Los Alamos County is working to designate an area in East Downtown Los Alamos as a Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) to address issues like vacant properties, low commercial activity, and deteriorating infrastructure. This designation is the first step toward revitalizing the area, supported by the East Downtown Los Alamos MRA Designation Report, which highlights conditions requiring public investment.
The Metropolitan Redevelopment (MR) Plan provides access to various tools to revitalize Los Alamos, including:
Tax abatement
Land acquisition or assemblage
Financial incentives
These tools aim to address the identified issues and achieve the goals of the Downtown Los Alamos Master Plan. The MR Plan complies with the New Mexico Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, which allows cities and counties to address development barriers, often through public-private partnerships. All actions are designed to improve the area and realize the Master Plan's vision.
The MRA designation in Los Alamos Townsite enables public resources to support private redevelopment projects, sparking new investment. This designation is the first step toward a comprehensive redevelopment plan informed by community input and economic analysis. Next steps include creating a MRA Board that will review potential projects and make recommendations to county council on whether the County will be a partner in a project.
Initial Assessment: Assessments in May and December 2023 documented physical conditions, identifying factors contributing to blight conditions.
Community Engagement: Since late 2018, Los Alamos MainStreet has engaged with local business and property owners about the benefits of the MRA zone.
Master Planning: The County, with consultants Dekker/Perich/Sabatini (DPS), initiated Downtown Master Plans and Development Code Updates for White Rock and Los Alamos.
Current Status: The proposed East Downtown Los Alamos MRA Boundary was presented at the county council meeting and approved by resolution on May 7,2024. A public town hall was held for insight and questions about the MRA plan on June 27, 2024, at Fuller Lodge from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Click here(PDF, 3MB) to view the slides from Groundwork Studio at the Town Hall. You can watch the online recording of the town hall here. An online survey was available June 27 - July 11, 2024. Results will be posted once they become available.
For more information, contact:
Paul Andrus, Community Development Director: paul.andrus@lacnm.us
East Downtown Los Alamos Metropolitan Redevelopment Area FAQ Document(PDF, 1MB)
East Downtown Los Alamos Metropolitan Redevelopment Area Designation Report (April 2024)(PDF, 10MB)
Resolution No. 24-08(PDF, 1MB)
Los Alamos Master Plan(PDF, 53MB)
Downtown Master Plans & Code Update Information
County Council Session February 20, 2024
County Council Session May 7, 2024
Town Hall Recording from June 27, 2024
Without additional tools, struggling areas of downtown may experience further disinvestment. An MRA designation and plan can help the local government support reinvestment by allowing public-private partnerships that achieve the goals set forth in the recently adopted Downtown Master Plan and MRA Plan. MRA projects in different communities often vary, due to different circumstances existing within the MRA’s boundaries.
These properties are included as part of the gateway experience to downtown, as they are in alignment with the 2022 Downtown Master Plan Boundary.
This effort is meant to address the specific area surrounding the east gateway to downtown. The proposed boundary satisfies the criteria for the MRA requirements. As necessary, the MRA boundary can be proposed to be expanded at a future date.
While not a requirement, in this case, the two are very similar. This is due to overlapping goals and priorities between the Los Alamos Downtown Master Plan and East Downtown Los Alamos MRA Plan.
There is no evidence that MRA designation negatively impacts property values. MRA designation reflects an investment in the revitalization of a particular area and an expansion of available revitalization tools.
Tools available to MRA Districts promote small business growth, support facade improvements, and enable municipal grants and loans. In short, an MRA is intended to help improve the local business environment so they can thrive.
Nothing about the MRA is mandatory. If you own private property within the MRA district, you can choose not to engage with the tools enabled by the MRA.
The MRA designation is not a tool to raise taxes, nor does it present a pathway to do so.
The MRA statute does not provide any mechanism to have eminent domain. Click here to learn more about eminent domain in MRAs.
Once the East Downtown Los Alamos MRA boundary was approved, the County scheduled a town hall for public comment and discussion. The MRA Plan will then go to Council for approval. Provided it is approved, Council will establish a board for the MRA plans in Los Alamos and White Rock.
The benefits are only applied when an interested development partner Inquires or requests to the county about utilizing MRA tools. In short, there needs to be a basis for a project to exist before the benefits can be utilized.