![]() After several years of discussions and planning, work on a new nature center in Colorado’s El Paso County is moving forward. Designs for the new facility, which will most likely go up in the Fox Run Regional Park, located at 2110 Stella Drive in Colorado Springs, are expected to be completed next year. As envisioned, the new facility will house a lobby and meeting rooms but will also be used as center promoting the ecology, woods, and natural wonders of the northern part of El Paso County. The project has been the subject of one feasibility study completed in late 2019 by the Denver-based Altitude Land Consultants and the Tremmel Design Group of Colorado Springs. Funds have not yet been secured for what is expected to be a $3.5 million project. Members of the El Paso County Commission could approve at least $1 million for the center’s construction later this month. County officials have said they are particularly interested in seeing the new center built, given that two other similar facilities, the Bear Creek Nature Center in Colorado Springs and the Fountain Creek Nature Center in the town of Fountain, have been regularly overwhelmed with visitors. If built, the center would be a part of the larger El Paso County Parks system. By Garry Boulard
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![]() Up to $5 million in federal funds has been awarded to the Havasupai Tribe of Arizona for a unique program designed to relocate tribal communities adversely impacted by climate change. In announcing the funding, which is coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Department of Interior said what is being called the Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation program is part of a larger effort to both protect and revitalize Tribal communities. In a statement, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland remarked: “Helping these communities move to safety is one of the most important climate-related investments we could make in Indian country.” Altogether, the Interior Department is committing some $115 million to eleven Tribes. Besides the funding for the Havasupai Tribe, planning grants of $5 million are being awarded to Tribes in Alaska, California, Louisiana, and Maine. In a press release sent out by the Interior Department it is noted that Tribal communities across the country are increasingly subject to a rise in sea levels, coastal erosion, flooding, drought, and wildland fire. A study conducted in 2020 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs estimated that up to $5 billion in funding may be needed in coming decades to address climate change-Tribal relocation needs. The Interior Department grants are generally being regarded as a new and innovative approach to a historic problem. The program, says the New York Times, is an acknowledgment that a “growing number of places around the United States can no longer be protected against changes brought by a warming planet.” Last month, the Bureau of Indian Affairs announced funding to the tune of $45 million in Tribal Climate Resilience awards designed to help Tribal communities address the challenges of climate change. By Garry Boulard ![]() Long-time realtor Santa Fe Properties is listing for sale a nearly 4,600 square foot, two-story building that for years served as a popular Spanish food restaurant. Located at 213 Washington Avenue in downtown Santa Fe, in an area of mostly one-story historic structures, the building includes a large dining and bar space, modern kitchen, performance stage, and custom-built wine storage room. The structure also includes office space on its second floor. For well over two decades, the building housed El Meson Restaurant, which specialized in a wide selection of cold and hot tapas, paella, and entrees. The restaurant closed its doors in the fall of 2021. In earlier decades the structure, which was built in 1960 and renovated in 1998, was the home to the Delores Fast Food Restaurant. As an illustration of how much property values in downtown Santa Fe have increased in recent years, the same building that was listed for sale in 1996 for $845,000, today has an asking price of $2.2 million. Santa Fe Properties was launched in the mid-1980s, with offices located in a more than century-old former home at 1000 Paseo de Peralta in downtown Santa Fe. By Garry Boulard ![]() A new mechanism for transporting cargo at the busy Ysleta-Zaragoza Port of Entry may see construction if all the numbers line up. The City of El Paso has entered a memorandum of understanding with the City of Juarez to explore the possibility of building a shuttle that will move cargo in both directions across the border between the two cities. The project has been in the talking stage for the better part of a decade and, according to officials, could take upwards of another decade to be built. Although there are several entry points from and to Mexico in metro El Paso, the Ysleta-Zaragoza Port of Entry is being looked at because it already serves semi-truck traffic and may have the most space for any new construction. The next step, allowing City of El Paso staff to study the feasibility of the project, will come after a binational signing ceremony is held to make the memorandum of understanding between the city and Juarez official. The Ysleta-Zaragoza Port of Entry, at the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge, was opened in 1938. Earlier this year the federal Department of Transportation approved up to $12 million in funding to for pedestrian improvements at the facility. By Garry Boulard ![]() The Association of American Railroads has come out against a move currently underway in the U.S. House to block a potential rail strike. In a statement, Ian Jefferies, chief executive officer of the AAR, said, “Now is not the time for Congress to put its thumb on the scale and selectively add to labor contracts, including agreements already ratified by employees through a multi-year process.” After protracted negotiations, the nation’s freight rail companies and railroad workers have failed to agree on a contract. In September, a tentative agreement called for giving workers a 24% raise over the next five years, among other features. The Association of American Railroads characterized that agreement as historic, which includes an immediate $16,000 average payout in retroactive raises and bonuses. To date, seven of the 12 unions representing the nation’s rail workers have voted to ratify the tentative agreement. Four have come out against it. If any single union of the 12 representing the nation’s rail workers comes out against an agreement and decides to go on strike, the other unions honor that union’s picket lines. In recent days union leaders have noted that unless all the unions and the major rail freight carriers come to an agreement, a nationwide rail strike will begin on December 9. Analysts have predicted that if that rail strike becomes reality, it could cost the national economy at least $2 billion per day. The strike could also impact water and power supplies. For his part, President Biden has now called on Congress to pass legislation to prevent a strike, supporting in the process the September tentative agreement. Biden also warned that any attempts on the part of members of Congress to tinker with that agreement “would risk delay and a debilitating shutdown.” “The agreement,” the President added, “was reached