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LOS LUNAS — A proposed shopping center could bring some big changes and big names to Los Lunas, west of Interstate 25 — if developers and the village are able to come to an agreement.
At a regular Los Lunas Village Council meeting on Thursday, April 24, Trucor Investments LLC managing owner Jon Trujillo asked for off-site infrastructure improvements near the company’s 18-acre parcel of land at the corner of Huning Ranch Loop SW and Main Street, N.M. 6.
The infrastructure work, which would cost about $800,000, would provide access to the prospective Sunset View Marketplace shopping center. Once completed, it would mitigate the added traffic impacts the development would add to N.M. 6. If approved, the request would be accomplished through a Development Agreement between Trucor and the village.
The discussion at the meeting was to inform the council of the request and was for information only. No vote was taken on the matter.
Trujillo, who said the project could be an economic boon to the village, said Trucor has four to five pad sites planned, with plans for three larger tenants on the rear nine acres of the site.
“It’s been really hard to find a developer who wants to buy the parcel, “ he said. “So we’re just like, ‘Well, what do we do next?’ Maybe we can just get those pad sites developed, start selling a few here and there. Because once you get one person in there, it just kind of leads to other things.”
Bob Fineberg, senior vice president and principal for Collier’s International, told the council his work with Trucor to develop the 18-acre property has garnered interest from national companies.
Fineberg mentioned Collier’s is currently working with Panera Bread and has spoken to Kroger representatives, which owns Smith’s Food and Drug. He indicated they might be looking to relocate the current Smith’s store — at the Valencia Y — to the proposed shopping mall on Main Street across I-25.
“Panera love our site,” Feinberg said, before emphasizing getting the infrastructure work done was key to developing the shopping center.
“We actually had a deal with the major retailers,” he said of the property. “I can’t say who it is because I think we’re going to try to bring them back when things settle.”
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“All I’m saying to you is that access is so important,” he continued. “You don’t want to make it uncomfortable because retailers won’t go here if their clients or their customers don’t have flow of traffic, ease of coming in, ease of getting out.”
Trucore requested an 80-20 split for the infrastructure improvements, which several council members balked at, citing the village’s commitment to the I-25 Interchange/Los Lunas Boulevard project.
Deputy Village Administrator Erin Callahan spoke first to the council about the project, saying village staff recommends the project be built within a five-year time frame, beginning with building permit approval. She said the staff recommends that the property owner put up a bond on the work.
The $800,000 price tag caused concern amongst council members and Mayor Charles Griego immediately.
“Now again, I’m the first to say, ‘Man, what an opportunity to have new economic development in the area. What a great thing,’” said Councilor James Runton. “But for us to pay cash when we’re putting off projects … who knows what’s going to come back and what the city will have to pay for. So that’s my big picture right now.”
By the end of the discussion, the mayor and council recommended that Trucor look into getting local Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding, stating state funding might not be available.
Trujillo and Feinberg agreed and said they would return to report their findings before asking for final approval.
In other business, the village council:
• Unanimously approved a fee proposal for construction phase services for the I-25 Interchange/Los Lunas Blvd. project. Public works Director Michael Jaramillo presented the council with a schematic of the proposed work flow for the project from Albuquerque-based Molzen Corbin.
The $22.13 million fee covers services for the entire three-year project. Molzen Corbin President Kevin Eads mentioned that due to the size of the project, a staff of 15 will be overseeing the project. He said Molzen Corbin is outsourcing hiring of the supervisors due to the large number of personnel needed.
Jaramillo said that unlike similar projects, the I-25 Corridor project will begin with four job sites — the I-25 Interchange, N.M. 314 intersection, Rio Grande bridge and the intersection at N.M. 47. By starting all four points at once, the project time will be reduced from five years to three, he said.
• Unanimously approved the hiring of Anthony Valdez as the village’s new code enforcement officer, and the hiring of five summer recreation college aides, 16 summer recreation high schools aides and 30 summer youth program participants.
