World War II. As mentioned earlier in this report, the community’s financial stability and prosperity are matched by extraordinary resources in other areas, significantly natural and recreational amenities, a rich cultural environment, and the presence of awesome archaeological sites nearby. The community offers world-class human talent as well to help develop the new Creative District. The educational attainments of the residents are among the nation’s best (per capita), and Los Alamos has nurtured strong community non-profit organizations in community economic development, the arts, historic preservation, social welfare, and other worthy causes.
28
Los Alamos benefits from a unique city-county form of government created for it by the State Legislature after the federal government withdrew its community management protocols in the 1960’s. In turn, the catalytic effect of LANL has fostered the growth of dozens, maybe hundreds, of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the community and region utilizing advanced technologies to create industry and jobs. Building construction projects, tourism and small business development have all contributed to a healthy tax base in Los Alamos County. While home to one of America’s most talented and capable professional work forces, Los Alamos is anticipating new demands and opportunities in alternative energy production, especially nuclear power. The Regional Human Capital Initiative and other programs to “train the new nuclear worker” are in discussion and development. These strategies could be highly complementary and beneficial to the Creative District. Perhaps the major glaring weakness in the local economy is the comparatively small (to Santa Fe and Taos) tourism business and complementary retail sector. Los Alamos business leaders cite such factors as relative isolation, inadequate lodging and living facilities, and the need for enhanced marketing and promotion as factors impacting the tourism and retail capacities. The desire of local business leaders to enhance the tourism and retail potential Streetscape improvements on Central Avenue
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Teenagers enjoy the skateboard park at Mesa Library
of Los Alamos is foremost among other reasons the community wishes to develop a Creative District. As one of the nation’s first proposed Arts and Cultural Districts to promote scientific creativity and innovation, Los Alamos can pioneer a bold new direction for a distinctive market niche. A Los Alamos Creative District can also help strike a healthy balance between arts, sciences, and culture, and produce lasting “quality of life” and entertainment benefits.
Paralysis by Analysis and other Challenges facing Capacity Building and Financial Sustainability Despite the appearance (and reality) of its enviable strengths in financial capacity and performance, and also its abundance of human talent, Los Alamos presents a daunting forum for community and economic development. This may be cogently characterized and summarized in the phrase “paralysis by analysis” that was articulated by community members during the Resource Team visit. Consensus can be an elusive commodity in Los Alamos, especially for community facilities, public buildings, bonding and taxing initiatives. Los Alamos is self-aware of its tendency to hyper-analyze projects, and many have expressed frustration with a tedious public process. Another public attitude that poses a hurdle to economic sustainability of the Creative District is an “entitlement” expectation fostered by many years of federal largesse. In its caretaking of the community, the federal government provided many free or low-cost benefits that some “old timers” are now reluctant to subsidize in a free market. Thus funding for the arts and other non-profits organizations is stagnant or declining during the on-going recession. People would rather give time than money to community causes.
29
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
Other structural limitations of the Los Alamos economy related to the development of a creative district include the lack of affordable housing (especially for young professionals, families, and artists), and the difficulty of land assembly on the mesa. A general discussion of affordable housing policy and opportunities is included within the Planning and Urban Design section of this report. Land assembly atop the Pajarito Plateau is extraordinarily complex due to the ancient interlocking land ownership patterns of Pueblo communities, Hispanic land grants and homesteads, and the newer layers of state and federal lands in a multitude of ownership and management bureaucracies (Dept. of Energy, Forest Service, National Parks, etc.), not to mention private owners as well. Opportunity sites for potential development projects within the Creative District may or not be burdened with prohibitive acquisition requirements, and a longer development time-frame for major projects seems inherent to the Los Alamos Creative District.
Strategies for Financial Capacity Building and Sustainability Prior to its designation as a state Arts and Cultural District, and perhaps in response to some of the development limitations described above, Los Alamos business leaders expressed interest in the potential for public investment in creative enterprises specifically allowed by amendments to the state Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) contained within the New Mexico Arts and Cultural Districts Act of 2007.
