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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,822,981 times
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Need a skyline? Go to Denver or Dallas. The Albuquerque metro area hasn't even crested 1,000,000 people yet. I can't think of many if any metro areas in the 750K-1 mil bracket that have remarkable skylines. I'll be moving to Albuquerque in a few months and I could care less about tall buildings. I'm moving there for the food, culture, people, artistry, climate, and as for aesthetics I'd say most importantly being the Sandia Mountains. Seeing the sunrises and sunsets with the Sandias as a backdrop would beat any tall buildings visually for me. I could think of many things downtown ABQ could use (residential development, more retail, grocery stores) before throwing up a 500+' building that doesn't serve any necessary purpose. Once other ammenties are in place, more office vacancies are filled in existing buildings, and the metro area's population crests say 1.2-1.5 million then a new, shiny, fabulous, oh so trendy looking highrise could be an appropriate discussion, but that will be quite a bit further down the road.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 11-06-2011 at 07:14 PM..
A lot of people here are talking about 500 ft. buildings that will turn Albuquerque into Denver. I don't want that, but I think that the downtown would be better if we added a few 100 ft. buildings.
I inquired about Packard Place and Chant Tower on another thread and was referred to this discussion by PonchoNM. Interesting points on both sides of the argument.
My question is are these towers still in the works, or are they cancelled outright? With the economy being so bad right now it's easy to see why developers would hesitate to begin such expensive projects.
Also, I ask not because I just want to see Albuquerque simply enhance its skyline. I ask from the presumption that if these projects proceed, it will be because the economy has reached a level where developers and investors feel comfortable moving forward. In other words, there will be demand for it.
Packard Place is definately canceled, the developer I think was indicted on fraud or something like that. He was the same person developing the building (condos) downtown that is partially complete and abandoned....i forgot the name. As for Chant I think it was also canceled.
Packard Place is definately canceled, the developer I think was indicted on fraud or something like that. He was the same person developing the building (condos) downtown that is partially complete and abandoned....i forgot the name. As for Chant I think it was also canceled.
That is pretty sad. But as I stated, if the demand is not there, you simply cannot expect it to work. It isn't a matter of "build it and they will come." From the sound of it, there are already vacancies within buildings throughout downtown anyways, so it makes more sense (and would be fiscally viable) to incentivize infill downtown. I know that tax breaks for businesses are a divisive issue, but they do work and maybe if applied correctly that can draw some businesses downtown. Perhaps a vacant building can be converted into residential use. There are plenty of ideas that are viable and relatively low cost compared to building high-rises. Build downtown from the ground up, and maybe then the demand for a new tower will create itself.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,749 posts, read 23,822,981 times
Reputation: 14665
So what becomes of the incomplete shell of the abandoned development downtown? Is it just going to sit there perhaps for several years until the economy might bounce back and have a potential developer complete it? It certainly is an eyesore, that's for sure.
I'm in agreement with what many others have stated here; ABQ doesn't really need more skyscrapers but perhaps a major grocery store downtown may enhance more residential developement and pedestrian appeal.
I'd argue it takes far more energy to build a skyscraper than a stick-built cookie cutter neighborhood, considering all the steel, and other components required.
I once asked a structural engineering colleague of mine about why there are no tall buildings in downtown ABQ. He said something about the soils in the Rio Grande Valley not being conducive to holding them up without extensive/expensive footings and foundations. I don't know if this is true or not though.
Im not so sure about that one either when you consider a city like New Orleans, which if I understand correctly, is actually built on land something like 3-10 ft BELOW sea level, which is why they can't have underground sewer systems and why their cemetaries are all above ground level. New Orleans is also a city that gets hit pretty hard annually with hurricanes and floods.
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