I was able to meet with Anthony NM City Manager Mario Juarez-Infante and discuss the current and future plans of Anthony. With his experience of over 15 years of direct strategic planning and execution in both private and public sections, his past and current performance has demonstrated his ability to identify the needs and to go about filling them. The city has several goals they want to accomplish, the three primary goals are to enhance the recreational quality of life, have a quality infrastructure, and increase city revenues.
The recreational quality of life has already begun with the accomplishment of the Adam Park Multi-purpose Flood Control Baseball Field. But there is still more to be done on this part. The next phase of the project is putting a Canopy Structure followed by the concession stand. Then the city will start working on the rest of the flood control by adding the Adams Park Pump Station which is a water quality and flood control project to start early 2024. They are continuing their efforts by getting capital investments to construct the Dos Lagos Soccer Field and Duffer Lane Multi-use Trail with construction to begin spring of 2024.
The Quality Infrastructure is being accomplished as we write, with the recent completion of the Multi-generational Center Phase I and Acosta Road Phase II (S. Anthony Drive to 4th Street), while Church Street Phase I (4th Street to Clark Ave.). Church Street Phase I includes a stormwater infrastructure and will start before the end of the year. Starting next year they will work on the Adams Park Storm Water Pump Station and the 2024 City-wide Street Rehabilitation. The streets they are looking at working on next in 2024 are Grant Street, Archer Street, and Angelita Provencio if everything goes accordingly. Work has been and will continue to be done through proper planning, discipline, and execution. The city has over $50M of roadway rehabilitation needs, excluding drainage infrastructure. Municipalities across the nation cannot rehabilitate “most” of their streets within any time frame. However, the City is entertaining developing a street department that will require about $1M in equipment investment, using future property mill levy revenues to implement an annual Street Maintenance, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Program.
How do we increase city revenue? Mr. Infante informed us the increase will come from the property mill levy, the upcoming completion of Memorial Medical Center Urgent Care, the near future Solid Wastewater Transfer Station, and as well as new housing and commercial developments that are being planned at the Dos Lagos Development. Mr. Infante says the city still needs more funding but has accomplished getting funds for the following projects:
Donaldson Roadway & Drainage Design, $450K
Multi-generational Phase II Construction, $1.75M
South Anthony Arroyo Passive Park Design and Construction, $1.5M
Solid Waste Transfer Station and Access Road Design, $1.3M
Department of Public Safety Building Design, $1M
2024 City Wide Streets Rehabilitation, $500k
Dos Lagos Soccer Field & Sports Lighting Construction, $500K
Dos Lagos “Lakes” Planning & Design, $500K
Pond 9A Planning & Design, $400K.
Lee Street Planning & Design, $200K
Dos Lagos Development
The city purchased Dos Lagos back in 2019 with gross receipts taxes and started development with Phase I of the Multi-generational Center recently being completed. The city is scheduled to complete Phase II of the Multigeneration Center design in December 2023. They have secured $1.75M for construction and will be working with the upcoming 2024 Legislative Session to secure another $3M. Phase II includes a full-size commercial kitchen and mini-gym basketball court (see rendering).
They broke ground on the Memorial Medical Urgent Care Center back on June 16, 2023. The UCC foundation, plumbing, and concrete slab are completed, and the vertical is already being started. The next stage of development after the Urgent Care Center is the Duffer Lane Multi-use Trail which is anticipated to commence construction in early 2024. It is a unique 1,700-LF health and wellness facility that has an integrated history that commences with the homestead of Anthony and concludes with the completion of the Multi-generational Phase I facility.
Early 2024 they will start construction of the North Road Phase I which will provide access to the Urgent Care Center off Duffer Lane. Also, in early 2024 the city will start developing the Dos Lagos Soccer Field and High Mast Lighting. There have been questions if the infrastructure, including water, wastewater, power, gas, and communications can handle all that is planned for Dos Lagos and if they are set up to support the full development and capacity for everything. Which will include residential and retail businesses like fast food, sit-down restaurants, shopping centers, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and more.
The completion of the Dos Lagos Development will take some time and will take up to 10 years to fully develop. There has been no municipal that has moved such an impressive catalytic project in New Mexico in the past 5 years so quickly, and it is publicly funded to date and no private funds.
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