30
The Local Economic Development Act had been adopted by the Legislature in the 1990’s as a way to encourage public investments in certain economic development enterprises. These activities specifically cited in LEDA included manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, farmers markets and agricultural facilities, utilities businesses, metropolitan redevelopment projects, and Native American enterprises. A municipality must enact the LEDA ordinance and establish state-mandated processes and procedures for project application review. An economic development commission and the governing body (city/county council) are the panels of review and approval. The amendment to LEDA contained within the Arts and Cultural District Act outlined a variety of “cultural facilities” eligible within a state designated Arts and Cultural District for potential public investment. “Cultural facilities” is the operative and legal term for allowable public investments and is further defined in the Arts and Cultural Districts statute as “theaters, museums, libraries, galleries, cultural compounds, educational organizations, performing arts venues and organizations, fine arts organizations, studios and media laboratories, and live/work housing facilities.” Additionally, the Arts and Cultural District Act of 2007 changed a key definition to allow projects sponsored by both for-profit and non-profit corporations as well as businesses and individuals. The intent of this change was to encourage real estate development and ownership of “cultural facilities” by nonprofit organizations.
Finessing and Mastering LEDA In particular, Los Alamos expressed interest in leveraging the LEDA amendments to benefit its retail industry. Though specifically not allowed in previous LEDA project definitions, retail as an economic
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
development activity may be explored within the “cultural facilities” activities of the Arts and Cultural District statute. Current state LEDA statutes are still relatively new, and few municipalities have actually utilized LEDA funds for economic development projects. The handful of successful communities includes Clovis, Portales, Artesia and Tucumcari. The LEDA statute grants the governing body and its economic development commission considerable authority and discretion in interpreting key definitions such as project activities, return on investment, and benefits to the community of the proposed enterprise. The municipality is given the ultimate authority to determine appropriate investments within the LEDA’s broad guidelines. For example, “farmers markets” investments are clearly allowed by LEDA, however the statute does not specify exactly how a market facility is defined or configured: open air, sheltered, pavilion, mixed-use, etc. Furthermore, the new LEDA amendments allowing investments in “cultural facilities” within an Arts and Cultural District have not been utilized by any of New Mexico’s six pilot districts by September 2010. Therefore there are no precedents or case studies of LEDA funded “cultural facilities.” In our opinion, municipalities can and should develop local definitions and development standards for these new projects that can support local economic development strategies and programs. The Los Alamos County Council and the Los Alamos Creative District Steering Committee may carefully consider local community definitions contained within the amended LEDA “cultural facilities” project activities. These include: theaters, museums, libraries, galleries, cultural compounds, educational organizations, performing arts venues and organizations, fine arts organizations, studios and media laboratories, and live/ work housing facilities.
31
Summer’s bounty at a Farmer’s Market
These project activities and infrastructure improvements may vary from one Arts and Cultural District to another. For example, a live/work housing facility may require new infill construction in Los Alamos, but be better suited to existing historic buildings in Las Vegas or Silver City. State LEDA statutes and amendments allow for flexible and local project definitions by municipalities and within these parameters Los Alamos may determine that retail activity is an important component of proposed theater, gallery or cultural compound developments (or other projects within the “cultural facility” definition). In case of further inquiry, the Economic Development Department’s legal counsel, the state Attorney General’s office, or other private legal firms may provide technical interpretation of LEDA statutes.
Layering of Municipal Financing Strategies Los Alamos community leaders have been actively investigating creative municipal financing strategies
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
such as the Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Tax Increment Development Districts (TIDD), Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas (MRA), and Business Improvement Districts (BID). All of these strategies could greatly benefit the Los Alamos Creative District. The large percentage of surface parking lots (nearly 65% of downtown land use) that may be converted to private, and therefore taxable use, makes Tax Increment Financing a viable public works financing mechanism in the long term. Tax Increment Development Districts (TIDD) is a powerful new strategy, and Las Cruces is the first New Mexico Main Street city to enact a TIDD for downtown infrastructure improvements. A TIDD captures city, county and state sales and property tax increments for downtown improvements. Los Alamos desires a TIDD that captures only local sales tax revenues, and thus avoids state legislative review process and approval. A non-state tax TIDD would require approval of the N.M. Board of Finance. Los Alamos County’s strong financial position and the presence of significant tracts of public land within or nearby to the proposed Creative District create a promising environment for a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) or site-specific Metropolitan Redevelopment project. An MRA project design, featuring donated public land and other development incentives, may prove an effective financing tool for one or more of the Opportunity Sites identified in the Planning and Design section of this report.
