Move to Stop the Construction of An Open Space Education Center in Albuquerque to Be Heard in Court

A move on the part of the City of Albuquerque to build an education center in a well-known and popular open space is being challenged in court.
A group called Save the Elena Gallegos is seeking a legal injunction to protect the space, which is located off the 7100 block of Tramway Boulevard and is situated between the Sandia Mountains and the edge of the Rio Grande Valley, encompassing some 70,000 acres.
Within that vast space is the 640-acre Elena Gallegos Open Space park. City officials have said that they are contemplating the construction of an education center partly in response to the yearly foot and bike traffic, which in 2020 saw more than 258,100 visiting the park.
A feasibility study undertaken earlier this year by the architectural firm of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini of Albuquerque suggested the construction of a one-story building measuring around 4,800 square feet. That structure would feature a lobby, offices, classroom space, restrooms, and coffee bar. The addition of a viewing deck would bring the project to an estimated 8,000 square feet.
But the Save the Save the Elena Gallegos group contends that any such construction would be in violation of a four decades-old legal covenant restricting construction in the area to only picnic tables, benches, restrooms, and shelters.
The group, which has secured more than 8,000 signatures protesting the proposed education center, has now officially filed a lawsuit in the 2nd Judicial District Court, with the City of Albuquerque listed as the only defendant.
It is not known when that lawsuit will be heard.

By Garry Boulard

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