A host of new public infrastructure construction and upgrade projects are expected to see life in the coming months in the second largest city in New Mexico.
Members of the Las Cruces City Council have given their approval to some $25 million in new project work, with that work including street, park, and public facility projects.
Exactly $4.5 million will go for the building of a safety training driving track that will belong to the Las Cruces Police Department, along with the purchase of new vehicles.
The eight stations making up the Las Cruces Fire Department are slated for up to $5 million in upgrades; while $2 million will target construction of a new city recreation center.
The main and two branch libraries making up the Las Cruces Public Libraries system are receiving $2 million designed to fund facility improvements; with $2 million targeting previously unfunded projects that are a part of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan.
Up to $4 million, meanwhile, will go for a variety of street maintenance and traffic calming projects in various parts of the city.
Funding for the various projects is coming through a Gross Receipts Tax increase approved by Las Cruces voters in November of 2024. That 0.3% increase, which works out to 32 cents for every $100 spent in a local business, has been forecast to generate around $11 million annually for the city, all to be used for capital improvement projects.
April 27, 2026
By Garry Boulard
