Newsletter

New Mexico Rail Runner Express

Station Area Land Development

New Opportunities

Transit-Oriented Development

Since 2007, the Mid-Region Council of Governments has been helping local communities identify the new opportunities their Rail Runner stations present and develop plans to achieve these goals.

Put simply, TOD refers to mixed-use development within walking distance of a transit facility or station that encourages ridership. These areas are typically developed at a higher density than surrounding neighborhoods and are designed to become vibrant shopping, entertainment, employment and residential cores where there is activity throughout the day.

Station areas present a potential alternative to the autooriented development patterns prevalent in southwestern cities. Transit-oriented development enables residents to own fewer cars, drive less, reduce transit expenditures, and live and work in a walkable community.

Station areas are already experiencing change, including completed development, master planned developments and public sector planning, and implementation activities to facilitate the type of development envisioned by the community.

To date, development employing TOD concepts along the Rail Runner line accounts for: ◉ 146 completed dwelling units ranging from extremely affordable subsidized apartments to high-end loft homes. ◉ 1,920 to 2,920 planned dwelling units. ◉ 114,000 square feet of completed commercial, retail and office space. ◉ An additional 291,000 square feet of planned TOD commercial and office space.

Development based on TOD principles can help revitalize declining neighborhoods and urban centers, improve housing variety and the availability of affordable housing, decrease roadway congestion, improve accessibility to job centers, entertainment and cultural facilities and preserve open space.

Published by The Mid-Region Council of Governments 809 Copper Ave., NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 Phone: 505.247.1750 Fax: 505.247.1753

Station Area Planning Town of Bernalillo Bernalillo has two Rail Runner Express stations – one in its historic downtown area, and the other serving regional commuters at the busy intersection of U.S. 550 and Interstate 25. Development at each is guided by the city’s Transit-Oriented Development Plan. This plan was adopted in 2007, after a year of public meetings and workshops, as a supplement to Bernalillo’s existing comprehensive land use plan. It lays out community goals, including the creation of a sense of “place” at each depot, improved connectivity for transit users, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers and provision of a variety of housing types. An overarching goal of the plan is to maintain the historic character of this town, which is experiencing development pressure from Rio Rancho and Santa Fe. The downtown station plan also calls for the creation of “The Alameda,” a pedestrian-focused road directly from Camino del Pueblo, Bernalillo’s main thoroughfare, to the station. This would open up visual access from the station to downtown Bernalillo, create new shopping, dining and entertainment areas and spur new development near the station. The county currently plans to build this road in 2012.

Bernalillo County/International Sunport Situated at the southern tip of the Albuquerque metro area, and serving as a gateway to the growing South Valley, Eastgate and Mesa del Sol neighborhoods, the Bernalillo County/International Sunport Rail Runner Depot offers an especially unique opportunity for mixed-use development in an underutilized area of mostly vacant land. The County’s vision for the station area incorporates dense residential, public and commercial space to serve commuters and nearby residents and bring new employment opportunities, such as research, office and light manufacturing. The plan would create a transit-oriented “town center” along this busy corridor, serving not only local residents, but commuters and visitors with transit connections to the Albuquerque International Airport and bus lines to other parts of the city.

“We’re talking about a plan that’s radically different from the current county zoning code. It has ratios for use mixtures and requirements for street widths and sidewalks, but it leaves a lot of room for creativity on the part of developers.” – Enrico Gradi, Planner, Bernalillo County

Village of Los Lunas The Los Lunas Rail Runner Express Station Area Plan aims to drive development there toward the creation of a vibrant focal point of entertainment, retail and housing for this city of 14,000 people. It was developed by the city with assistance from the Mid-Region Council of Governments and officially adopted in May, 2008. Development that follows the plan will help create a dense, 2- to 3-story “center” for the village that encourages activity throughout the day and a mix of commercial and residential land use that protects and enhances the character of existing neighborhoods. To set the stage for this new vision, the Village is undertaking $2.4 million in pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements to connect the station to surrounding areas.

Additional projects include streetscape improvements on N.M. 314 to create a safe and comfortable pedestrian experience.

Station Area Development Silver Gardens and Elements Townhomes Developer Romero Rose LLC has completed two residential structures as part of a 3-block master plan adjacent to the Alvarado Transportation Center: Silver Gardens Phase I, a 77,000-square-foot, 66-unit apartment complex with subsidized rent programs for low-income renters; and the first 8 units of Elements Townhomes, a moderately priced, 72-unit “green” townhome development.

