Field Notes

Why Bikes (and Bicyclists) are good for Business

susanchering@gmail.com (Susan Hering) — Sun, 16 Aug 2026 23:41:50 GMT

Living and working in Albuquerque, it’s easy to think driving is a necessary part of everyday life, necessary to get to work and to the places we relax and play. And so parking also becomes an everyday consideration.

But what if we made some small changes? What about bicycles as transportation? We’ve got the weather to allow it year-round, we’ve got lots of economics incentives, and we’ve got the know-how to make it safe. What we don’t have is readily available secure parking. On the stretch of commercially zoned San Pedro Drive between Central and I40 there’s a not-so-grand total of FOUR bike racks. Not surprising then that the dedicated bike lanes on our street are under-used by the patrons and workers of our varied small businesses!

Near Heights MRA Expansion Approved by City Council

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Tue, 05 May 2026 18:27:23 GMT

SAN PEDRO MAIN STREET CORRIDOR GAINS
NEW TOOLS FOR REINVESTMENT

On Monday, May 4, the Albuquerque City Council voted unanimously to expand the Near Heights Metropolitan Redevelopment Area to include 67 properties along the San Pedro Main Street corridor, covering approximately 36 acres between Lomas Boulevard and Cagua Place NE. Councilor Grout recused herself from the vote. The expansion was approved as Resolution R-2026-6.

This was a long time coming — and a genuinely shared achievement.

The designation report which provided the justification for this change was developed by City Council Services, with principal planning work led by Omega Delgado, Deepa Bansal, and Matt Cox. Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn and Nicole Rogers championed the resolution. RSPP served as co-applicant throughout the process, hosted the public engagement meeting at our office in January, and helped translate a complex policy tool into plain language for the businesses and property owners who have the most at stake.

Public Safety Town Hall Recap

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:31:29 GMT

Safety Is the Foundation. Here's What the Corridor Said.

On March 25, we gathered at the School Arts Building on the NM State Fairgrounds for the Public Safety Town Hall — a conversation RSPP convened specifically for businesses, property owners, and community members along the San Pedro Main Street corridor.

Understanding Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:40:18 GMT

As Albuquerque grows and changes, long-established commercial corridors like San Pedro face a familiar challenge: how to reinvest in aging infrastructure, support existing businesses, and encourage thoughtful redevelopment—without losing the character, affordability, and local ownership that define the corridor.

One of the primary tools cities use to meet that challenge is a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area, or MRA.

With an upcoming public meeting focused on a proposed extension of the Near Heights MRA, this Bulletin provides a clear, plain-language explanation of what MRAs are, how they work, and why this tool matters for revitalization along San Pedro Main Street.

Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas are not a silver bullet—but when understood and used carefully, they can be a powerful tool for supporting corridors like San Pedro as places to do business, build community, and invest for the long term.

San Pedro Is Competing With Uncertainty. Stability Is How We Win.

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:00:00 GMT

Every corridor tells a story about its economy long before the data does. You hear it in the way business owners talk about staffing. You see it in their ordering schedules. You feel it in the pauses between their sentences when the conversation turns to the future.

Main Street America’s recent research on holiday sales echoes something we’ve been hearing across the San Pedro corridor for months: small businesses are searching for predictability. Not windfalls, not one-time boosts, not holiday magic — predictability.

That word comes up every single week when I’m out walking the district.

Predictability in customer traffic.
Predictability in construction timelines.
Predictability in safety and public behavior.
Predictability in the rules, processes, and systems we expect business owners to navigate.

What the national research calls “early preparation for the holiday season” is really a symptom of something deeper: small businesses are extending their planning horizon because the margin for error has evaporated.

And here on San Pedro, the lived experience mirrors that reality almost exactly.

The Through-Line: Predictability Matters More Than Volume

Volume — of sales, of customers, of events — used to be the driving goal. Today, many small business owners will tell you they’d trade a busy Saturday for a dependable week.

They’re not chasing spikes; they’re trying to build stability.

The research notes that owners across the country stocked inventory earlier and tightened operations heading into the holiday season. On San Pedro, the parallel is clear. Business owners are recalibrating:

Buying smaller but more frequently.
Choosing lower-risk products.
Rebalancing their time away from “promotions” and toward infrastructure — staffing, systems, point-of-sale setups, back-office efficiency.
Reducing exposure to disruptions they can’t control.

