![]() Work may begin two years from now on the building of a new transmission line that will cross state borders and connect New Mexico to Arizona. The project belongs to the Southwestern Power Group and will see the building of a line stretching some 550 miles and carrying 1,600 megawatts of power. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has now given its approval to a plan allowing what is being called the Rio Sol Transmission Project to sell its capacity to interested parties. The FERC decision, notes the publication RechargeNews, will require Rio Sol to "sell electric transmission capacity at negotiated rates through an open solicitation and allocation process." The project is expected to cost around $2.4 billion to complete, with Torrance, New Mexico as its most western point, before a dip to the southwest just below Silver City, and a final thrust westward, ending up just to the northwest of Tucson. Perhaps as many as half a dozen substations will also be built along the project's route in order to help move the power from place to place. Originally conceived in 2006, the Rio Sol line will generally run along the same route as the much-anticipated $11 billion Sun Zia transmission line which is currently under construction. With the permitting process for the Rio Sol project still underway, work is forecast to begin in 2026. If all goes as anticipated, the line will be fully operational in 2028. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay
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![]() More than 200 Kroger's and Albertson's stores in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are slated for closing in response to federal antitrust concerns. In the fall of 2022, the Cincinnati-based Kroger announced that it was buying out its rival Albertson's, which is based in Boise, in a $24.6 billion deal to combine the massive assets and facilities of both chains. The move, historic in both its financing and the number of stores nationally that might be impacted, almost immediately encountered resistance from both state and federal officials concerned about the market monopoly potential. In February of this year the Federal Trade Commission went to federal court to block the merger, contending that it would have a negative impact on both consumer prices as well as worker wages. Now Kroger has announced that it is selling up to 579 stores, owned by both brands, in response to the FTC move. In a document called Planned Divestiture Store, Distribution Center, and Plant Locations, both companies list the stores slated for sale, a list that shows the state of Washington with the largest number at 124. The next-largest asset change is taking place in Arizona, with a combined 101 Kroger and Albertson's stores hitting the market. Phoenix will see the selling of four Albertson's stores, another five in the city of Mesa. and three in Chandler. Colorado will see the selling of 91 stores, 89 of which are branded as Safeways and owned by Albertson's. Exactly 14 Safeway locations in metro Denver are heading for the market, along with 11 in Colorado Springs, and four in Fort Collins. Only nine stores will be listed for sale in New Mexico, a number that includes four Albertson's in Albuquerque and two Safeways in Farmington. The huge sell-off will also include a production facility in Colorado: the Denver Dairy Plant in Denver. In a statement, the United Food & Commercial Workers union said the selling of the various branded stores "changes nothing." "We remain focused on stopping the proposed mega-merger for the same reasons we have stated since it was first announced over 20 months ago," the union said, listing concerns about workers' wages and consumer choice. The U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon is scheduled to hear arguments late next month regarding the FTC's move to block the Kroger-Albertson's merger. In an earnings call earlier this spring Rodney McMullen, Kroger chief executive officer, asserted that the company's overall market prospects are strong, adding that Kroger's growth will continue "with or without the merger." Funded in 1883, Kroger launched its first significant location expansion in the 1950s and 60s, primarily building stores in the early years of America's suburban expansion. The company today has more than 2,700 supermarkets and is now regarded as the largest supermarket operator in the country. By Garry Boulard Su Teatro Theater Company May Be Upgrading Not One, But Two, Existing Structures in Southwest Denver7/15/2024 ![]() A thriving Chicano/Latino performing arts group in Denver is making plans to purchase a one-story cement building in order to expand its theater space. Su Teatro Denver is one of the oldest theater groups of its kind in the West, having been established in 1971, and has since provided hundreds of original plays, ballets, and musical events. Earlier this spring the organization purchased a 4,400-square-foot, two-story building at 659 Santa Fe Drive with the purpose of turning the more than 60-year-old structure into new facility space. That purchase came with a price tag of $1.8 million, money that was secured through a community fundraising effort. Now Su Teatro wants to expand some more in acquiring a nearby building at 930 West Seventh Avenue. That structure was built in 1966 and measures around 10,000 square feet. It is designated as a Class C building and underwent some renovation in 2000. The reported purchase price for the second building is $2.9 million. Both structures are in a part of Denver that has for more than a century been culturally important to the city's Hispanic community, an importance that continues to grow as the Mile High City now boasts the seventh largest Hispanic population in the nation. The formation of Su Teatro came, according to author Mark Barnhouse in his History Lover's Guide to Denver, when "drama students broke away from standard forms and repertory to present politically charged original short plays and skits." By Garry Boulard ![]() Called Realize Las Cruces, the proposal would impact everything from home construction to infrastructure, landscaping, and both parks and open spaces development in New Mexico's second largest city. A workshop review draft of the Realize Las Cruces proposal runs to about 400 pages and is designed to "unify the City's land development regulations into a single document and to reduce repetition and conflict among