Las Cruces city councilors seemed OK Monday with a basic plan for the city entering into a deal with developers to buy land and build a Las Cruces civic plaza in the downtown area.
City staff told councilors the proposal would have some built-in protections for the city in that the developers, Las Cruces Community Partners, would only get paid after reaching certain milestones toward the city obtaining the land and developing a Las Cruces civic plaza.
Staff said all the specifics haven’t been worked out yet, but the proposed document with the company, which is represented by developer Bob Pofahl, will be given to city councilors for a vote on June 2.
“In general terms, what we’re talking about is a performance-based development agreement,” said City Manager Robert Garza.
As part of the arrangement, a second contract is in the works between the owner of the proposed site, Bank of the West, and Pofahl, who’d initially buy the land for the plaza and a larger, surrounding parcel.
Land for the proposed Las Cruces civic plaza sits on Bank of the West’s drive-through.
Mayor Ken Miyagishima expressed concerns about a month ago that Pofahl hadn’t made enough progress on the agreement with Bank of the West.
Since then, Miyagishima said, city staff have gotten a copy of that contract.
“They do have the agreement in place, and our staff has been able to look at it,” he said following Monday’s meeting. “They’re comfortable with it. At that time, we didn’t have that.”
The Pofahl-Bank of the West contract has been worked out, but it’s not signed.
City officials said the June 2 vote will kickstart the plaza project, estimated to cost about $5 million, which includes purchasing the land.
The price could change, however, depending on how city councilors want the Las Cruces civic plaza built, according to Assistant City Manager Brian Denmark.
Once the City Council-Pofahl contract is approved, the next step is to transfer the plaza property to the city, Denmark said. The city will pay market value for the parcel, as determined by a formal real estate appraisal. Also, a subdivision process would have to occur to separate the plaza land from the larger parcel surrounding it.
Even if the deal fell through after that, the city would have the land, Denmark told councilors.
Under the expected time line, the Las Cruces civic plaza construction could launch in early 2015 and finish by the end of that year, city officials said.
Denmark said the public will have a chance to give input in the planning of the Las Cruces civic plaza.
City Councilor Miguel Silva said he hopes the council will be able to review all the options for the Las Cruces civic plaza design.
“I support going forward with this,” Silva says.
The agreement between Pofahl’s company and the city would cover building the Las Cruces civic plaza, as well, Miyagishima said. He said that’s because a private company likely could carry it out faster and cheaper than if the city built it.
City officials have said they must spend money they’ve collected as part of a special taxing district — called the Tax Increment Development District — by a certain deadline or else risk losing them. The TIDD is the major source of funding for downtown revitalization projects.
Doña Ana County Commissioner Billy Garrett, who attended the meeting, told councilors they were on the right track in developing the plaza. He said he sees it as a focal point for the county, as well.
“I think it sounds like a very reasonable approach,” he said.
Denmark said more specifics about the time line for the project will be given June 2.
One Las Crucen asked councilors to consider adding a functional sun dial to the civic plaza, partly so it could serve as an educational item for local students. Some councilors said they liked the idea.
More signs
Councilors also heard options for boosting signage in the downtown area. Three options presented by city planner Andy Hume included building a large pillar in the center of the roundabout on the north end of the downtown area; building a gateway arch over Main Street, also on the northern end of the plaza; or buying banners for 26 street posts in the downtown area.
Hume said only $20,000 was available for the project, and two options could cost more than that. A set of 26 banners, however, would cost about $4,000. He said the city could buy a few sets and change them out throughout the year. A downside to that, though, is that wind and sun will cause them to deteriorate.
By: Diana Alba Soular (Las Cruces Sun News)
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