This is not seasonal behavior. It’s a psychological shift. Businesses are planning to avoid volatility — because volatility is what costs them the most.

And Then There’s Public Safety

If predictability is the top concern I hear on the corridor, public safety is the second. And those two issues are directly connected.

Business owners want to invest in their buildings and storefronts, but they hesitate when they’re unsure whether conditions outside their door will remain stable. Foot traffic is only as good as people’s comfort being in the space. Staffing only works when employees feel safe commuting to work. Window displays only matter if the environment invites people to linger.

National research tends to talk about “economic stability.” What small business owners are describing is something more tactile: social stability, environmental stability, and operational stability.

That is the real economic condition shaping San Pedro right now.

Why Predictability is a Core Economic Development Strategy

The traditional Main Street playbook focused on activation, visibility, and incremental improvements. Those still matter — but predictability has become the new competitive advantage.

At RSPP, we’re already acting on that shift:

Predictable Streetscape Construction:

As we move into the next phase of the streetscape project, we’re committed to communicating construction timelines clearly and consistently so businesses can plan ahead — not react.
Predictable Information on EXPO NM Redevelopment:

The State Fair redevelopment is a big unknown. Our role is to translate activity by the powers-that-be so that businesses aren’t flying blind as major decisions unfold around them.
Predictable Narrative:

We are building and reinforcing a unified story about where the corridor is headed — one that businesses, residents, partners, and policymakers can recognize and repeat.

This is not about messaging for the sake of messaging. It is about providing reliable context in an environment full of uncertainty. Predictability is an economic asset — and we can build it.

Why This Moment Matters for San Pedro

Main Street America’s research describes business owners hoping for strong holiday sales.

But what I see on San Pedro is something more important: businesses hoping for consistency. That desire is shaping the next decade of work on the corridor.

San Pedro is competing not with other retail districts, but with instability itself. We’re competing with uncertainty, with inconsistent foot traffic, with public safety concerns, with confusing redevelopment processes, with the accumulated fatigue of running a small business in a time when margins are thin and expectations are high.

Our competitive advantage is not that we can eliminate those issues overnight — it’s that we can create an environment where businesses aren’t dealing with them alone.

The streetscape improvements, the alleyway activation, the wayfinding system, the façade work, the partnerships — these are not isolated projects. They are components of a stabilizing strategy. They signal: “This corridor is on a trajectory, and it’s safe to invest your attention, energy, and hope here.”

That is what long-term Main Street revitalization looks like today.

The Road Ahead

If the national research tells us anything, it’s that Main Streets across the country are recalibrating their expectations — and the communities that thrive will be the ones that understand this shift early.

For San Pedro, that means doubling down on:

predictable processes,
clear information,
safety and comfort,
consistent communication, and
a shared narrative about who we are becoming.

Stability won’t appear on a calendar, and it won’t arrive because the holidays went well. It will come because we built the conditions for it — deliberately, collaboratively, and with the full awareness of what our businesses actually need.

And that is the work we’re committed to doing.

GUEST BLOG: State Fair Redevelopment Bus Tour

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 15:09:00 GMT

By, Susan Hering

RSPP Design Committee Member

Revitalize San Pedro Achieves Full Main Street America Accreditation

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 01:19:25 GMT

From Local Vision to National Recognition

The announcement from New Mexico MainStreet and the New Mexico Economic Development Departmentrecognizes both RSPP and the Lordsburg Economic Advancement Project as the state’s newest accredited programs. Accreditation represents the highest level of recognition a Main Street program can achieve within the Main Street America network.

Accredited communities meet rigorous standards of performance across six key areas — from strong organizational capacity and sustainable funding to data-driven strategies and demonstrable economic impact.

For RSPP, accreditation validates years of grassroots organizing and recent achievements that have transformed the corridor from concept to coordinated action. It also affirms what neighbors and business owners already know: San Pedro is on the rise.

What Accreditation Means

Accreditation isn’t just a title — it’s a promise to the community. To earn it, a Main Street program must demonstrate:

Broad-based community commitment to revitalization.
Strong leadership and organizational capacity, including a representative board and full-time executive director.
Diverse and sustainable funding sources that ensure long-term stability.
Strategy-driven programming aligned with clear Transformation Strategies and the Four Points of the Main Street Approach: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
Preservation-based economic development that strengthens the corridor’s character while spurring new investment.
Demonstrated impact and results, including reinvestment statistics, business growth, and community engagement outcomes.