Historic Preservation Opportunities to support the Creative District 32
Exceptional historic landmarks at Fuller Lodge and the Bathtub Row provide a solid foundation for enhanced historic preservation activities in Los Alamos. The enhanced 50% state historic preservation tax credit may benefit several private property owners within the Creative District. Community efforts to expand the current national and state register historic district are valuable, and could yield a Certified Local Government (CLG) designation. A CLG is achieved when a local historic preservation ordinance is adopted, creating a local historic district with rehabilitation, development, restoration and demolition guidelines and also a design review process. CLGs are eligible to share in passthrough federal funding for preservation projects administered by the state Historic Preservation Division (HPD).
Innovative Partnerships for Los Alamos Creative District Development LANL and UNM-Los Alamos both provide potential investment partners for “cultural facilities” located within the Creative District. In particular, student and professional live/work affordable housing or studio projects seem to be an excellent opportunity. Innovative public and private development packages utilizing LEDA, MRA, and contributed County resources may induce participation by LANL, UNM-LA, and other major institutional and private investors. In addition, Los Alamos’ unique tourism themes and products, ranging from prehistoric to nuclear age, may offer an opportunity to leverage the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Tourism Initiative. Science and Technology Tourism, Eco-tourism, and the remarkable network of recreational and cultural trails within the immediate region offer unique tourism development strategies.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 12
SUMMARY
The Arts and Cultural Districts program offers communities the size of Los Alamos specialized opportunities suited to their capacities and needs. Rather than being capital intensive and focused on infrastructure, the strategies emphasized in an Arts and Cultural District prioritize low-impact approaches such as tax credits and design enhancements for upgrading the attractiveness of a community’s district. The competitive nature of today’s tourism market compels communities of all sizes to constantly search for ways to gain an advantage over their peers. For large cities there are options ranging from baseball
Fuller Lodge in the pines
Public art at Mesa Library (background)
Our work in Los Alamos was undertaken as a Resource Team for the New Mexico Arts and Cultural Districts program. The team’s individual skills were applied to evaluating downtown Los Alamos, including places adjacent to the boundaries of the Los Alamos Creative Culture District. It’s important to note that with the exception of one member the Resource Team was comprised entirely of New Mexico residents who all want Los Alamos to expand its reputation as a nationally important creativity center for technology and science.
33
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
stadiums to zoos. Small communities, which have far fewer options for adding infrastructure, look for inspired ways to enhance their existing assets and experiences. The New Mexico MainStreet Arts and Cultural District program is one of those inspired ways.
34
Awaiting the Fourth of July Parade
HIGHLIGHTS OF NEXT STEPS We recommended that this opportunity to enhance part of downtown Los Alamos be expanded to include addressing the entire business district’s design shortcomings. Some possible ways for resolving these concerns that need further investigation include the development of a diverse range of housing options that include condominiums, affordable live/work and apartments for elderly residents. Another route would implement a comprehensive and innovative use of landscape design to create a downtown sense of place and inviting gateways that could guide visitors into the business district. We also recommended developing collaborative partnerships with LANL and UNM Los Alamos for the purpose of drawing on their problem solving skills and subject matter expertise in addressing downtown’s shortcomings. We recommended that Los Alamos build upon its strong identity as a center of achievement in the realms of science and leading edge technologies through initiatives such as expanding the Next Big Idea Festival and more effectively advertising public presentations by innovation leaders in the science and technology fields. We also recommended that the community develop its image as an ideally located center for outdoor recreation pursuits into the Jemez Mountains and other wilderness areas, natural resources and recreation assets throughout northern New Mexico. We recommended that Los Alamos consider enacting and interpreting its own LEDA ordinance as an important inducement for encouraging public investment in economic development enterprises linked to the infrastructure and programming improvements taking place in the Los Alamos Creative Culture District. Certain cultural facilities such as theaters, art galleries, studio spaces and performance venues all fall within the purview of economic development enterprises encouraged under LEDA. We also recommended that consideration be given to efforts targeting expansion of state historic preservation tax credits so that the benefits of these credits might be used by private property owners who own structures within the Creativity District. We recommended that the community consider throwing its support behind the design and development of a mid-size performing arts venue that would afford local arts organizations and event presenters the option of using a 400 to 500 seat facility. Presently, these organizations are faced with the choice of using either a small theater space with seating capacity in the range of 200 or a far larger forum with a capacity of 1000 audience members.
