![]() An innovative two-year program is launching in Albuquerque, designed to make it much easier to build new housing in the downtown area where the need is regarded as pressing. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller has now given his approval to a program known simply as FasTrax that will put an emphasis on site plan approvals and building permits for housing projects within defined Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas. By state law, such areas are designated areas within a municipality that have been singled out for redevelopment and rehabilitation, with a special emphasis on securing private investment for building projects. According to a press release issued by the City of Albuquerque, the FasTrax effort will also apply to employment and activity areas, as well as “major transit corridors and multi-modal corridors.” The program, which earlier won the support of the Albuquerque City Council, is designed to respond to what is regarded as an immediate need for housing in the city’s downtown neighborhoods, replacing a long-standing process that has seen projects approved on a first-time, first-serve basis. Additional FasTrax features will include expedited plan reviews, an assigned plan expediter, and guaranteed plan review completion dates. According to city documents, the program will be applied to the building and development of everything from single-family and multi-family homes to townhouses, dormitories, and assisted living or nursing homes, among other structures. Builders and developers in the Duke City have long complained about what is sometimes a lengthy city approval process, noting that a protracted timeline has made it difficult to complete some projects on time, while, in other instances, outright discouraging them from even submitting an application in the first place. By Garry Boulard Image Credit: Courtesy of Pixabay
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