RSPP met and exceeded each of these benchmarks — showing that our work isn’t just active, it’s effective.

Building Momentum on San Pedro

Accreditation builds on a period of visible transformation for the corridor.

Over the past year, RSPP has opened a new office and community hub, launched the Facade Squad volunteer storefront improvement program, and secured multiple grants to support wayfinding, streetscape enhancements, and youth engagement through the Outdoor Equity Fund.

The corridor has become a place where small businesses, residents, and artists come together to reimagine what a welcoming, walkable, and vibrant main street can be.

As Executive Director Adrian N. Carver put it, “Accreditation affirms that what’s happening on San Pedro isn’t luck — it’s leadership, partnership, and purpose. Our community built this together.”

A Shared Path Forward

Main Street America’s accreditation framework emphasizes continuous improvement, not just one-time achievement. Each year, accredited programs undergo a community evaluation process to ensure ongoing progress toward their local Transformation Strategies.

For RSPP, this means continuing to build on our three Economic Transformation Strategies:

Physical Improvements – Enhancing the corridor’s public spaces, walkability, and visual identity.
Business Activation & Development – Supporting existing businesses and attracting new ones that strengthen the district’s economy.
Placemaking – Creating memorable experiences that connect people to place and celebrate the culture of Albuquerque’s International District.

Together, these strategies are reshaping San Pedro into a corridor that reflects the pride and potential of its community.

Recognition and Gratitude

RSPP’s journey to accreditation would not have been possible without the dedication of countless partners, volunteers, and supporters — from the neighborhood associations that spent over a decade organizing, to the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico MainStreet, and the many businesses who continue to show up for the corridor.

Looking Ahead

As a newly accredited Main Street America program, RSPP is positioned to expand its reach and impact. Accreditation opens doors to new funding opportunities, stronger technical assistance, and deeper partnerships at the local, state, and national levels.

But the most meaningful part of this achievement remains local. Every mural painted, storefront improved, and business opened along San Pedro represents the community’s shared investment in its own future.

The road ahead is bright — and we’re just getting started.

🌿 Outdoor Equity Funding Awarded to Revitalize San Pedro Partnership

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:29:09 GMT

We’re proud to share big news for the San Pedro corridor: the Revitalize San Pedro Partnership has been awarded a grant from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division to launch an innovative new program that brings together youth, art, and the environment—right here in our own alleys and streets.

The Alleyway Mural Loop Trail EcoStewards program isn’t just about murals, alleyways, or native plants. It’s about reimagining what outdoor access looks like in an urban neighborhood. It’s about equity, creativity, and building a sense of place that reflects who we are and what we want our future to look like.

✨ What We’re Launching

The grant will support an 18-month youth-centered initiative that activates the Alley Mural Loop Trail—a network of underused alleyways that stretch between Central and I-40. Through hands-on public art, ecological education the program will transform these alleys into vibrant, walkable, welcoming spaces.

But this is more than beautification. It’s a model for community-rooted outdoor programming that starts where people are—literally. We’re meeting youth and families in their own neighborhoods, with programming that feels relevant, empowering, and joyful.

Why This Matters

Many of the neighborhoods along the San Pedro corridor—Mark Twain, Fair West, Alvarado Park, and Mile-Hi—have faced decades of disinvestment in outdoor infrastructure. Sidewalks are broken. Shade is limited. Park space is scarce. And for many youth, the “outdoors” has never felt like a place they truly belong.

This grant gives us a chance to change that. We’re building not only green infrastructure, but community infrastructure—where young people take the lead in shaping the physical and cultural environment around them. They’ll be mentored by local artists, supported by neighborhood associations, and connected to careers in creative and environmental fields.

What Comes Next

We’ll be sharing more details in the coming weeks about how to get involved—whether you’re a young person interested in joining, a business owner along the alley trail, or a neighbor who wants to cheer the work on. And later this fall, we’ll host a public kick-off event to officially launch the first phase.

This grant award is a major win, but it’s only the beginning. The real magic will come from the relationships we build, the stories we tell, and the spaces we create—together.

