future of santa fe campus may soon be revealed

Proposals for the redevelopment of the former home of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design are soon expected to be made public by the City of Santa Fe.

That 64-acre downtown site has been the subject of great interest on the part of developers and investors interested in how the property may be transformed, ever since the school closed its doors in the spring of 2018.

A series of public input meetings have been held regarding the future of the property, as well as smaller and more intense sessions with stakeholders studying the site’s potential for providing at least 1,000 affordable housing units.

Last year, the city’s Economic Development Department released its Midtown Campus Project Final Report, a document emphasizing environmental and sustainable priorities at the site and calling for green building features and the creation of biking and walking paths that would connect with the surrounding neighborhood.

While there has been talk of several structures on the campus eventually being torn down, two structures will most likely remain intact: the Fogelson Library and the Greer Garson Theater Center.

Other proposals have presented the creation of both new office and retail space on the campus, with perhaps the construction at some point of a hotel.

By Garry Boulard

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