in good faith by both sides.” A different take on the dispute was voiced by Florida Senator Marco Rubio who said, “Just because Congress has the authority to impose a heavy-handed solution does not mean we should.” Rubio added that he would not vote for “any deal that does not have the support of the rail workers.” By Garry Boulard ![]() The fast-growing Costco Wholesale Corporation may be on the verge of building a large new store in Buckeye, Arizona. The company, which is based in Issaquah, Washington and has around 850 locations worldwide, has purchased land at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and Verrado Way. The 22-acre site will be the home of a shopping center called Buckeye Commons, with Costco serving as the anchor tenant. The new Costco store, like many other Costco locations, may also include a pharmacy, bakery, gas station, and car wash. Although an exact construction schedule for the store has not yet been released, it will be only the latest foray by the retail giant in the southern Arizona market. A new 150,000 square foot Costco store is scheduled to open this coming January in Queen Creek. Costco stores range in size from 80,000 square feet to around 230,000 square feet, with the average store coming in at 146,000 square feet. In the last month, the company has opened new outlets in California, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and Utah. By Garry Boulard ![]() Plans are in the talking stage for the construction of a 300,000 square foot hydrogen kit manufacturing plant that will go up on a 50-acre site near the Albuquerque International Sunport. The company Universal Hydrogen, which is based in Hawthorne, California, is developing hydrogen conversion kits and fuel storage solutions for commercial flights. According to the website greencongress.com, Universal Hydrogen’s business model centers on “stitching together the end-to-end hydrogen chain for aviation, both for hydrogen fuel and hydrogen-powered airplanes.” Last month American Airlines announced it was investing in the company, which was founded in 2020, as part of the airline’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. In a move to get the new facility built in Albuquerque, members of the city council are currently reviewing an incentives package worth around $2 million. That figure would be in addition to the roughly $10 million in Local Economic Development Act funding earlier approved by the New Mexico’s Economic Development Department. It is expected that the Albuquerque City Council will hold a public hearing sometime next month on the $2 million package. As earlier reported, the Universal Hydrogen facility will be built at the site of the north/south runway that was decommissioned by the airport in 2012. By Garry Boulard ![]() The Gross Domestic Product is expected to see a downturn by the end of the year, signaling the likelihood of a recession in early 2023, according to a Fannie Mae report. The Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research Group says it is anticipating a decline in both corporate and residential investment heading into the new year, as well as less robust consumer spending. At the same time, the group predicts that although the sale of single-family homes will decline next year, they are expected to increase in 2024 by more than 18%. In fact, the group appears positively bullish on the subject of 2024, predicting an overall GDP growth rate of 2% for the entire year. In a statement, Doug Duncan, senior vice president with Fannie Mae, remarked: “The economy continues to slide toward a mild recession, which we think will begin in the new year, without housing construction leading the slowdown.” But Duncan added that “higher interest rates have triggered the typical decline in residential fixed asset investment that has historically led to either economic slowdowns or recessions.” For all of that, the Fannie Mae economist said he believes ultimately the nation’s housing sector is well positioned enough to “help pull the economy out of what we expect to be a short recession.” The group additionally notes that the “one major area pointing to continued economic strength is the labor market,” adding that some 261,000 jobs were added in October, contributing to a total of more than 4 million new jobs for the year. The Economic and Strategic Research Group is tasked with studying current national economic data, as well as analyzing both historic and emerging trends. By Garry Boulard ![]() Members of the Scottsdale City Council have given their approval to a significantly large project that will see the building of both new apartments, as well as up to 36,000 square feet of commercial space. The company Optima Incorporated, which is based in Scottsdale, wants to build half a dozen eight-story buildings that will house some 1,330 apartment and condominium units. Each building will also include a rooftop pool. Those buildings will be concrete-framed, featuring landscaped facades designed to incorporate the shapes of the nearby McDowell Mountains. As planned, the project will see the construction of apartments ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom units. Slated to go up on a 21-acre site at the southeast corner of Scottsdale Road and the Loop 101 freeway, what is being called the Optima McDowell Mountain Village will also include green space, a central courtyard, and a bicycle and pedestrian trail. According to city documents, the project will additionally feature the “largest private residential rainwater harvesting project in the United States.” Rainwater will be stored in a concrete vault designed to hold up to 210,000 gallons of storm water. Optima describes itself as a “design-driven real estate development firm rooted in the modernist tradition.” The company, with offices also in Glencoe, Illinois, has spearheaded the development of sleekly-designed mixed-use projects in both Arizona and Illinois. By Garry Boulard ![]() A public input meeting will be held this week in El Paso regarding a proposed massive $750 million project that could substantially change the contours and scope of Interstate 10 as it slices through the city. What is popularly known as the “Reimagine I-10” project, as proposed by the Texas Department of Transportation, generally encompasses some 55 miles of highway in metro El Paso. The downtown part of the project that could eventually lead to the demolition of more than two dozen commercial and residential structures spans nearly 6 miles. The project, now set to be the focus of an environmental impact study, has been in the talking and planning stage for nearly four years. That study will come in the form of an environmental impact statement designed to document the need for the project, possible alternatives to it, and the overall impact on the environment. How long the study will take is not known, although some published sources have hinted that work on the project could begin in 2027. Transportation officials have said that a reconfiguration of I-10 in El Paso is needed in response to an urban traffic volume on the highway that has increased by 34% in the last decade and is projected to exceed 400,000 vehicles daily in the next two decades. The public input meeting is set for Wednesday, November 30 at 4 p.m. in the Juarez Room of the Judson F. Williams Convention Center. By Garry Boulard |
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