Silver Gardens, located across the street from the Alvarado Transportation Center, is certified LEED Gold and features a water harvesting roof, a small wind turbine to generate electricity and low-energy solid state lighting. Phase II, an additional 55 units, is slated to begin construction early next year.

Elements Townhomes is expected to comprise 85,094 square feet of for-sale, market-rate residential units at a development cost of $21.3 million upon complete buildout. Marketing for the Elements Townhomes has emphasized their proximity to the transit hub.

“We believe in transit-oriented development – it’s what we do, and we’re bullish about it here.” – Homer Robinson, Developer, Romero Rose LLC

Santa Fe Railyard The New Mexico Rail Runner Express’ northern terminus is the historic Santa Fe Railyard – a 50-acre mixed-use redevelopment of former industrial buildings and land owned by the city. It is managed by the nonprofit Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation, which leases space there to developers.

About 37 acres of the land is set aside for a planned 500,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial development, while 13 acres are permanently reserved for recreational activity. Currently, more than 87 percent of the developable land is leased. As of June 2010, 11 new buildings have been completed at the Santa Fe Railyard, and the city and the Railyard Corp. have approved plans for plans for 12 additional new buildings, including a multi-screen movie theater and live-work studios. There are 13 existing buildings at the Railyard, all of which are currently in use. Additionally, the City of Santa Fe has leased part of a state office building adjacent to the Rail Runner Express depot, and is currently seeking funding to remodel it as a multi-modal transit hub for commuters and visitors using the train.

Pacheco Street Lofts Anticipating the Rail Runner’s arrival to Santa Fe, Albuquerque Developer Infill Solutions built 15 3-story, live-work lofts adjacent to the South Capitol Rail Runner depot and blocks from the Railyard district in 2008. The 600- to 1014-square-foot lofts represent a notable departure from typical Santa Fe density patterns, and are marketed as the city’s first new commuter-oriented residential development.

Planned Station Area Development Las Soleras Las Soleras Santa Fe is a planned 540 acre greenfield, mixed-use development on Santa Fe’s southwest side. Last year, the city annexed the land and approved developer Beckner Road Equities’ master plan for the site, which is slated to include 200 acres of commercial, institutional or office space and between 1,500 and 2,500 condominiums and detached homes. Designed and marketed as a transit-oriented development, the wedge-shaped subdivision would flank the Rail Runner route along I-25, and the developer has applied for Federal Highway Dept. approval for a station serving the community about 3 miles north of the existing NM 599 depot. Las Soleras will feature a 5-mile network of bicycle and walking trails linking most of the subdivision to the Rail Runner depot in less than 10 minutes, as well as 125 acres of parks.

Las Soleras’ developers have told Santa Fe officials they expect up to 5,000 residents and more than 9,000 jobs. Major employers could include Presbyterian, which has purchased 40 acres in the site for a possible hospital, and the state, which is considering the construction of a new office complex for its Human Services Division at Las Soleras.

“A lot of people are becoming more and more conscious of their green footprint. The typical residents we’re hoping to get would be professional people who use the Rail Runner to get to their offices in Albuquerque or even Santa Fe, rather than drive.” – Steven Hernandez, Developer, Fast Forward Realty

Zia Road SF Brown, a Santa Fe real estate development firm, plans to build a 9-acre, mixed-use, transit-oriented development at the Zia Road Rail Runner Express station. Development at the 20.5-acre site is planned to comprise 300,000 to 500,000 square feet and an investment of about $175 million. It will include retail, office and residential space in several different density styles, surrounded by trail networks, parks and open space. The Zia Road development is slated to include above-ground and underground parking for visitors, commuters and residents. Some residential properties at the development will be designed for obtainability based on consumer demand. The target market will be locals who “value walkable, sustainable communities and access to transit” according to the developer. The project is expected to be between 35 and 40 percent residential. An estimated 220 housing units will “drive the economic engine” of commercial development there, according to SF Brown.

Belen FastForward Realty, a Belen-based real estate brokerage and development firm, plans to build a mixed use, transit-oriented development on two acres of land located alongside the Rail Runner tracks and depot. The company plans to build an estimated 40 attached condominium, townhouse and apartment units ranging in size from 800 to 1,800 square feet, along with about 40,000 square feet of space for a restaurant, sports bar, fitness center and a convenience store. The developer aims to seek LEED Platinum certification for the project.

For more information:

Tony Sylvester, AICP Mid-Region Council of Governments Special Projects Planner 809 Copper Ave, NW Albuquerque, NM 87102 Office: (505) 724-3635 Cell: (505)270-2983 Fax: (505)247-1753