![]() After several years of planning, a project that will see the construction of new state administration offices in Santa Fe appears may soon be significantly moving forward. As planned, the project would see the building of a three-story, roughly 192,000 square foot structure near the New Mexico State Capitol. Originally pegged as an $85 million project, state sources now say an additional $100 million in state funding may be needed to complete the project. State officials have long wanted to build one central facility for a variety of government department offices, with the goal of eliminating the cost of leasing out various spaces around the city for those departments. According to state documents, New Mexico spends around $158 million a year on upkeep and utilities in maintaining all the buildings it currently owns and leases. The additional funds to launch the project are expected to be approved by state lawmakers in the weeks to come. In 2009, the legislature approved authorizing the New Mexico Finance Authority to issue up to $115 million in bonds for the project. In early 2022, lawmakers gave the green light to another $70 million. Late last year, the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee issued a report contending that a possible $221 million price tag for the new buildings was too high and failed to factor in the large number of state employees who are now working remotely, reducing the need for more office space. By Garry Boulard
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