For almost a year UNM has been in the early stages of planning a new sports and entertainment district on south campus. Below is a timeline of the process, and where the University stands now with a potential partner.
How it all began
In the fall of 2104, Lobo Development, which is responsible for diversifying the University’s revenue streams, released a request for proposals from local developers and entrepreneurs. The request inquired about possible design concepts of a new entertainment district on south campus that would cater to visiting sports fans.
The plan was for such designs to include a casual restaurant and a space for live music, among other amenities.
At the time, Thomas Neale, director of UNM real estate, which manages University properties, said that he and his team wanted to develop something that is becoming increasingly popular among college campuses across the country, but also unique in its own way.
“What we’re trying to do is stitch the University and community together,” he said. “We want something that is uniquely New Mexican.”
The site for such a development is a parking lot located directly west of University Stadium, at the corner of University Boulevard and Avenida Cesar Chavez.
Local entities had until Dec. 1, 2014, to submit a proposal.
What happened
In mid-April UNM made public its partnership with Marble Development on the project. Marble’s proposal included a taproom, stage for live music, restaurant, coffee shop and more.
Lobo Development and Marble Development negotiated for some time on the terms of a ground lease, which would have kept the University from having to fund the project out of pocket, Neale said.
However, before a deal could be finalized, Marble Development became hesitant about the monetary figures and backed out of the partnership in May.
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“We’d love to work with UNM, [but] that one [development] wasn’t going in the right direction, and instead of wasting their time, we just agreed to disagree,” said Soren Peters, co-owner of Marble Brewery.
Despite the halt in plans, Neale at the time said that his belief in the potential of such a development for UNM hadn’t wavered, and they would continue to work for ways to make it a reality.
What’s going on now
Now UNM is currently in talks with another potential partner in 54 Development, a team which includes Brian Urlacher, one of UNM athletics' most well-known alumni.
54 Development’s proposal is very similar to what Marble Development initially proposed: a modern, vibrant area that would include food and beverage venues, as well as areas for entertainment.
Over the last 10 months Lobo Development’s vision for the project has not changed, despite the obstacles and multiple potential partners.
“While the proposed site plan continues to evolve as we better understand the potential uses and building densities, the overall goal of the projects remains the same: to create a vibrant district that has a tremendous amount of activity level throughout the year,” Neale said.
He said that negotiations with 54 Development are ongoing, and that details won’t be made public until a deal is in place. Before the project is green-lighted, the Board of Regents and Lobo Development’s Board of Directors, which includes UNM President Bob Frank and Athletics Director Paul Krebs, must approve the final agreement.
David Lynch is the news editor at The Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @RealDavidLynch.