Let’s revitalize not just our corridor, but our connection to the land, to one another, and to a more equitable future.

️ Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to us at connect@sanpedroabq.org

This program is made possible thanks to support from the New Mexico Economic Development Department — Outdoor Recreation Division’s Outdoor Equity Fund.

✂️ A Ribbon Cutting for a New Chapter

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:38:00 GMT

This month, we crossed a threshold—not just into a building, but into a new chapter of possibility for the San Pedro corridor.

After years of grassroots organizing, community meetings in borrowed rooms, and progress made at kitchen tables and sidewalk corners, Revitalize San Pedro Partnership (RSPP) now has a home of our own. Our new office—nestled just off San Pedro and Lomas—is a space for planning, dreaming, and doing. It’s where revitalization gets rooted.

We marked the moment with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by neighbors, business owners, elected officials, and community partners. It was an energizing, joyful, and reflective gathering that reminded us what this work is really about: people, place, and the power of persistence.

Why a Physical Space Matters

For a long time, our corridor has lacked visible symbols of investment and permanence. The opening of this office changes that.

This space is not just about desks and storage—it’s about presence. It signals that San Pedro is a place worth showing up for. A place with vision. A place with leadership. And a place where collaboration has a literal seat at the table.

In this new home base, we’ll host:

Committee meetings and board strategy sessions
Youth workshops and mural planning sessions
Grant writing marathons and business engagement meetups
Design reviews, stewardship planning, and “what-if” brainstorms
Pop-ups, story-sharing, and moments of neighborhood joy

RSPP in the News

Our progress is starting to get noticed. The Albuquerque Journal featured RSPP in a story about the office opening and our broader work to transform San Pedro into a vibrant, walkable, equitable corridor.

Read the full article here.

We’re proud to represent the voices and priorities of our community—and we’re just getting started.

A Symbol of Growing Momentum

This opening comes at a time of real acceleration for our work. We recently:

Received an Outdoor Equity Fund grant to launch the youth-led Mural Eco-Stewards program
Launched the Facade Squad, putting volunteer power to work on corridor beautification
Were invited to the State Fair Redevelopment Stakeholder Committee by the Governor’s Office
Welcomed new board applicants, new volunteers, and new donors

The office is not just a headquarters. It’s the anchor point for a movement that’s been years in the making and is now clearly taking shape.

What Comes Next?

We’ll be hosting more public events in the space—including community meetings, design reviews, and open houses. We’re also inviting you to save the date for our summer fundraiser on August 17, where we’ll raise support to keep this momentum going and celebrate everything the community has helped build.

This space belongs to the corridor. Whether you’re a business owner, artist, youth leader, policymaker, or curious neighbor—we want you to feel welcome here.

Reach out to connect@sanpedroabq.org to visit, collaborate, or get involved.

We’re open—and we’re ready for what’s next.

INTERVIEW: Stantec’s Nancy Locke on the State Fair Masterplanning Effort

adrian.carver@gmail.com (Adrian N. Carver) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:09:18 GMT

The redevelopment of EXPO New Mexico and the State Fairgrounds is one of Albuquerque’s most high-profile and contested civic planning efforts. The State of New Mexico has contracted Stantec, a global engineering firm to lead a master plan for the 236-acre site, with the goal of maximizing its economic, cultural, and year-round utilization.

That study is exploring several paths: retaining and upgrading the fair in its current location, relocating the fairgrounds entirely, or transforming part of the land into mixed-use development including housing, retail, and entertainment.

Among the key concerns raised in community feedback are questions of equity, safety, infrastructure, and cultural identity. Some neighbors express anxiety over traffic, safety, and disorder around the existing site, while others worry that moving the fair would damage tradition and accessibility.

Economic projections are large but uncertain: some estimates suggest redevelopment could generate $2-4 billion in economic activity. However, many of the gains may be temporary, and much depends on what gets built, who controls funding, and how local residents are included in planning and benefits.

The Governor has set a deadline to decide on the fair’s status that coincides with the upcoming legislative session, which adds pressure to the process. While changes are likely in the coming year, any relocation or major redevelopment will take several more years to implement.

In this interview, Nancy Locke, the Principal-in-Charge of the State Fair master planning team lays out the options, explains how community voices are being incorporated, and describes what to watch for in the final plan.