With the midpoint of 2024 hit, Albuquerque Business First reached out to economic development leaders with the City of Las Cruces to get a better grasp on some of their main focus areas. Here’s what they had to say.
Small Business Storefront Repair Program
The Small Business Storefront Repair Program was launched in February 2023 in Las Cruces to help offset damage caused from vandalism or natural disasters.
Businesses are able to apply for reimbursement for damages up to $2,500. Thus far, 75 businesses have received funds through the program. Celina Morales, economic development coordinator for the City of Las Cruces, said the program will continue in 2025.
Catastrophic Business Assistance Program
Las Cruces recently wrapped up a pilot program to assist businesses that faced hardships like broken air conditioning units or burst pipes. The Catastrophic Business Assistance pilot provided up to $10,000 to 16 businesses.
“These incidents can just cause the business to shut down and sometimes they don’t recuperate from them,” Morales said. “We’re just trying to help them in that aspect with our [programs].”
New Mexico State Sen. Carrie Hamblen (D-District 38) helped fund the program, according to the City of Las Cruces website. During the 2025 legislative session, Morales said Hamblen will look to secure additional funding for a statewide business assistance program.
Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park
The Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park, located just 45 minutes north of El Paso, Texas, has been a focal point for the city’s development efforts. City leaders are currently trying to secure funding to provide the needed infrastructure to make sites in the Park shovel-ready, said Elizabeth Teeters, economic development director for the City of Las Cruces.
The 913-acre industrial park was initially purchased by the City in the 1980s.
“It wasn’t until about three or four years ago when [the Park] became a focus,” Teeters said. “That’s when we started the master plan process, site certification and we did an Industrial Park overlay zone. So, that’s when we really got the ball rolling on making [the Park] more competitive with the areas around us.”
The City of Crosses currently owns 28 parcels inside the Park, and other privately owned parcels are also for sale, Teeters said. The aim is to attract aerospace and defense, value-added agriculture and advanced manufacturing companies, she said.
“There are parcels out there that are privately owned and for sale,” Teeters said in an email statement. “The City originally had 28 parcels for sale, but one recently sold to Love’s [Travel Stops] for their expansion. There are a few parcels with pending sales with companies we are working with, that brings [the number of parcels available] down to 24 [to] 25.”
Teeters said she hopes to announce new deals in the next six to nine months.
Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas
Three Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas — El Paseo Road, South Solana Drive and West Picacho Avenue — have been designated for rehabilitation. A Metropolitan Redevelopment Area is a site within a city that has been identified for revitalization due to economic stagnation. This designation can unlock various financial incentives and helps encourage public-private partnerships.
These specific areas identified in Las Cruces, once bustling with businesses, have faced blight over the years, Teeters said. The planning process, expected to take about a year, will involve public meetings starting in September to gather input from local businesses and residents. Revitalization of these areas is expected to take two years, Morales said.
“City Council decided to make it a priority to revitalize those areas, and try to bring that life back into it,” Morales said.
The need for housing
The City of Las Cruces is also shifting its focus to the need to develop more housing.
Projects planned for 2025 include Three Sisters Apartments, a 70-unit complex located on N. Walnut Street, and Pedrena Apartments, an 80-unit complex located at 801 E. Farney Lane.
The City also wants to add a 338-unit apartment complex and 52 single-family houses to the region in 2026, Natalie Green, housing and neighborhood services manager at the City of Las Cruces, said.
Source: “Here are the economic development initiatives Las Cruces leaders are focused on”
