las cruces looking at redevelopment of former landfill site

A large swath of vacant desert land on the rapidly growing east side of Las Cruces is being looked at by city officials for its redevelopment potential.
The property is roughly 2 miles to the east of downtown Las Cruces.

Located near the intersection of E. Lohman Avenue and Paseo de Onate, the roughly 100-acre site has been touted by Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima as a possible future subdivision, complete with walking and biking trails.

Other city officials have suggested that the property, a portion of which once served as a landfill, could be used for commercial development.

A study conducted two years ago by the Albuquerque-based real estate firm Sage Land Solutions described the property as comprised of “Chihuahuan desert vegetation,” but noted also that it had some creosote contamination.

Currently owned by the City of Las Cruces, the site is bordered by suburban neighborhoods to its north and south, and is less than a mile away from the Mountain View Regional Medical Center, at 4311 E. Lohman Avenue.

There is some mostly recent and one-story retail and commercial development to the west of the site.

Public meetings regarding what to do with the site are expected to be conducted in early 2019 by the city’s Community Development Department, which is reaching out to residents of those neighborhoods for their input.

By Garry Boulard

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