Santa Fe city officials postpone public update on future of Midtown campus

By Kyle Land / Journal North
Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 at 9:52pm

Santa Fe’s Midtown campus awaits development plans nearly two years after the Santa Fe University of Art and Design left the property. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)

Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – Santa Feans will have to wait a little longer for updates from their city government regarding the Midtown campus, the 64-acre property upon which city officials have placed their hopes for new opportunities in jobs, housing, education and the arts.

The city is looking to develop the property, which formerly housed the Santa Fe University of Art and Design and the College of Santa Fe.

City officials were scheduled to hold a presentation on the campus’ financial status before the City Council’s Finance Committee on Tuesday, which would have been the city’s first official update on the property in months.

However, Councilor Roman Abeyta, who is also chairman of the Finance Committee, said after talking with Finance Director Mary McCoy it was decided that the presentation would be moved to a pre-scheduled executive session of the City Council on Thursday, where it would be discussed behind closed doors.

“The staff felt more comfortable with all of the councilors getting the same information at the same time,” Abeyta told the Journal.

The city has come under fire in the past for withholding details surrounding the project, including the process used in selecting a master developer for the property.

Abeyta said he had asked finance staff for a presentation on the operational costs, debt service and outstanding money owed on the Midtown property, which the city purchased in 2009 after the College of Santa Fe shut down.

New Mexico Foundation for Open Government Executive Director Melanie Majors said none of those matters would necessitate the item being talked about in an executive session, although discussions concerning selling and acquiring property would be exempt from open meeting laws.

In a Wednesday webcast, Mayor Alan Webber said the COVID-19 pandemic had altered plans concerning what would go on the campus.

“A lot of factors are new and different,” Webber said without being specific.

Finance Director McCoy was unavailable for comment Wednesday. A city spokesperson wrote “it’s considered most efficient to bundle all (Midtown) discussions into the executive session.”