The Albuquerque Convention Center, located in downtown Albuquerque at 401 2nd Street NW, is in line for major roof repairs.
Originally opened in the fall of 1970, the center, which houses around 167,000 square feet of exhibit space, has for some time had roof leaking issues.
But now, as proposed by Mayor Tim Keller, some $4 million will be spent repairing the facility’s roof and generally improving energy efficiency.
That effort is one on a list of public building upgrade projects included in the city’s more than $700 million operating budget for fiscal year 2022 that has now won the approval of the Albuquerque City Council.
Other initiatives in the budget include $5 million to renovate Albuquerque’s Pino Yard’s fueling facility at 5501 Pino Avenue, on the northeast side of the city, and $900,000 for a splash pad and other improvements at the popular Tingley Beach.
Additional facility work will see some $2 million going for roof repairs at the 15 year-old Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum at 9201 Balloon Museum Drive NE.
Roughly $1 million in funding will also target improved lighting on downtown Albuquerque streets.
Funding for the facility upgrade projects is coming largely out of the federal $57 million sent to Albuquerque from Washington through the $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan Act, which was approved by Congress two months ago.
By Garry Boulard
