ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A former church in the South Valley that once helped those struggling with drug addiction and homelessness is now being labeled a problem property.
For more than a decade, the county has been trying to get the owners to clean it up. A mural of Jesus carrying a man on the side of the building on the corner of Old Coors and Bridge, is the only remaining sign of what the building used to be.
A 54-page report from the Bernalillo County Nuisance Abatement Office describes human feces throughout the building and signs of a fire that was previously started in the building. There’s pictures showing piles of trash, a crumbling ceiling and walls covered in graffiti. The report documents numerous attempts to reach out to the property owner asking them to clean up the property.
Inspectors say it’s a magnet for criminal activity. The county is hoping to tear it town as part of the nuisance abatement program. County commissioners will ultimately get the final say. If its approved, property owners will be on the hook for costs associated with the demolition.
