ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque is trying to make a stretch of San Pedro Drive, dubbed the “Mile High District,” more attractive for people to spend time in by designating it as a “Main Street” through the state.
“We get a lot of the tourists coming from the airport ’cause this is one of the main ways to go to the airport and then they see that. It represents our city and right now it doesn’t look that good,” said Richard Jones, owner of 1 Stop Smoke Shop and Dispensary.
A resolution, sponsored by City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, and co-sponsored by City Councilor Pat Davis, aims to create a New Mexico Main Street Program through the state’s Economic Development Department on the mile-and-a-half stretch of San Pedro Drive. This resolution will also give $20,000 from the city to the Revitalize San Pedro Partnership, which is a group of residents and businesses from four neighborhood associations along the San Pedro stretch. That group of residents would lead the Main Street program.
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“When we get a Main Street designation, this area becomes eligible for a lot of technical assistance, more grants; a lot more funding can flow in here if we are able to give that initial $20,000 to get it going,” Fiebelkorn said.
The president of the Revitalize San Pedro Partnership (RSPP) Cynthia Serna said this could help local businesses bounce back after the pandemic. “I think it’s starting to boom again now. We have some new folks along the corridor and a little renewed excitement I think about the possibility—especially with this Main Street opportunity,” Serna said.
Improvements they’re looking at include sidewalks, landscaping, and giving the corridor more of an identity. “This area originally was built in the ’50s to be the new electric wonderful development, and it was designed to have small businesses all up and down. And we want to revitalize that small business, homegrown, local kind of feel to this area,” said Darcy Bushnell with the RSPP.
Folks we spoke with told News 13 they are on board with the plan. “It’d probably bring more business to our stores,” Jones says. This resolution is set to be voted on at Wednesday night’s City Council meeting.