various ordinances." City officials have said that a holistic land development code is needed to clear up the confusion that can arise with any building project governed by hundreds of separate regulations and rules. But Realize Las Cruces is also in part a response to an ongoing building boom in a city whose population has jumped from around 74,000 two decades ago to around 112,000 today. In presenting the latest review of Realize Las Cruces to the city council, Larry Nichols, the city's community development director, remarked: "We realized that our codes had not been revised since 2001. We are currently operating on the 2001 zoning code. Then we had the subdivision code. That was in 2000. We realized that needed to be updated." Added Nichols: "And then we had our design standards that were last updated in 2012. Our comprehensive plans were basically in 2000." As currently written, Realize Las Cruces also provides detailed guidelines on historic preservation, zoning regulations, subdivision regulations, roadway development standards, and outdoor lighting and signage. It is expected that the city council will vote on the Realize Las Cruces development codes later this summer. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash ![]() For the first time in four years, the rate of inflation has shown a decrease, according to just-released figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The new data shows a decline of 0.1% in June over the month before. While that number may seem insignificant, it represents the only recorded decline since May of 2020, during the initial weeks of the Covid 19 pandemic. Shortly after the May 2020 numbers - showing the rate at 0.2% - inflation began its wild ride, with an impact felt across the country, jumping to 5% in September of that year and an imposing 9% in June of 2022. While inflation’s numbers have been on a general decline since the summer of 2022, dropping to 3% in June of 2023, the figures have stayed stubbornly in the 3.7% to 3.0% range since late last summer. In announcing the latest figures, the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that its Consumer Price Index showed a marginal increase in June for energy and food items, as well as increases in “shelter, motor vehicle insurance, household furnishings and operations, medical care, and personal care.” But the indexes for “airline fares, used cars and trucks, and communications, were among those that decreased over the month.” These new figures from the BLS, notes the Wall Street Journal, “clears a path for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by the end of the summer.” The publication Baron’s had the same take: “Slower-than-expected inflation in June should help cement hopes that Federal Reserve officials will have the conviction they need to begin lowering interest rates.” For his part, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell remarked: “Our undertaking is to make decisions when and as they need to be made, based on the data, the incoming data, the evolving outlook and the balance of risks, and not in consideration of other factors, and that would include political factors.” Speaking before a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, Powell added: “Anything we do will be well grounded.” By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash ![]() In a move to expand Denver’s affordable housing stock by up to 20,000 new residential units, Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston is calling for a sales tax hike that could conceivably net up to $100 million for the effort. In announcing the proposal, Johnston, who has made the creation of additional affordable housing in new construction as well as buildings a hallmark of his administration, said, “There is a tremendous shortage of affordable homes for long-time residents and new residents alike, and this shortage will only grow if we don’t take action now.” The Mayor’s proposal specifically calls for a five cents sales tax on every $10 consumer purchase in the city, a proposal that will ultimately be determined by Denver voters in November. If approved, the measure would create what is being called the Affordable Denver Fund which, said Johnston, will provide a “clear path to meet Denver’s affordability needs and establish a community where anyone can build a vibrant life, especially the workers who are serving, caring for, and teaching the residents of this city.” That latter emphasis is one of the keys to Johnston’s proposal. Unlike other initiatives targeting housing for lower income or homeless residents, the Affordable Denver Fund hopes to build units for, as the Mayor put it, “teachers, nurses, and first responders.” Johnston made a point of additionally noting that the new housing stock will also target the city’s senior residents. City officials in the Mile High City have frequently expressed concerns that steadily increasing rents are making it more difficult to attract professionals to move to Denver. According to the site RentCafe, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now just short of $2,000. The average cost of a home in Denver hasn’t made the situation easier, with the median June listing price coming in at around $600,000. Johnston’s proposal is scheduled for public comment later this month, before members of the Denver City Council on August 5 vote on whether to put the measure on this fall’s ballot. In recent past elections, Denver voters have been generally supportive of revenue-generating proposals to build new housing. Two years ago, city residents approved the state-wide Proposition 123, which called for raising income taxes in an effort to net some $300 million annually for funding loans and grants to various agencies in the purchase of land for affordable housing construction. