The east downtown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has a new look. That was the goal of the EDO Project, which used New Urbanist thinking to revitalize Central Avenue, Broadway Boulevard, and the Old Albuquerque High School, which is now lofts. Sites Southwest contributed to EDO's overall design plan, worked with other team members on site composition, and conceptualized landscapes for the initial development phases.
The rehabilitation of the Old Albuquerque High School structures and campus was one of the first redevelopment projects. The High School Project rehabilitated a classic old building and plaza into residential lofts. Outside, there was a new central plaza with landscaping, sitting areas, and outdoor "rooms" for entertaining. The project was a huge success, and there was a waiting list for tenants.
The role of Sites Southwest in this project included conceptual design and cost estimating for the streetscapes, parks, roundabouts, and crucial public plazas.
Nob Hill Highland Sector Development Plan
Sites Southwest was tasked with updating a 20-year-old Sector Development Plan and expanding the plan area in Albuquerque's Nob Hill and Highland neighborhoods. The neighborhood contains older residential areas as well as a commercial center along Central Avenue, which transitions from one of the City's most vibrant commercial districts to a deteriorating commercial strip. To maximize public input into the plan, Sites Southwest hosted twelve public meetings, workshops, and open houses. The project team collaborated with property owners on specific zoning and design regulations before shepherding the plan through City Council approval. Sites Southwest addressed neighborhood concerns by updating zoning to protect established residential neighborhoods while encouraging commercial development, allowing for transitions between intensive commercial activity and single-family homes, accommodating mixed uses along commercial streets, and facilitating the area's heavy pedestrian, bicycle, and transit traffic. The corridor's standards have been incorporated into the City of Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance.
NMDOT NPD Manual
Sites Southwest collaborated with Bohannan Huston, Inc., Daniel B. Stephens & Assoc., and Dekker/Perich/Sabatini in developing guidelines and best management practices (BMPs) for addressing potential pollutants from highway construction and other non-point discharge sources. These guidelines will help the NMDOT and other state agencies improve the resilience of New Mexico's built infrastructure while reducing the negative impact of stormwater runoff on the environment. Many BMP possibilities are described in detail in this manual, which also includes broad approaches and conceptual layouts to provide designers considerable latitude in applying the guidelines to specific project sites.
