A new mall housing local tenants offering a variety of foods may soon see construction in Rio Rancho.
What is being called a food court will go up on mostly vacant property near the intersection of Unser Boulevard and Westside Boulevard, not far from the Presbyterian Rust Medical Center.
The developer behind the Margarita Hall project is Roy Solomon, who has previously launched the Green Jeans Farmery at 3600 Cutler Avenue NE in Albuquerque.
Solomon has additionally spearheaded the development of the Tin Can Alley food hall, located at 6110 Alameda Boulevard NE, also in Albuquerque.
Both the Green Jeans Farmery and the Tin Can Alley were uniquely comprised of a series of reconverted aluminum shipping containers. That same design and construction element will be applied for the building of the Margarita Hall.
According to plans, the new Margarita Hall will measure around 14,000 square feet and will include a common area of up to 4,000 square feet, with green space and a dog-friendly outdoor seating area.
Pending the securing of all needed permits, work on the Margarita Hall could begin late this year, with a rough early 2023 completion.
Food halls, housing a series of local restaurants and vendors, have become increasingly popular nationally. According to industry statistics there were only 25 such halls in the country in 2010, while the numbers surpassed the 300-mark as of early last year.
According to the website TouchBistro such developments represent a desire among shoppers to move away from “larger chains in search of something unique, but still fast and affordable.”
By Garry Boulard