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
CHAPTER 13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During its Los Alamos visit the New Mexico MainStreet Arts and Cultural District Resource Team enjoyed the community’s hospitality and benefitted from the participation of numerous local residents who participated in this early stage of the Los Alamos Creative Culture District process. Without the assistance of these organizations, individuals, businesses and public officials the Resource Team visit would not have been possible.
We extend our thanks and sincere appreciation to: Los Alamos MainStreet for organizing our visit, and to the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce for connecting the Resource Team with local residents through its public outreach efforts, and to the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation for its financial support for many expenses, and to Los Alamos County for allowing us the use of meeting spaces in Fuller Lodge and the Los Alamos Community Building, and to Los Alamos Public Libraries for allowing us the use the use of meeting space, and to Fuller Lodge Art Center for the use of their facility for a reception, and to Atomic City Transit for the use of their shuttle bus, and to Mi Casita Restaurant for accommodating our large group, and to the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District Steering Committee for their superb planning and community outreach.
Our sincere gratitude is also extended to: Kevin Holsapple of the Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation, Audrey Garduno of the Los Alamos Arts and Cultural District, Georgia Strickfadden of Buffalo Tours, Linda Deck of the Bradbury Science Museum, Gordon Russ of Gordon’s Concerts, Karen Wray of Karen Wray Fine Art, Carolyn Mangeng of Los Alamos Master Gardeners, Suzette Fox of Los Alamos MainStreet, Susan Baker-Dillingham of New Mexico Dance Theater, Nancy Bartlit of the Historic Sculpture Committee, Heather McClenahan of the Los Alamos Historical Museum, Marlane Hamilton of the Los Alamos Arts Council, Jerry Strickfadden and Ron Wilkins of Fuller Lodge and the Historical Districts Advisory Board, Carol Meine and Charlie Kalogeros-Chattan of the Los Alamos County Library System, Katy Korkos of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce, Jim Trump of Union Development Corporation, Steve Laurent of the LA Mesa Law Firm, and to Stephani Johnson, Tony Mortillaro and Kelly Stewart of Los Alamos County Government.
Photo Credits Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation: page 1 (cover); pp. 8(btm.), 9, 11, 13, 15 (tp.,btm.), 16, 18, 19, 21 (tp.), 23 (btm.), 31, 34.
Community By Design (NMMS): pp. 7, 8 (tp.), 14 (tp.), 23 (tp.), 24, 25, 26, 28.
John Villani (NMMS): page 4.
William Powell (NMMS): page 27 (tp., mid., btm.).
Gary Cascio (NMMS): page 14 (btm.), 19, 20-21.
Elmo Baca (NMMS): pp. 12, 29, 33 (tp., btm.)
35
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
APPENDICES
36
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
37
New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Los Alamos
New Mexico MainStreet Joseph M. Montoya Building Economic Development Department 110 0 S t . F r a n c i s D r i v e S a n t a F e , N M 8 7 5 0 5 - 41 4 7
38
phone:
( 8 0 0 ) 3 7 4 - 3 0 61 ( t o l l f r e e ) ( 5 0 5 ) 8 2 7 - 01 6 8 ( w )
fax:
( 5 0 5 ) 8 2 7 - 0 4 07
web:
w w w. e d d . s t a t e . n m . u s