City planning and The City of Albuquerque, New Mexico are not terms that you normal think of going together. Our city is known for its urban sprawl thanks in part to the encouragmet of local city government. Last evening was a remarkable evening at Pearl Hall on the campus of UNM because it was a coming together of college students and community members in order to support planned development of East Central in the International District between San Pedro and Louisiana.Old Route 66 which is called central had its hay day during the fifties and the sixties when Americans were expanding west and the car on small two lane roads was where it was at for most Americans. Car motels were the thing and route 66 was the mother road for America. In the seventies and the eighties those car motels became run down dives attracting the drug trade, prostitution, and crime as our country moved on to larger flat highways like I-40. And the communities around this area were given the name “War Zone” because of the high crime rate. In the nineties and up until present day Mayor Martin Chavez has condemned and torn down many of those old car motels leaving empty lots in their place and a community made up of a diversity of cultures because of that road is now trying hard to reclaim their communities and revitalize those old neighborhoods without driving out current working class families or doing away with the diversity that they are so proud of in their local communities.
These communities has strong support for this revitalization from individuals and groups such as State Senator Tim Keller, City Councilman Rey Garduno, Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, City of Albuquerque, OED, Talin International Market, District 6 Neighborhood Associations, Asian-American Association of NM, Southeast Heights Health Coalition, The Loan Fund, STEPS and The National Dance Institute of New Mexico just to name a few.
State Senator Tim Keller a native New Mexican who grew up in that area of the city is working closely with residents and business leaders of his district to improve the quality of life for what is now renamed the International District. Senator Keller grew up in that area of the city in a middle class republican family. He attended private schools and got his college degree from Harvard University before going off to Cambodia where he spent threes year learning that change happens from the ground up while he worked with the disadvantaged creating 500 plus jobs. Coming home to spend time with his parents also required him to live in the area where he became a community activist before running for the state senate as a strong grassroots progressive democrat.
The college students presented the communities residents with plans that included upgraded sidewalk improvements, a lane for city buses only, improvements to crosswalks, more city parks, exercises pathways, lighting, at some point moving businesses closer to the street with out large parking lots, colors and street markers that would let people know they had entered the International District. The feedback from community leaders was positive and encouraging. Senator Keller expressed a desire to get more input from local business leaders before making any changes. One woman wanted the improvements to be not only health friendly but family friendly. Another female resident expressed a desire to keep low income families in the neighborhood. In the end it was agreed that due to the short summer term that more work needs to be done to fully plan such a large neighborhood. It is strongly encouraged that local business leaders contact community leaders such as Enrique Cardiel and Reyna Juarez Officers of the South San Pedro NA, Nancy Bearce president of La Mesa NA, Steve Whitman from STEPs (southeast heights team for entrepreneurs) and a founder of the Abq international business district association or State Senator Keller to provide input and share their desires and views of the future for the International District.
