7-01-2024 1:19pm

Alamogordo MainStreet Great Blocks Project for New York Avenue Moves Forward to Bid Process

Chris Edwards Editor

The New Mexico Great Blocks Project in Alamogordo moves to next phase as new business investment grows on New York Avenue. For the past several years beginning before the pandemic leaders of New York Avenue, also known as Alamogordo MainStreet, have been working diligently with state and local lawmakers and bureaucrats on a reimagining of the historic business center of the 800 and 900 Blocks of New York Avenue.

With public meetings dating back to 2020 and 2021, collaborations with nonprofits, businesses, city and district leadership, political championing by District 5 Commissioner Sharon McDonald and others, a passionate vision by past presidents of Alamogordo Main Street such as Claudia Powell to the present President Claudia Loya-Shepard and a commitment by a variety of business leaders in the historic district now work is about to begin that the public will see as a shovel ready transformation. Year in the making Alamogordo’s MainStreet Makeover is a $1.9M project to update the infrastructure and street scape of the 800 & 900 blocks of New York Avenue. When the project is complete, Alamogordo will have ADA compliant sidewalks downtown, new public art features, lamp posts, benches, and trash cans and a more vibrant and inviting city center.

The legwork has been done, architectural drawings approved, work design and mapping completed and now the City of Alamogordo has placed an announcement that bids are now being accepted so work can actually begin once awarded in the upcoming months.

Bids are due to the city for sidewalk removal and construction, gutter removal and construction, asphalt, stripping, signage, irrigation and more. A mandatory pre-bid meeting is required for all potential construction project bidders for July 15, 2024. Bidding closed on July 31st and will be awarded per standard city protocols. This is a $1.9 Million state grant funded project.

There will be a disruption to access to many of the 900 Block and 800 Block businesses as work progresses but all will remain open for business. Each business has worked on an access plan for back and side entrance accessible access, in addition to pathways through the construction zone as it occurs when work begins.

The disruption has been planned for over 2 years since the grant announcement, and yet business will see a significant boost once the project is completed, about a year from now based on estimates from city insiders.

One concern in launching the sidewalk and street demolition project was the soundness and structural integrity of the historic Avis Building. Under its new ownership the walls have been and continue to be reinforced and stabilized and its renovations and stabilization are in progress. We will have an exciting spotlight on its evolution in an upcoming article.

We will soon also have a spotlight article on several other new and evolving businesses within the district from the 800 Block through the 1200 and 1300 Blocks transformation and new businesses are evolving.

Within the 900 Block is the new business incubator that will soon showcase 6 new businesses with one eventually becoming a permanent part of downtown. The graduates of that program are:

Chelsea Hayes with Ebenezer Hats
Rhiannon Farley with Boujee Bandit
Rachel Anderson with Infinity Sweets
Enrique de Santiago with SAL LIMÓN Y CHILEZachariah Shaw with Cosmic Home
Patricia Gonzales with Cotton Valley Boutique
Ufuomakaro Ademila with D kouit Place

Opening dates for the participants going into Phase 2 which means getting a chance to open their shop on a location on our Mainstreet district more specifically 908 New York Avenue is soon to be announced.

New 1200 Block businesses soon to open are a new art gallery at 1207 New York that has been several years in the making, and Our Little Country Store at 12th and New York across from Wells Fargo.

There is much energy and vitality running through New York Avenue and the upcoming transformation will be a huge boost to local business pride and success.

And if that is not enough, on Thursday July 4th check out the businesses of New York Avenue after the parade and stop by the many vendors and food trucks that will be there as a part of a New York Avenue Independence Day celebration at the end of the July 4th Parade route! Come join the fun!