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay ![]() In an effort to spur new affordable housing projects, the City of Albuquerque is putting on the table some $9 million in additional public funding. The funding, which is coming from a variety of sources including previous voter-approved bonds and federal grants, could lead to the construction of up to have a dozen new projects. City officials have said that Albuquerque has an immediate need of at least 30,000 residential units and are hoping the availability of new funding sources will spur developer interest in such projects. In a press release issued by the city's Health, Housing & Homelessness Department, it is noted that two Request for Proposals with submission deadlines of September are being issued for two big projects. The first project will see $4.2 million going for senior housing construction; with another $2.7 million for gap funding to develop a separate project. The nearly $9 million in potential support is part of a larger $23 million first announced earlier this summer by the City for a handful of individual housing projects. According to City documents, the funding is specifically available for the "new construction or acquisition/rehabilitation and/or preservation of affordable mixed-income, multi-family rental housing developments." In announcing the funding availability, Mayor Tim Keller said the City was putting up the money "to make sure we get more projects in the pipeline for all of Albuquerque." Securing city funding is often regarded as the first step for a developer hoping to leverage tax credits through the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash ![]() Despite an expanding economy, many smaller businesses across the country are feeling a pinch owing to new federal energy regulations, according to testimony just heard by the House Committee on Small Business. Speaking to that body, Steve Martinez, president of the Boise, Idaho-based Tradewinds General Contracting, remarked: "I can tell you that because we are talking about energy codes, because we are talking about building codes, when we get a whole new set of codes, it's a 600- to 800-page document." Martinez asserted that he and his workers are compelled to peruse such documents "oftentimes in our trucks as we're trying to figure out the code changes." Regarding those energy code changes and a handful of other new federal regulations, Texas Republican Roger Williams, chairman of the Small Business Committee, remarked: "Every hour dedicated to reading and understanding the new regulations could have been used to discover new growth opportunities." Continued Williams: "And worst of all, when a business owner fears expensive new mandates could be on the horizon, they hold on hiring that extra employee or buying that new piece of equipment." Committee testimony also included comments from Hazel Davis, vice president and compliance manager with the Jefferson Bank of San Antonio, who said federal compliance costs in the banking industry have become generally burdensome. "Regulatory burdens, such as small business data collection initiatives, have the potential to erode trust and increase origination costs, reducing the availability of capital," Davis said. "Every dollar takes away from an investment in the community, either through a loan or through direct capital investments," continued Davis, who was speaking for the Texas Bankers Association. Despite the remarks critical of a wider regulatory reach, California Democrat Judy Chu said the country has seen a "remarkable surge in small business creation since 2020, reversing decades of decline." "It's become clear that this isn't just an anomaly due to the pandemic, it is a trend that is continuing even today," she continued. A recent record increase in small businesses, added Chu, is particularly important because "many who have been historically underrepresented in the business community, including women and minority business owners, are the ones who disproportionately powered this small business boom." The comments were delivered as part of the committee’s Main Street Realities hearings, billed as focusing on the "current economic landscape in America." By Garry Boulard ![]() For the first time in nearly half a century, a Colorado vineyard spread out over 6 acres and complete with a wine tasting room, office space, store, and bottling warehouse, is being offered for sale. Located in the western town of Palisade, the Colorado Cellars was established in 1978, beginning what would prove a lucrative enterprise producing and offering just over two dozen types of wines. There is no list price for the property, although an earlier report pegged it at just under $3 million. The site at 3553 E Road also includes laboratory space and two 10,000-watt solar rooftop arrays. A gazebo at the site is described as "idea for outdoor events, weddings, concerts, and more." The property overlooks the region's Grand Valley, which runs along the Colorado River. Colorado Cellars is thought to be the oldest winery in a state that has seen the building and growth of more than 180 such operations. The Centennial States, notes the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board, now produces nearly 200,000 cases of wine annually. According to the book Guide to Colorado Wines, Colorado Cellars has produced "one of the widest selections of wine in the state, as well as an intriguing array of food and wine products." The property is being listed by the realtor United Country Real Estate, which has offices throughout the state. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay ![]() Public input is still being elicited for a project that could lead to the construction of a cultural center in Albuquerque geared to the city's growing Asian population. A site for what is being called the Asian Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian Center has not yet been chosen, but a desired location may be more fully known once all of the results of an online survey are fully known. That survey, written in fourteen languages, is trying to get a feel not only for where the facility should be built, but also what it should provide. Early responses have shown support for a cultural and exhibition center. Published reports have also indicated that respondents would like a center that could provide information on immigration procedures. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are currently around 17,500 Asian American residents in the Duke City, a figure that has increased from 14,200 recorded in the year 2011. What could be a process taking as long as 5 to 8 years is expected to see an initial public presentation of a center proposal, followed by securing a site, developing construction documents, and fundraising. Preliminary opinion survey work has been undertaken by the Albuquerque-based Groundwork Studio, which specializes in landscape architecture and urban design, among other fields. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay |
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