Alamogordo’s MainStreet Makeover: Community Partnerships, Civic Pride, and the On-the-Ground Excellence of Justen Boyle and Joe Swing

ALAMOGORDO – On November 29, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., the City of Alamogordo will host a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony along the revitalized 800 and 900 blocks of New York Avenue, unveiling the completed multi- million MainStreet Makeover. Funded through New Mexico MainStreet’s Great Blocks program, state grants, local capital outlay, and private investments, the project has delivered ADA-compliant sidewalks, historic-style lamp posts, public art installations, benches, trash receptacles, and landscaped medians—transforming the historic downtown into a vibrant, accessible hub.

Work began in October 2024 with utility upgrades by locally owned General Hydronics Utilities and progressed to streetscape enhancements by Crosstown Construction and Spears, finishing substantial completion months ahead of schedule that contractually ends in June 2026, and with full business continuity.

This triumph is rooted in deep community partnerships: Alamogordo MainStreet’s advocacy since 2020, merchant input on designs, Holloman Air Force Base volunteer hours, and collaborative planning with nonprofits, businesses, and city leadership. The result? Millions in citywide private investments, new openings planned for 2026 like RAD Retrocade, the Avis Building (Onion Dome) Building upgrades, Sands Theater and Oppenheimer GasHaus, reduced vacancies woth ongoing private investment into building upgrades and soon to be surging sales tax revenue all while rekindling civic pride in a district that now will draw families, tourists, and locals alike. As Executive Director Nolan Ojeda noted, “This isn’t just about bricks and mortar—it’s about rekindling the soul of our downtown.”

At the project’s core are two Public Works professionals whose hands-on excellence embodied this collaborative spirit: Senior Project Manager Justen Boyle and Public Works Inspector Joe Swing. Reporting to Director David Nunley and Acting City Manager Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez—who received New Mexico MainStreet’s 2025 Excellence Award for her leadership in facilitating these grants—they ensured the vision translated into flawless execution, fostering trust among partners and pride among residents.

Justen Boyle: The Strategic Coordinator Driving Seamless Progress

As Senior Project Manager, Justen Boyle serves as the linchpin of the makeover’s multi-phase rollout, bridging city engineers, contractors, merchants, and MainStreet stakeholders to keep momentum unbroken. From the outset in late 2024, he oversaw the water and sewer replacements on the 800 and 900 blocks, coordinating tie-ins that minimized disruptions to daily downtown life

His pivotal update in February 2025 marked the seamless shift ahead of schedule to the streetscape phase: “Please be advised that, starting Monday, February 10, 2025, as the water sewer replacement program nears completion on the 900 block of New York Avenue, the surface and streetscape MainStreet Makeover will begin.

This included median construction at 10th and New York Avenue, sidewalk improvements, and full compliance with historic preservation guidelines—phases that could have stalled rural projects but instead advanced without delay.

Boyle’s depth of involvement extended to public safety and business support: He issued detailed advisories on lane closures, pedestrian rerouting (e.g., no crosswalk on 10th Street during median work), and urged drivers to “slow down and use extreme caution” in work zones, protecting crews while sustaining foot traffic to shops like Victoria Alamogordo and Roadrunner Galleria. His coordination with Crosstown Construction and General Hydronics Utilities ensured the contract delivered on time for substantial completion, while partnerships with Alamogordo MainStreet amplified community input, turning potential friction into shared ownership. Boyle’s steady hand not only met grant requirements but exceeded them, contributing to the project’s statewide acclaim as a model of efficient, inclusive revitalization. As one merchant reflected in MainStreet feedback, such proactive leadership rebuilt confidence: “Thank you so much for your work, helpfulness, kindness, and communication.”

Joe Swing: The Vigilant Inspector Ensuring Lasting Quality

As the Public Work Inspector, Joe Swing brought decades of expertise to the daily grind, conducting rigorous on-site verifications that upheld the highest standards of durability, safety, and aesthetics—critical for a high-traffic corridor blending heritage with accessibility. Listed in the city’s staff directory as a cornerstone of Public Works, Swing’s role focused on compliance across all elements: from sewer line integrity and utility tie-overs to the precise grading of ADA ramps, median installations, and lamp post alignments.

Swing’s inspections were instrumental in the February–November 2025 streetscape surge, where he scrutinized concrete pours, rebar placements, and material specs to prevent future maintenance headaches in Alamogordo’s harsh desert climate. His work complemented Boyle’s planning by catching variances in real-time—ensuring features met not just code but community needs for inclusivity. This meticulous approach aligned with the Great Blocks ethos, preserving the district’s cultural fabric while enhancing functionality, and directly supported the volunteer-driven public art and landscaping that now define the avenue.

In a project reliant on partnerships, Swing’s quiet authority fostered accountability among contractors, reinforcing civic pride by delivering assets residents could trust for generations. As the city’s personnel framework emphasizes, inspectors like Swing are the unsung enforcers who turn collaborative dreams into resilient realities.

Under Dr. Hernandez’s guidance—which earned her the Excellence Award for enabling such talent—Boyle and Swing’s partnership exemplifies how individual dedication amplifies collective effort. Mayor Susan Payne credits this stability: “Grants and vision matter, but nothing happens without the career staff who stay and finish the job.” Mayor-elect Sharon McDonald echoes the call to invest in them as the “foundation of our future.”

At the 2025 New Mexico MainStreet Institute—hosted in Alamogordo for the first time—the makeover was showcased to 130+ statewide leaders as a benchmark for partnership-driven success, with Boyle and Swing’s contributions underscoring the event’s theme of revitalization through hands-on excellence

Tonight’s ribbon cutting ceremony celnot completion but the street opening and substantial completion, tied to Small Business Saturday and next weekends Christmas on MainStreet, invites all to experience it: Park on 8th, 10th Streets, and 22th Street (Wells Fargo) explore extended shop hours at spots like the 1200 Block Pop Up Emporium, Our Little Country Store, Roadrunner Emporium, Victoria Alamogordo and join food trucks, Dj's, and celebrants.

Alamogordo’s makeover proves that when community partners unite behind dedicated public servants like Boyle and Swing, civic pride isn’t just restored—it’s rebuilt stronger. As Dr. Hernandez said upon receiving her award: “This belongs to the staff who showed up every single day and chose excellence over expediency.”

Sources

• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News – “Alamogordo’s MainStreet Makeover Progresses to Median, Street and Sidewalk Work” (February 2025)

• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News – “Alamogordo MainStreet Makeover Unveils Revitalized Heart of Downtown with Grand Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Saturday” (November 2025)

• Alamogordo MainStreet Official Website – Project Overview and Team

• City of Alamogordo Staff Directory and Personnel Reports (2024–2025)

• 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News – “Downtown Makeover Ignites Townwide Investment Surge” (October 2025)

• New Mexico MainStreet – 40th Anniversary Excellence Awards (October 2025)

• Public statements: Mayor Susan Payne, Mayor-elect Sharon McDonald, Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez

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