Bidding in a public auction may determine the possible future commercial use of nearly 19 acres of land on the north side of Rio Rancho.
The New Mexico State Land office has announced that it is seeking public comments on whether it should sell at auction the property, located at the northwest corner of Paseo del Volcan and Westphalia Road, for retail development purposes.
The land in question in question is currently zoned C-1 (Commercial) by the City of Rio Rancho, which allows for, among other things, the construction of a shopping center.
According to the Land Office, whoever eventually buys the site would be “expected to facilitate commercial use of the land that until now has not existed in the near vicinity.”
If the Land Office determines to sell the land, it would be put up for a formal public auction, with any proceeds going to a fund for the state’s elementary schools.
The land in question is situated to the south of the V. Sue Cleveland High School, located at 4800 Cleveland Heights NE, and is currently vacant.
The land is additionally near the Cleveland Heights subdivision, a neighborhood of nearly 220 residences, where homes are generally priced in the $325,000 to $400,000 range.
City officials have earlier said that they expect Cleveland Heights to eventually see the construction of more than 2,000 homes.
Comments on the possible auctioning of the land at Paseo del Volcan and Wesphalia will be accepted by the New Mexico State Land Office until September 17.
By Garry Boulard
