Peralta Community Center plans laid out to town council

The Peralta Community Center took another step in its transition on Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Architect John Kirkpatrick presented the results of a preliminary study, completed in July, for the renovation of the building at 2500 Bosque Farms Boulevard. The building, which formerly housed J&L’s Country Kitchen, was bought by the town in late 2024 for $850,000.

Kirkpatrick presented many renovation ideas for the former restaurant building, focusing on portability and using existing features.

Among the proposed ideas were a multi-purpose room that could accommodate more than 150 people and be used for banquets (capacity 150+), a game room for children and an outdoor patio/portico area for events.

Also on the idea list is an exercise room that can facilitate aerobics and yoga, as well as weightlifting machines and a game room that could include billiards tables and shuffleboard, as well as an air hockey table and a foosball table.

The town convened a meeting in July to have a community discussion of the renovation, Kirkpatrick said, which produced a lot of ideas.

“Early on, we wanted to try to maintain the basic structural integrity of the facility by adding a few things and identifying problems,” Kirkpatrick said.

The architect mentioned parking, which he said is being addressed by the town already, with an engineer already on board to redesign the area.

After mentioning the limited budget for the project, he emphasized the versatility of the 2,226 square foot multi-purpose room and the existing kitchen, which councilors suggested would be used as a business incubator for local cooking entrepreneurs or a way to help fund the facility.

“We got a lot of really good ideas and the space has a lot of potential,” Kirkpatrick concluded, adding that residents also requested a computer lab and multimedia area that could include books, and a TV.

The new patio area and portal, with an adobe enclosure wall and gates, and containing tables and chairs, could also be a nice addition and encourage more use as a rental space.

Before the presentation, Councilor Randy Smith recommended the council hire a full-time director for the community center.

“My vision for this director is for scheduling youth and senior activities, setting up the lease agreements for leased events such as celebrations, etc., and coordinating lunch programs for seniors,” Smith said.

He concluded by recalling that the town of Peralta had made an agreement to name the center the Flower-Strickland Memorial Building, which he encouraged the council to do.

In other action:

• The council heard a report from Valencia Regional Emergency Communications Center (VRECC) district director Tommy Sanchez, who reported on 911 services and accreditation and the organization’s efforts to obtain federal tax ID numbers, among other things. Sanchez was on hand to discuss a joint powers agreement with VRECC that would add Peralta to the collaborative agency, which includes Belen, Bosque Farms, Los Lunas, Rio Communities and Valencia County. The town council unanimously approved the agreement on a 4-0 vote. The JPA has since been approved by all municipalities and the county.

• The council also approved the hiring of two part-time EMS employees, as well as the installation of swings and a canopy at Peralta Community Park.