Plans are moving forward for the construction of a new emergency management facility that will serve the residents of Dona Ana County.
To date, at least three locations, down from an initial twelve, are under serious consideration for the new facility, which may require a site of at least 8 acres.
ASA Architects of Las Cruces, working with the county on the project, recently suggested a fourth site, off the Tortugas Trail on property owned by New Mexico State University.
According to county documents, the selected site will have to be located outside of a flood plain, with multiple road access points.
The other sites under consideration are at the intersection of Northrise Drive and Roadrunner Parkway; a former landfill owned by the Bureau of Land Management off Sonoma Ranch Boulevard; and land, also on the Tortugas Trail, near NMSU’s driving range.
It is not yet known what the total cost will be to build the facility, nor where all the funding for the project will come from. It is thought that at least $1.5 million in funding may be secured through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Additional funding might be found as a capital outlay to be passed next year by members of the New Mexico State Legislature.
A timetable for when work on the new center will begin has not yet been announced.
By Garry Boulard
